; Whereas, on June 26, 2003, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Lawrence v. Texas, that under the 14th Amendment, States could not criminalize the private, intimate relationships of same-sex couples; Whereas, on August 5, 2004, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals determined, in Smith v. City of Salem, that transgender employees are protected from workplace discrimination under title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Whereas in 2008, Latino trans man Diego Miguel Sanchez became the first openly transgender individual to be appointed to the Democratic National Committee’s Platform Committee; Whereas, on November 4, 2008, Stu Rasmussen of Silverton, Oregon, became the first openly transgender person to be elected mayor in the Nation; Whereas in 2009, Diego Miguel Sanchez became the first openly transgender congressional senior staffer on Capitol Hill, appointed by Representative Barney Frank; Whereas, on October 28, 2009, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama. The bill expanded existing Federal hate crimes laws to include crimes motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability; Whereas, on January 4, 2010, Mayor Annise D. Parker was sworn in as the first openly lesbian mayor of Houston, and the largest city in the United States to have an openly LGBTQ mayor; Whereas, on November 2, 2010, Victoria Kolakowski was elected as the first openly transgender woman in California to serve as a trial court judge for the Alameda County Superior Court; Whereas, on November 17, 2010, Phyllis Frye was appointed into the City of Houston Municipal Courts as the first openly transgender judge in Texas; Whereas in December of 2010, Congress approved and President Obama signed the repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law, allowing gays, lesbians, and bisexuals to serve openly in the United States Armed Forces