Recommendation to request that the City of Long Beach annually recognize June as Pride Month.
Okay, great. Thank you very much. We're moving on to item 24. Item 24 is communication from Councilwoman Price, Councilwoman Gonzalez, Councilmember peers and council membership, and a recommendation to request that City of Long Beach annually recognize June as Pride Month. Who should handle this? You? Yeah, I am. But who's uzan? Okay, this is my space. Thank you, Councilman Andres. Yes. So it is my honor and privilege to work with my council colleagues to bring this item forward. As we all know, Long Beach is a leading city in California in supporting LGBTQ rights. The goals of equality and justice for the LGBT CU community is a priority for the city and a priority for the city council, and it is a priority for me personally. It is a privilege that I hold very dear. Recognizing Pride Month will help to honor the legacy of this movement and the progress made by individuals in the LGBT community. Through the positive. Contributions they have made to our community, to our state, and to this country. On a personal note, every year I have a float in the. Pride Parade, but this year. I was so exuberant and danced so enthusiastically that I ended up rupturing a disc in my back and needed to get spine. Surgery the following week. So I will break my back for you. I hope that. Along with this item, we as a council show that we are committed as a city and as a community to supporting LGBTQ pride and events, programs and all philosophies associated with it. Thank you. Yeah. This comes from Gonzalo. Thank you. And thank you, Councilmember Price, for bringing it forward. We also designated the third week of May as Pride Week and I think June a lot. You know, we're a little different in Long Beach. We celebrated in May. The rest of the world sells, celebrates it in June. And I think it's just absolutely timely and great that we're doing that. Anything we can do to highlight the fact that we are a very inclusive LGBTQ community? You know, I'm we're all about it. And so I thank you again for bringing it forward. And I look forward to hopefully having another pride amazing pride float and hopefully you don't rupture another disc. We need you on the council. But thanks so much. Thank you very much, Congressman Pearce. Mrs. Pearce. Yes, thank you. I want to thank my colleagues for this item. I want to thank Long Beach Pride for always presenting us with good items and ways to celebrate our community and partner together. You know, when this item came up, I was kind of surprised that we hadn't already had it. So I want to thank Councilwoman Susie Price for this, recognizing that our city is changing and it is diverse, and the more that we can celebrate those that make our city great, the stronger we will be. So keep up the great work and anytime that we can partner and build relationships with you all, we certainly look forward to it. Thank you. Yes, I see we have. Well, first 10 seconds. Any public comment? Hello again. Green Hat off, Rainbow Hat on Stellar Suhr, Vice Chair for the LGBTQ Center of Long Beach. And so I have a short letter to read to you. So, dear Mayor Garcia and members of City Council, the LGBTQ Center of Long Beach supports the proposed agenda item to annually recognize June as Pride Month in Long Beach and is incredibly grateful to Councilwoman Pearce for her leadership on this effort. Our LGBTQ community in Long Beach is one of the most diverse in this country, and our local community organizations have contributed greatly to LGBTQ history in the United States while we continue to support advancing equity for LGBTQ people locally and throughout the country. We applaud Long Beach City Council for taking the step to formally acknowledge that the nearly 50 years of history pride celebrations have contributed towards our movement. We're also grateful for the efforts of many City Council to address issues of inequity and for your demonstrated actions to improve Long Beach for LGBTQ people during the month of June and beyond. We hope that your commitment to and efforts to improve our LGBTQ community extend far beyond this motion and are woven into the moral fabric that contributes to your leadership and how you choose to lead our community. Thank you again to Councilwoman Pearce for leading this effort as well as co-sponsors. Councilwoman Gonzalez. Councilwoman Pierce. Councilmember. Super not for your many actions which have demonstrated a. Willingness to pay the. Price. I'm sorry. Let me say it again. Thank you again to Councilwoman Price for leading this effort, as well as co-sponsors Gonzalez and Pierce in Super for your actions, which have demonstrated a longstanding commitment and unwavering support for our LGBTQ community. And this is signed by our executive director, Porter Gilbert, and our board chair and President Justin Porter. Thank you. Thank you to any more public comment. Oh, I know this young lady. Thank you. Honorable Mayor, members of City Council. My name is Tanya martin. I'm the FIL representative for Senator Ricardo Lot. And today I'm here on behalf of the senator who supports the proposed item and who also would like to recognize Councilwoman Pearce. Pearce Price, the other P prize for for her leadership on this effort. Also to recognize the call authors Catwoman, Gonzalez, Councilwoman Pearce, and also Mr. Councilman Silvano. As you may know, June as Pride Month is observed across the nation since 1969 to commemorate the Stonewall riots. This is when there was a tipping point movement for the gay liberation in the United States. Every June, the LGBT press organizations around the country call upon Californians for all backgrounds to observe the month by participating in activities and events to celebrate the achievements and diversity of the LGBT community. In June of 1969, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn staged an uprising to resist the harassment, the persecution to which many LGBT plus Americans were commonly subjected to. This uprising marked the beginning of civil rights movement to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against LGBT Americans. Today, communities across the state come together to host pride parades, festivals, picnics, parties, drag shows, workshops, conferences and concerts that attract millions of participants from around the world. For decades, Long Beach has been a leader in celebrating our pride for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and related communities and their allies by kicking off the first pride event in the region. And this is a southern region. Our city is a leader in supporting gay rights movement, and you are also the host of one of the largest pride festivals and parades in the country. With that said, by supporting this item, the City of Long Beach will ensure that it maintains its momentum as a world class. City that openly supports diversity. Inclusivity and the community. I respectfully ask for your yes vote today. Thank you. Thank you, Jane, for public comment. If not, please vote. Motion carries.