; Whereas the earliest AIDS resource center in Dallas was the Oak Lawn Counseling Center, founded in 1981 by Harold P. (Howie) Daire and Candy Marcum, which provided educational and patient support service; Whereas, in 1982, the BlackTie Dinner held the first of what would become many dinners to contribute to one of the largest sources of funding for many North Texas LGBTQI+ organizations; Whereas, in 1984, the Supreme Court decision in Gay Student Services v. Texas A&M University upheld the requirement for public universities to uphold the First Amendment rights of students, which require public universities to recognize student organizations aimed at gay students; Whereas the City of Dallas has comprehensive ordinances offering lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender residents protection from discrimination in employment, housing, and other public areas; Whereas, since its founding in 1984, Dallas Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS has grown from a grassroots organization to a national foundation with chapters across the country; Whereas, in 1985, the Gay Alliance also provided support and representation for those with HIV/AIDS, and created the AIDS Resource Center, later renamed Resource Center; Whereas the Dallas Buyer’s Club was created by Dallas electrician Ron Woodroof in 1988 to distribute drugs not then available to AIDS and HIV patients to combat the disease; Whereas, in 1993, Mr. Craig McDaniel was the first openly gay man to be elected to the Dallas City Council, working to support the rights of the LGBTQI+ community through legislation; Whereas 1996 marked the first year of Dallas Black Pride, which has grown to be the largest celebration of its kind in Texas and is continually held every year in the fall; Whereas, in 1997, the Texas legislature prohibited the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples; Whereas the 1999 Texas State Supreme Court annulled transsexual marriages in the State under Littleton v. Prange