County Executive David Crowley Statement Celebrating Pride Month 2021

MILWAUKEE, WI – June 1 marked the beginning of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, today Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley released the following statement in celebration of Pride Month in Milwaukee County:

“It is a pleasure to wish all of Milwaukee County a happy Pride Month! This month, we celebrate the history of the LGBTQ+ movement for equality and justice, honor the contributions and impact of LGBTQ+ residents, memorialize those who are no longer with us, and re-commit ourselves to the work that remains to ensure every resident is respected as a human being and has their rights protected under the law.

“A lot of progress has been made since the 1969 Stonewall riot in New York City, led by transgender women of color, which marked beginning of the ongoing movement to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning
Americans.

“At the same time, plenty of work remains ahead us, especially when it comes to ending discrimination and advancing inclusion for transgender and gender-nonconforming people. According to the Human Rights Campaign, there were at least 37 transgender and gender non-conforming people violently killed in 2020, more than any other year since the Human Rights Campaign began tracking this data eight years ago. The Human Rights Campaign has tracked more than 200 deaths of this kind since 2013. And because so many departments don’t keep track of gender identity, the number of victims could be much higher.

“The oppressive forces of homophobia, transphobia, sexism, and racism often converge to bring lethal violence upon our own residents. Simply existing is a dangerous act for too many in our own communities. Protecting all of our residents is critical to our vision to achieve racial equity and make Milwaukee County the healthiest county in the state. It means that while we celebrate what we’ve achieved to advance the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, we also recommit ourselves to the inclusion and protection of our transgender and non-conforming residents.

“Hate has no home in Milwaukee County. We’re committed to ensuring that every community in our area is a welcoming space for everyone to work, live, and visit no matter who you are, how you identify, or who you love.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.