May 22, 2013
Period 3
The LGBT community has covered many milestones in DC history, which many of us are not aware of. For example, Washington’s Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance (GLAA), is the nation’s oldest continuously active gay organization. It was founded on April 20, 1971. The organization dedicated itself to securing the “full rights and privileges” of citizenship for the gay community through its political organizing and advocacy. In 1972, the DC School Board banned discrimination on sexual orientation, making it the first such resolution by a school board in America. And in 1973, Mayor Walter Washington signed the city’s historic legislation banning discrimination against gays and lesbians in housing, public accommodation, bank credit and employment. Frank Kameny then became the first openly gay person to receive a city appointment, taking his seat on the Washington, DC Human Rights Commission in 1974.
Homosexual poet Walt Whitman nurtured to wounded Union soldiers in federal buildings transformed into make-shift hospitals throughout Washington during the Civil War. In addition, In the 1980s, the AIDS epidemic brought its grip to Washington, DC. Like many communities, heroic responses emerged. While many voluntary groups banded together, two institutions led the entire metro area. The Whitman-Walker Clinic helped medical and social needs, while Food & Friends were bringing healthy, nourishing meals to people living with HIV and AIDS. Both organizations today are still going strong, by saving and improving thousands of lives – and working with many more local HIV/AIDS causes, which is way more than straight people are doing today. The LGBT community has been outstanding Americans since day one, and I see no reason why we discriminate against them.
The LGBT community has worked very hard as a community to get where they are in present America. Recently, I found out that it is not illegal to fire a lesbian, bisexual, gay or transgender person from their employment based on their sexual orientation in DC, and I feel it should be.
Equal rights are the rights held in common by all people. It shouldn’t take much for people to realize this, yet it does. It takes unemployment, health issues, or personal epiphanies for people to realize that everyone deserves to hold common rights.
There are no sources in the current document.
Princeton Model Congress
Committee: Period 3 | Principal Author: Morsiell Dormu | Bill No: 1 | Delegation: Dr. Ross |
Title of Bill: Non-Discrimination of Employees |
Be It Enacted By The Princeton Model Congress
12345678910111213141516171819202122 | Preamble: Whereas, qualified, hardworking Americans