Councilmember Jack Evans
A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
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To Honor the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance on the occasion of its 29th Anniversary and to recognize the distinguished citizens the organization will pay tribute to at its anniversary reception
WHEREAS, the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance of Washington, DC (GLAA) was founded in April 1971 to advance the cause of equal rights and social equality for lesbians and gay men living in the District of Columbia through peaceful participation in the political process; and
WHEREAS, GLAA now ranks as the oldest continuously active gay and lesbian rights organization in the country; and
WHEREAS, GLAA has long fought to improve relations between the District's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered communities and the District's public safety agencies, as evidenced by its ongoing leadership in the fight for justice for Tyra Hunter, its assistance in the Mayor's search for appointees for the new Citizen Complaint Review Board, and by its ongoing work with the police and fire departments; and
WHEREAS, GLAA has long struggled for effective public health strategies in the fight against AIDS, as evidenced by its effective leadership in the drive to commit the District government to implementing a unique identifier system that will be sensitive to the privacy concerns of people testing positive for HIV, and insuring that treatments and medicine are available to those in need; and
WHEREAS, GLAA has long been at the forefront of the efforts for better enforcement of the landmark D.C. Human Rights Law of 1977, perhaps the strongest and most comprehensive civil rights law in the nation, as evidenced by the Council's decision to heed GLAA's call to reestablish the Office of Human Rights as an independent agency and by GLAA's unrelenting watchdog role in assuring that all anti-discrimination policy statements in the D.C. government reflect the full range of classes protected under the landmark D.C. Human Rights Act of 1977;
WHEREAS, GLAA has kept the gay and lesbian community of Washington informed about the position of candidates for public office by rating all candidates for Mayor and Council in every election since the establishment of home rule, through a system noted for its fairness and nonpartisanship; and
WHEREAS, GLAA has been an outspoken advocate for gay and lesbian youth, as evidenced by the struggle with the D.C. Public Schools to get an effective, enforced anti-harassment policy established to protect all students; and
WHEREAS, GLAA has participated in the lobbying efforts against arbitrary Federal restrictions on the District's budget aimed at lesbians and gay men, including a leading role in Equality Begins at Home, which resulted in the first-ever defeat of an anti-gay social rider on the floor of the United State House of Representative; and
WHEREAS, GLAA will be celebrating its 29th Anniversary with a reception at the historic Doyle Washington Hotel on Thursday evening, April 27; and
WHEREAS, GLAA will be honoring Dr. Franklin E. Kameny, an early leader of the gay right movement and an icon in the civil rights struggle over the years both within the District of Columbia and around the country, on the occasion of his 75th birthday; and,
WHEREAS, GLAA will be presenting its Distinguished Service Awards that evening to several distinguished individuals and organizations who have helped advance the causes and concerns of the lesbians and gay men in the District of Columbia, including: Mr. Steve Block of the American Civil Liberties Union/National Capital Area, and Mr. Jeffrey Berman of the Public Defender Service, for their tireless efforts towards mitigating the possible dangers to gays and others of a sexual offenders registration system; Former GLAA Treasurer Barrett L. Brick, a local and international activist who has bridged the social acceptance of lesbians and gays through his outstanding work with legal, science fiction, and soccer organizations, as well as being a former executive director of the World Congress of Gay & Lesbian Jewish Organizations; Food and Friends, one of the most successful organizations of its kind in the country, for its invaluable work providing meals to homebound people with AIDS and cancer; Dr. Patricia Hawkins, Associate Director of the Whitman-Walker Clinic, for her leadership and insight on health issues relating to the gay and lesbian community, particularly AIDS- and HIV-related issues; and Local and national transgendered activist Jessica Xavier for her continuing battle for equal rights and protection under the law for all citizens, particularly equal rights and equal protection for transgendered people;
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this Resolution may be cited as the "Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance 29th Anniversary Recognition Resolution of 2000."
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia salutes GLAA on the occasion of its 29th Anniversary Reception on April 27, 2000 and thanks its members for their long record of dedicated service that has advanced the welfare not only of the gay and lesbian community but of the entire population of the District of Columbia.
Sec. 3. The resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in either the District of Columbia Register, the District of Columbia Statutes-at-large, or the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations.
