Equality Arlington Applauds County Board’s Adoption of LGBTQIA+ Resolution
Equality Arlington, an LGBTQ+ advocacy nonprofit, applauds the Arlington County Board for adopting a “Resolution affirming Arlington County’s support of WorldPride 2025 and the LGBTQIA+ Community” on May 13, 2025. Building on the 2019 Equity Resolution, the LGBTQIA+ resolution articulates specific actions for the County Manager and government to take to protect and celebrate LGBTQ+ residents including:
Ensure that all county policies, programs, and practices are free from discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity
Affirm and support every Arlingtonian’s right to live a healthy and fulfilling life regardless of their identity and to uphold the dignity, privacy, and self-determination of all youth and adults
Support WorldPride 2025 through the planning of arts, culture, and other engagement opportunities
Calls upon other elected leaders of Arlington to protect LGBTQIA+ individuals and families from discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity, and to enshrine those protections into law
Ensure that Arlington County takes no action violating the United States Constitution and the civil rights of LGBTQIA+ individuals and families and to participate as plaintiff or amicus curiae, in ongoing or future litigation to defend those rights
Ensure the county prepares for potential reductions in Federal public health resources that impact the LGBTQIA+ population including HIV prevention, intimate partner violence, and mental health
Equality Arlington has been working for months with other advocates, community members, and the County Board to ensure that Arlington County stands up for the rights of LGBTQ+ community members now under attack from the Trump administration and their allies. “The County Board took an important step this week to articulate their expectations for county government to defend and uphold the rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ residents,” says Kellen MacBeth, President of Equality Arlington. “The LGBTQIA+ resolution makes it clear that, no matter what happens across the river, Arlington will not discriminate against LGBTQ+ residents and their families, and the county recognizes the immense contribution our community makes to the economic and social wellbeing of Arlington.”
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