President Joe Biden has recognized June
as LGBT Pride Month.
In his proclamation, Biden called on
Congress to approve the Equality Act, a stalled bill that seeks to
prohibit LGBT discrimination in key areas, and hit back at GOP states
that have approved anti-transgender bills.
“During LGBTQ+ Pride Month, we
recognize the resilience and determination of the many individuals
who are fighting to live freely and authentically,” Biden said. “In
doing so, they are opening hearts and minds, and laying the
foundation for a more just and equitable America.”
Biden said that he “will not rest
until full equality for LGBTQ+ Americans is finally achieved and
codified into law,” a reference to the Equality Act currently
before the Senate.
According to the Human Rights Campaign
(HRC), the nation's largest LGBT rights advocate, more than 200
anti-LGBT bills have been introduced in state legislatures this
session, 66 of which seek to prohibit transgender student athletes
from participating on sports teams that align with their gender.
(Related: Florida
Governor Ron DeSantis signs transgender sports ban.)
Biden called out these bills, calling
them “discriminatory.”
“Some States have chosen to actively
target transgender youth through discriminatory bills that defy our
Nation's values of inclusivity and freedom for all,” he wrote.
Former President Donald Trump became
the first Republican president in history to recognize LGBT Pride
Month. However, the recognition came in the form of a tweet and Trump
failed to issue an official proclamation.