Each June, Americans join millions of people around the world in celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) Pride Month.
The last 50 years have seen a tidal change in the way that the right of LGBTI individuals are protected. In June 1969, the Stonewall Uprising served as an important milestone in the quest for equality, and in 2015 the Supreme Court’s landmark decision affirmed the legality of same-sex marriage.
But there is still much progress to be made. As Secretary Pompeo said in 2018, “In many parts of the world, LGBTI individuals and their supporters continue to face violence, arrest, harassment and intimidation for standing up for their human rights, participating in peaceful marches and rallies, expressing their views, and simply being who they are.”