Declaring May 16, 2026, as National Honor Our LGBTQ+ Elders Day in the City of Philadelphia, a day to recognize and celebrate the contributions of LGBTQ+ elders who have been pivotal in the fight for justice, equity, and rights for every member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Declaring May 16, 2026, as National Honor Our LGBTQ+ Elders Day in the City of Philadelphia, a day to recognize and celebrate the contributions of LGBTQ+ elders who have been pivotal in the fight for justice, equity, and rights for every member of the LGBTQ+ community. WHEREAS, National Honor Our LGBTQ+ Elders Day is observed annually on May 16 to recognize and pay tribute to early generations whose bravery and activism have forged a path for LGBTQ+ youth to envision a future free from stigmatization and discrimination; and WHEREAS, National Honor Our LGBTQ+ Elders Day was founded by The Center for LGBTQ Health Equity, a project of Chase Brexton Health Services in Baltimore, Maryland, and made an official national day in 2016 to draw awareness to and appreciation of the lifetime of contributions made by LGBT older adults; and WHEREAS, As we honor LGBTQ+ elders, we celebrate and champion pivotal figures of the LGBTQ+ movement including Marsha P. Johnson, Harvey Milk, Sylvia Rivera, Bayard Rustin, Barbara Gittings, Frank Kameny, Tyrone Smith, Thom Cardwell, Gilbert Baker, Michael Hinson, Miss Major, Ms. Jaci Adams, Ms. Charlene Arcila, Ms. Dawn Munro, and Ms. Nizah Morris; and WHEREAS, These pioneering LGBTQ+ elders have shaped the LGBTQ+ rights movement, and the ways in which LGBTQ+ people are treated by society at large with their contributions, activism, mentorship, education, community-building, and their commitment to fighting for those of us that come after them. As a res…