Council kicks-off LGBT Heritage month

The Los Angeles City Council kicked-off Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Heritage Month by passing a package of resolutions that put the city officially on record in support of pending LGBT community-related federal and state bills.

“By standing up for LGBT rights, we stand up for the basic rights to which every American is entitled. Today we reaffirm the City of Los Angeles’ commitment to laws that recognize and protect all of our diverse communities,” said Council President Eric Garcetti.

“With LGBT Heritage Month we celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of the LGBT community and its heroic activists. We also commemorate this month by focusing on what we as a city, including our Mayor and City Council, can do to champion such grand and courageous efforts. That’s why I’m so proud that we are beginning this special month by voting to support the causes and protect and advance the rights of the LGBT community, through our outspoken, strong and caring endorsement of crucial state and federal legislation that helps achieve justice, equality, safety, opportunity and progress,” said Councilmember Paul Koretz.

“As the rest of the country struggles to define equality, the City of Los Angeles found that the easiest way is to continue at the very heart of the word. The actions of the Mayor and my Council colleagues today will recommit us to our tradition of acceptance in the City of Los Angeles, and set an example for others, while the LGBT community continues to fight for very basic civil and human rights. When it comes to inclusion there are critical battles ahead of us, but today I feel like we truly belong,” said Councilmember Bill Rosendahl.

“We must continue to protect the rights of all Los Angelenos. The federal and state bills that we supported today reinforce this goal, sending the message that the City of Los Angeles is and will continue to be a place that supports equal rights for everyone regardless of ethnic background, religion, or sexual orientation. It’s simply the right thing to do,” said Council President Pro Tempore Jan Perry.

“It’s important for the City of Los Angeles to go on record in support of equality for the LGBT community, and hopefully our actions will encourage other cities to do the same,” said Councilwoman Janice Hahn.

The city resolutions support the following state and federal bills:

• Senate Joint Resolution No. 2: Urges the President, Congress, and Secretary of Defense policy requiring service members discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell to repay the costs of their military education and training
• Federal legislative action to grant Joseph Sekajugo Bokombe, a gay man from Uganda, a visa extension and possible permanent residency so that he not be sent back to Uganda where he faces the threat of violence because of his sexual orientation
• AB 887: Amends state law to specifically enumerate protections based on gender identification and gender expression protections
• SB 117: Prohibits state agencies from entering into a contract of $100,000 or more with businesses that discriminate based on sexual orientation in providing employee benefits
• SB 747: Requires state regulatory boards that license or certify health care personnel to mandate a continuing education course in LGBT cultural competency in heath care
• AB 9: Requires California schools to report to law enforcement instances of the bullying of students
• AB 620: Requires California Community Colleges, California State University and the University of California to train faculty and staff on LGBT issues, provide services to address LGBT student needs, and add sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression to campus anti-discrimination policies
• SB 416: Adds questions regarding sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, domestic partnership status, and gender of a spouse to voluntary demographic information collected in California statewide surveys
• SB 182: Adds gender identity and sexual orientation questions to the state’s annual Judicial Applicant Data Report for judicial applicants, judicial appointees and nominees, and justices and judges
• SB 48 (FAIR Act): Adds the LGBT community to the list of under-represented groups for inclusion in textbooks and other school instructional materials