CARRBORO, N.C -- Carrboro is committed to supporting LGBTQ people and ensuring that all residents, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, are treated with respect and dignity. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is celebrated nationally each year in June to commemorate the Stonewall riots of 1969 and Mayor Damon Seils has proclaimed June 2023 to be Pride Month in Carrboro.
Carrboro has a proud history of advancing the rights of LGBTQ people, including:
- adding sexual orientation to the list of protected categories in the Town’s equal employment opportunity policy in 1990
- being the first municipality in the state to create a domestic partner registry in 1994
- being the first to elect a gay mayor in 1995 and, later, the first to elect a lesbian mayor and the first to elect a second gay mayor in 2021
- being among the first to support civil marriage for same-sex couples and the inclusion of LGBTQ families in comprehensive immigration reform
- being one of several local governments to oppose the North Carolina General Assembly’s discriminatory Senate Bill 2 in 2015
- being the first to call for repeal of the discriminatory House Bill 2 in 2016
- being among the first (with the Towns of Hillsborough and Chapel Hill and Orange County) to adopt an ordinance prohibiting discrimination in public accommodations and employment in 2021
There is still much physical and psychological violence inflicted on LGBTQ people. 2021 was the deadliest year on record for trans women. LGBTQ people, especially trans people and LGBTQ people of color, experience disproportionately high rates of poverty. There continues to be bullying and harassment of LGBTQ youth, who make up a disproportionate number of homeless youth in the United States. LGBTQ youth experience high rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation and often do not receive mental health care because they fear discussing their mental health concerns or worry about obtaining parental consent.
The North Carolina General Assembly continues to entertain bills that target LGBTQ people, including Senate Bill 631 and House Bill 574, which would prevent trans youth from participating in middle and high school sports; House Bill 808, which would ban best-practice medical care for trans youth; and Senate Bill 49, North Carolina’s own "Don't Say Gay" bill.
“I encourage all residents to celebrate and affirm their LGBTQ family members, friends, and neighbors, and to participate in Small Town Pride events throughout the month,” Mayor Seils said.
In 2022, Carrboro received a perfect score on the Municipal Equality Index, a measure of how inclusive the Town's laws, policies, and services are of LGBTQ people who live and work here.
The Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill will cohost “Small Town Pride,” a series of celebrations that will include Orgulla Latinx Pride on Saturday, June 10, and culminating in a Pride Food Truck Rodeo & Dance Party on Friday, June 30.
To read the full Pride Month proclamation visit: https://www.carrboronc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12964/2023-Pride-Month-Proclamation
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