It’s the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. The demonstrations that followed were pivotal in uplifting our LGBTQ community and marked a critical turning point for greater LGBTQ equality.
The police raids of the Stonewall Inn set off a chain of events that united not just the LGBTQ community but led others to recognize the need for understanding and social change. We now celebrate that progress with Pride festivals across the country.
We have seen similar unity in our communities with the events over the last several months. First, with the pandemic and now with the peaceful marches happening in communities here in Utah and across the world. I have been encouraged as I have seen people across the political spectrum and from every racial and ethnic background throughout our communities come together to call out racism and injustices disproportionately affecting our black, indigenous and minority communities.
It is important that those of us in a place of privilege must take a moment to reflect and attempt to understand what it is to walk in the shoes of all those who have protested systemic racism in America, and how their lack of progress was made painfully clear in the tragic death of George Floyd.
As a citizen and your future congressman, I feel an even greater sense of responsibility to speak up for our constitutional guarantees of equal protection under the law. Today, on the 51st anniversary of Stonewall, we have to ask ourselves what happens next?
We must work to ensure that this month’s marches and rallies move our great country forward for racial equality in the same way that Stonewall moved us forward. I support thoughtful reforms that build trust in our communities and ensure transparency and accountability in our community policing and criminal justice system. We must continue to advance the goals of equality and ensure that together we are making our communities safer and more welcoming for everyone. |
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