Obama proclaims June 2013 LGBT Pride Month
President Barack Obama declared the month of June LGBT Pride Month in a proclamation released by the White House Friday afternoon.
“This year, we celebrate LGBT Pride Month at a moment of great hope and progress, recognizing that more needs to be done,” Obama said in a statement. “Support for LGBT equality is growing, led by a generation which understands that, in the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., ‘injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'”
In a proclamation that cited the Obama administration’s accomplishments on LGBT issues, including the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and expanded hate-crime protections, Obama also reaffirmed his commitment to the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
“We have a long way to go, but if we continue on this path together, I am confident that one day soon, from coast to coast, all of our young people will look to the future with the same sense of promise and possibility,” Obama said. “I am confident because I have seen the talent, passion, and commitment of LGBT advocates and their allies, and I know that when voices are joined in common purpose, they cannot be stopped.”
The White House is expected to host a reception celebrating June as Pride Month next week.
[Photo: Barack Obama (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)]
Read the full proclamation here:
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
