President Obama declares June as LGBT Pride Month

In a presidential proclamation, the Obama White House declared June to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month.

“As progress spreads from State to State, as justice is delivered in the courtroom, and as more of our fellow Americans are treated with dignity and respect -- our Nation becomes not only more accepting, but more equal as well,” the Obama’s proclamation stated.

Same-sex marriage is now legal in 19 states. Though Obama wrote in the proclamation that although the Supreme Court decision to strike down a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, allowing same-sex couple, who were married in states where it’s legal, the same federal benefits as straight couples, the United States does not celebrate full equality yet.

“Despite this progress, LGBT workers in too many States can be fired just because of their sexual orientation or gender identity; I continue to call on the Congress to correct this injustice by passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act,” Obama stated.

There are still 31 states that believe same-sex marriage should be illegal. Not to mention the lack of acknowledgement and understanding about non-binary gender.

According to Gender Spectrum, our culture’s impression of gender is that it is a binary concept, with two immovable choices: male or female. However, Gender Spectrum explained that gender is not only not a binary concept, gender occurs across a continuum of alternatives called a gender spectrum.

Gender is heterogeneous. More often than not people’s preferences fall outside of commonly understood gender norms. To help the general population understand the extent of this diversity, ABC News lists the 58 gender options Facebook users can select from.

Additionally, organizations and communities including, the Human Rights Campaign, the American Civil Liberties Union and Amnesty International, continuously make strides to ensure all people, regardless of gender identity, enjoy a complete range of human rights, without exception.

The presidential proclamation makes note that effort for LGBT equality extends outside the borders of the United States.

“The United States calls on every nation to join us in defending the universal human rights of our LGBT brothers and sisters.”

President Obama calls all Americans as well as the rest of the globe to celebrate June 2014 as LGBT Pride Month and follow the example of the bravery during the June 1969 riots at the Stonewall Inn that awakened the gay rights movement.

Obama stated, “let each of us speak for tolerance, justice, and dignity – because if hearts and minds continue to change over time, laws will too.”

image via INFphoto.com