| R 391 |
| 2026 -- S 3351 Enacted 06/04/2026 |
| S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N |
| RECOGNIZING THE MONTH OF JUNE 2026 AS "PRIDE MONTH" IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND |
Introduced By: Senators Murray, Mack, Bell, Kallman, Quezada, Burke, Euer, Sosnowski, Patalano, and Urso |
| Date Introduced: June 04, 2026 |
| WHEREAS, Rhode Island celebrates LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, |
| Queer, Intersex, Asexual +) people in June of 2026, by honoring the history, struggles, and |
| successes of LGBTQIA+ people and by supporting peace and prosperity for everyone; and |
| WHEREAS, In 1949, the Rhode Island General Assembly established the State |
| Commission for Human Rights with the understanding that "[t]he practice or policy of |
| discrimination against individuals...is a matter of state concern", and that "discrimination foments |
| public strife and unrest, threatens the rights and privileges of the inhabitants of the state, and |
| undermines the foundations of a free democratic state" R.I.G.L. Section 28-5-2; and |
| WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights is one of the oldest state |
| agencies in the country that specializes in antidiscrimination law enforcement; and |
| WHEREAS, The Commission enforces all Rhode Island antidiscrimination laws in the |
| areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, credit and delivery of services; and |
| WHEREAS, In 1995 the Rhode Island General Assembly passed legislation which added |
| protections for sexual orientation to our antidiscrimination laws; and |
| WHEREAS, In 2001, Rhode Island became the second state in the nation to pass |
| legislation which added protections for gender identity to our antidiscrimination laws; and |
| WHEREAS, Rhode Island State statutes prohibit discrimination based on race, color, sex |
| (including pregnancy and sexual harassment), disability, ancestral origin, religion, age, sexual |
| orientation, and gender identity/expression; and |
| WHEREAS, Lesbian and gay Rhode Islanders organized their first PrideFest in 1976 |
| with approximately 75 people in attendance. Called the "76ers", these individuals marched |
| through downtown Providence despite State and City leaders attempting to block the parade. |
| They sought to celebrate their diversity, and to highlight the contributions they had made to the |
| wider community; and |
| WHEREAS, On June 25, 1978, Gilbert Baker, an Army veteran from Kansas, designed |
| the rainbow flag as a symbol for the gay liberation movement, which flies during the annual |
| Rhode Island Pride Parade. Each color of the flag has a meaning: hot pink for sexuality, red for |
| life, orange for healing, yellow for the sun, green for nature, turquoise blue for art, indigo for |
| harmony, and violet for spirit; and |
| WHEREAS, On November 20, 1999, Gwendolyn Ann Smith, a well-known advocate for |
| trans rights, created the first Transgender Day of Remembrance, commemorating all the trans |
| people who were killed by anti-transgender violence and bigotry; and |
| WHEREAS, The Netherlands became the first country to recognize the freedom to marry |
| for LGBTQ+ people in 2001; Massachusetts affirmed the autonomy, dignity, and equality of |
| LGBTQ+ people when the state’s highest court became the first to recognize the freedom to |
| marry for LGBTQ+ people in 2003; Rhode Island passed a law that went into effect on August 1, |
| 2013 recognizing marriage equality; and in 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ensured nationwide |
| marriage equality ruling all state bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, allowing gay and |
| lesbian couples to marry nationwide and requiring states to recognize a lawful same-sex marriage |
| performed in another state; and |
| WHEREAS, After dramatically boosting the attendance and community involvement in |
| PrideFest, in 2018, PrideFest led to Providence being listed as one of the "World's Best |
| Destinations for LGBT Pride Celebrations" by National Geographic; and |
| WHEREAS, Rhode Island will celebrate our LGBTQIA+ community on June 20, 2026 |
| with the PrideFest Celebration and Illuminated Night Parade; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby celebrates June of |
| 2026, as "Pride Month" and embraces the LGBTQIA+ community with appreciation for their |
| culture, creativity and contributions; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That this Senate will hereby continue to respect every Rhode Islander and |
| work to ensure equity and justice as a hallmark of Rhode Island legislation; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Rhode Island Pride. |
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| LC006556 |
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