Bill Text: TX HR545 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Honoring the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Passed) 2019-03-15 - Reported enrolled [HR545 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HR545-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 545 | ||
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| WHEREAS, For the past quarter century, the Austin LGBT | ||
| Chamber of Commerce has been a voice and an advocate for the | ||
| lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender business owners of Austin; | ||
| and | ||
| WHEREAS, Originally established in 1994 as the Stonewall | ||
| Chamber of Commerce, after the Stonewall demonstrations in New York | ||
| City in 1969, the chamber was renamed the Austin Gay and Lesbian | ||
| Chamber of Commerce in 1997; it became one of the founding members | ||
| of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) in 2004, | ||
| and in 2017, it changed its name to the Austin LGBT Chamber of | ||
| Commerce, in recognition of the contributions of the bisexual and | ||
| transgender communities to the local economy; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Over the years, the Austin chamber has grown in | ||
| membership and influence; milestones have included the publication | ||
| of its first magazine, Forward Austin, in 2007, its attainment of | ||
| 300 members in 2009, and the first publication of its quarterly | ||
| magazine, the Agenda, in 2012; it received the Rising Star Chamber | ||
| of the Year Award from the NGLCC in 2013, and that same year, it was | ||
| named Best Shop-Local Portal in the Austin Chronicle's Best of | ||
| Austin poll; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In addition, the chamber has become a powerful force | ||
| for inclusion and diversity in the community; it sponsored its | ||
| first Pride Parade in Austin in 2001 and continued to host the | ||
| parade and festival until 2010, drawing more than 50,000 | ||
| participants each year; on the first day of the 2013 SXSW | ||
| Interactive Festival, it organized the first #BigGay Kickoff Party, | ||
| attracting more than 1,500 attendees, and in 2015, it was | ||
| recognized with the Excellence in Community Impact Award from the | ||
| NGLCC; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Each June, the chamber hosts the Proud! Gala, an | ||
| annual business awards ceremony and scholarship fund-raiser for | ||
| LGBT students; over the past year, the chamber has launched an | ||
| Employee Resource Groups program and created an advocacy committee; | ||
| it is also one of the founding chambers of the Texas LGBT Chambers | ||
| of Commerce, a statewide advocacy group that is holding its first | ||
| legislative day at the State Capitol in 2019; and | ||
| WHEREAS, By empowering LGBT businesses and their allies, the | ||
| Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce is working to develop a supportive, | ||
| diverse, and prosperous environment throughout the Capital City; | ||
| now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby honor the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce for | ||
| its first 25 years and extend to the chamber and its members sincere | ||
| best wishes for continued success; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
| prepared for the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce as an expression of | ||
| high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. | ||
| Israel | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 545 was adopted by the House on March | ||
| 13, 2019, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
