DESIGNATING JUNE 28, 2025, AS “STONEWALL UPRISING REMEMBRANCE DAY” IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Sen. Pinkney & Rep. Morrison

Sens. Cruce, Hansen, Huxtable, Lockman, Sokola, Sturgeon, Townsend; Reps. Burns, Griffith, K. Johnson, Neal, Osienski, Ross Levin

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 120

DESIGNATING JUNE 28, 2025, AS “STONEWALL UPRISING REMEMBRANCE DAY” IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE.

WHEREAS, members of this legislative body support the rights, freedoms, and equality of those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual/agender (LGBTQIA+); and

WHEREAS, the Stonewall uprising began on June 28, 1969, when gay rights activists, led by Black trans activists such as Marsha P. Johnson and Stormé DeLarverie, confronted a police raid of the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the Greenwich Village neighborhood in New York City; and

WHEREAS, continuous police raids on gay bars and spaces were a common phenomenon across the U.S. during this time and ultimately the Stonewall protestors were subject to police harassment and brutality during the six inconsecutive nights at the Stonewall Inn; and

WHEREAS, the uprising was in response to discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, and at this time homosexuality was still considered a criminal offense; and

WHEREAS, the LGBTQIA+ community was an easy target for the police, because in New York in 1969, individuals could not wear more than three items of clothing that did not match their assigned gender at birth; and

WHEREAS, those who took a stand for human rights and dignity at the Stonewall Inn are among the pioneers of the LGBTQIA+ rights movement, and one piece of history that frequently gets lost is the fact that many of these defining moments, like Stonewall, were only made possible by Black and brown LGBTQIA+ activists fighting for their liberation; and

WHEREAS, Black and brown people's marginalization was furthered by their sexual orientation, causing violence, discrimination, and oppression toward them with respect to income, employment, housing, education, political representation, access to health care, and other public and private services. This fight for liberation and equality has been whitewashed out of much of the history of the LGBTQIA+ rights movement; and

WHEREAS, many consider the Stonewall uprising the birth of gay pride on a massive scale as they inspired activists to organize, speak out, and demand equal rights and protections under the law; and

WHEREAS, the first Pride march was held on June 28, 1970, the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, and the Stonewall uprising was therefore the catalyst for establishing June as Gay Pride Month; and

WHEREAS, various decisive moments in history were followed by the creation of gay rights organizations in every major city in the United States within two years of the Stonewall uprising, and it serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for equality and justice for LGBTQIA+ individuals worldwide; and

WHEREAS, the Stonewall Inn has now been designated as a National Monument, and while Pride Month is a celebration of progress, it must also be an acknowledgement of the work that still needs to be done; and

WHEREAS, approximately 4.5% of adults, 5% of the Delaware workforce or 24,000 workers, and 40,000 individuals 13+ years of age in Delaware, identify as LGBTQIA+; and

WHEREAS, LGBTQIA+ people have been and continue to be at the center of Black, indigenous, and other people of color movements. Queer folks of color have intersecting identities that make studying, recognizing, and acknowledging their experiences deeply meaningful for the entire community; and

WHEREAS, “Stonewall Uprising Remembrance Day” provides an opportunity for education, advocacy, and activism, and commemorates this pivotal moment in the LGBTQIA+ rights movement in the United States and around the world.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the 153rd General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that the General Assembly affirms the importance of the recognition of LGBTQIA+ people and their many achievements, and hereby designates June 28, 2025, as “Stonewall Uprising Remembrance Day” in the State of Delaware.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the General Assembly encourages expanded efforts to keep Delaware residents properly informed about the need for acceptance, and equitable treatment, of LGBTQIA+ individuals of all backgrounds, races, ages, ethnicities, religions, and beyond.

SYNOPSIS

This resolution affirms the importance of the recognition of LGBTQIA+ people and their many achievements and designates June 28, 2025, as “Stonewall Uprising Remembrance Day” in the State of Delaware. It also encourages expanded efforts to keep Delaware residents properly informed about the need for acceptance, and equitable treatment, of LGBTQIA+ individuals.

Author: Senator Pinkney