; Whereas, in June of 2019, New York City became the first city in the United States to host the WorldPride conference; Whereas June 28, 2019, marked the 50th anniversary of the courageous uprising at Stonewall Inn; Whereas, in July of 2019, Megan Rapinoe, an openly lesbian co-captain of the United States Women’s National Soccer Team, led her team to victory at the Women’s World Cup in France; Whereas, on September 22, 2019, Billy Porter became the first openly gay Black man to win an Emmy for best lead actor in a drama series; Whereas, on June 15, 2020, the Supreme Court held that title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, also applies to sexual orientation and gender identity; Whereas, in November of 2020, 1,006 or more LGBTQIA+ candidates ran for office in the United States, more than ever before; Whereas, in November of 2020, Sarah McBride became the first openly transgender State senator in the United States, making her the highest-ranking openly transgender public official in United States history; Whereas, in November of 2020, Representatives Ritchie Torres and Mondaire Jones, both Members of Congress representing New York districts, became the first openly gay Black persons elected to Congress; Whereas, on February 11, 2021, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a memorandum prohibiting discrimination based on an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity; Whereas, on February 18, 2021, Representative David Cicilline of Rhode Island introduced the Equality Act, H.R. 5, in the 117th Congress, which amends Federal civil rights laws to explicitly include sexual orientation and gender identity among the prohibited categories of discrimination in employment, housing, credit, education, public accommodation, federally funded programs, and jury service