Gov. Roy Cooper | Gov. Roy Cooper Official U.S. Governor headshot
Gov. Roy Cooper | Gov. Roy Cooper Official U.S. Governor headshot
Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month to honor the state’s LGBTQ+ community, the ongoing fight for equality and North Carolina’s efforts to create a welcoming community for all.
“This month we recognize and celebrate our LGBTQ+ community and recommit ourselves to striving for equality,” said Governor Cooper. “It’s on all of us to continue to work to ensure that North Carolina is a welcoming and inclusive place for everyone.”
LGBTQ+ Pride Month commemorates the riots that took place at the Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969, which is commonly recognized as the origin of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.
Several landmark United States Supreme Court decisions upholding the rights of the LGBTQ+ community have been announced in June, including extending discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ employees under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in 2020 and upholding same-sex couples’ right to marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015.
Governor Cooper has worked to make North Carolina a safe and welcoming place for the LGBTQ+ community, taking steps to ensure protection for LGBTQ+ individuals within all spheres of life.
In October 2017, Governor Cooper issued Executive Order No. 24 which prohibits employment discrimination in the Governor’s administration on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. The order also prohibits the same employment discrimination for all entities engaging in business with the state. The Order also created the NC Commission on Inclusion to identify policies and actions to address discrimination and harassment and promote inclusivity.
In August 2019, the Governor issued Executive Order No. 97, making North Carolina the first state in the South to ban state funding for conversion therapy for minors.
Governor Cooper’s administration continues to work to support the LGBTQ+ community. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services provides guidance and instruction to child welfare workers and foster families to provide affirming care to the LGBTQ+ youth they serve. Cabinet agencies have created new positions and offices to increase diversity, equity and inclusion across areas of the state government —including the first Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in a North Carolina Governor’s Office.
Read the proclamation.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up