WHEREAS, the Stonewall riots that began on June 28, 1969, sparked the LGBTQ rights movement in America; and

WHEREAS, during these riots, LGBTQ citizens, led by transgender women of color, rose up and resisted police harassment that arose out of discriminatory criminal laws that have since been declared unconstitutional; and

WHEREAS, in the decades since the Stonewall riots, Pride celebrations have taken place around the country every June to commemorate this historic turning point for the LGBTQ community; and

WHEREAS, following the 1984 murder of Charlie Howard, a young gay man in Bangor, LQBTQ Mainers came together to form the Maine Lesbian/Gay Political Alliance, now known as EqualityMaine; and

WHEREAS, as a national leader for LGBTQ equality, Maine has included LGBTQ people in the state’s hate crimes, parentage, and anti-bullying laws; and

WHEREAS, the people of Maine voted to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in 2005 and in favor of marriage equality in 2012; and

WHEREAS, since 2018, Maine has added a non-binary gender designation for state IDs and birth certificates, prohibited transgender exclusions in health insurance plans, banned the harmful practice of conversion therapy, and secured state-level benefits for veterans who were discharged from the military due to their sexual orientation or gender identity; and

WHEREAS, despite years of progress, members of the LGBTQ community in the United States and around the world still face unacceptable levels of discrimination, violence, and proposed roll-backs in state and federal protections; and

WHEREAS, here in Maine, we are committed to treating all people fairly and equally and with dignity and respect, and together we will continue to work toward full equality for our LGBTQ family, friends, and neighbors;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Janet T. Mills, Governor of the great State of Maine, do hereby proclaim the month of June as

LGBTQ Pride Month

throughout the State of Maine, and I urge all citizens to recognize this observance.

In testimony whereof, I have caused the
Great Seal of the State to be hereunto affixed
GIVEN under my hand at Augusta this first
day of June Two Thousand Twenty-Two