(NEWARK, NJ) – Essex County Freeholder President Brendan Gill announced that the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders passed a resolution at their last meeting, Wednesday, June 6, 2018, proclaiming June as LGBT Pride Month in Essex County.

“I am proud to stand with our LGBT brothers and sisters in recognizing June as LGBT Pride Month, and look forward to continue working with this vibrant community to advance initiatives supporting equal rights for all,” said Gill.  “Despite the divisive rhetoric we hear coming out of the White House, in Essex County we have always sought to unite our residents in common cause and common purpose. Essex County will continue to be at the forefront of advancing equal rights for all and celebrating our difference, not using them to divide one American against another.”

As a long-time supporter of the LGBTQ community, Freeholder Gill was the lead sponsor of the Essex County resolution calling on the New Jersey legislature to end state-sanctioned marriage discrimination against same-sex couples, and voted to create and appoint members to the first ever Essex County LGBTQ Advisory Board.

The full text of the resolution can be found below:

RESOLUTION PROCLAIMING JUNE 2018 AS “LGBT PRIDE MONTH” IN ESSEX COUNTY

WHEREAS, Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month is celebrated nationally every June to recognize the significant history of the LGBT Movement for civil rights in the United States and celebrate LGBT Pride; and

WHEREAS, on June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Riots in Manhattan, New York, occurred. The riots were considered the catalyst of the LGBT Movement for civil rights in the United States and inspired thousands of Americans to collectively organize to advocate for LGBT rights; and

WHEREAS, the organization of the Gay Liberation Movement, most notably referred to as the LGBT Rights Movement, encouraged individuals to engage in direct action to advocate forcivil rights for the LGBT community; and

WHEREAS, On the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, the first Gay pride parades in the country’s history took place in several major cities across the United States, including: Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois; San Francisco, California and near the Stonewall Inn in New York; and

WHEREAS, On June 26, 2015, in the 5-4 Supreme Court decision of Obergefell v. Hodges, the United States Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, a monumental victory inthe fight for LGBT civil rights in the United States; and

WHEREAS, nonetheless, there is still so much work to do be done. As a result, the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders encourages residents to embrace equality and serve to make theft communities, workplaces, and homes safe spaces for all; and

WHEREAS, throughout the month of June, events around the country will be held to celebrate the LGBT community and allies. The Freeholder Board encourages Essex County

residents to support and celebrate LGBT rights, and connect with their LGBT neighbors, become allies for the LGBT Community, and attend events to connect with more members of the LGBTand allied community; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders hereby proclaims the month of June 2018 as “LGBT Pride Month” in Essex County to increase acceptance, promote equality, and advocate for civil rights; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that a copy of this Resolution be distributed to the members of the LBTGQ Commission and the Essex County Legislative Delegation.