WHEREAS, The 11th day of June has been declared California LGBT Veterans Day in recognition of the importance of properly thanking the many people of California who have served their country while hiding their true selves due to the many policies against military service while openly lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT); and

WHEREAS, During the times of the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy of the United States Armed Forces and other antihomosexual policies that predated that policy, many service members in honorable standing were ousted from military service and their benefits removed when their LGBT status became known; and

WHEREAS, The State of California lost the ability to properly recognize its many daughters and sons who served their country through the provision of state benefits, recognition, and gratitude for their service due to the dishonorable manner in which they were expelled from the military; and

WHEREAS, Multiple forms of this manner of discrimination have finally been eradicated from the ranks of our United States Armed Forces and all forms of discrimination have been removed from the ranks of the California Military Department, the California National Guard and the State Military Reserve; and

WHEREAS, An appropriate way to acknowledge those who have previously gone without the level of gratitude appropriate towards United States veterans is to annually recognize those who served to protect the freedom of speech for others while they sacrificed it for themselves; now, therefore, be it