CER 26-0189

                                                                   ENROLLED ORIGINAL
                               A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
                                             26-189
                   IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
                                          July 14, 2026
To recognize honoree Philip Pannell during the 2026 celebration of DC Black Pride.
       WHEREAS, Philip Pannell has been an outspoken resident of the District of Columbia
for over 50 years, and a lifelong leader in the struggle for LGBTQIA+ equality;
       WHEREAS, as a Fordham University undergraduate, Philip Pannell was in Greenwich
Village on June 28, 1969, the first night of the Stonewall Rebellion, which ignited his
involvement in the struggle for LGBTQIA+ equal rights;
       WHEREAS, in 1975, Philip Pannell moved to the District to join the staff of DC
Councilmember Arrington Dixon, where he immediately became involved in the movement to
end the practice of racial carding in the District’s gay bars;
       WHEREAS, in 1976, Philip Pannell testified before the DC Council in support of same-
sex marriage;
        WHEREAS, in 1983, Mayor Marion Barry appointed Philip Pannell to the DC
Commission on Human Rights, marking the first appointment of a Black Gay man in that
position;
        WHEREAS, Philip Pannell was always one to stand his ground, and was arrested along
with three other men for advocating for a Gay or Lesbian speaker to be included on the program
for the 20th Anniversary of the March on Washington – which resulted in Audre Lorde being
named a speaker;
        WHEREAS, Philip Pannell was also arrested for demonstrating for the repeal of the
District’s sodomy laws, and faced three arrests while demonstrating for an effective federal
government in response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic;
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                                                                  ENROLLED ORIGINAL
       WHEREAS, in 1991, Philip Pannell received the first Man of the Year Award at DC
Black Pride;
     WHEREAS, in 2009, Philip Pannell introduced the resolution that resulted in the Ward 8
Democrats being the first DC Democratic Party organization to endorse marriage equality;
       WHEREAS, Philip Pannell has been a member of a number of LGBTQIA+
organizations, including the DC Coalition of Black Lesbians, Gay Men and Bisexuals, the Gay
and Lesbian Activist Alliance, the Capital Stonewall Democratic Club, and the Hughes -
Roosevelt Democratic Club;
       WHEREAS, Philip Pannell makes it clear that he is as proud of his Gayness as he is of
his Blackness;
        WHEREAS, DC Black Pride is an annual event to increase awareness of and showcase
pride in the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ populations in the African American community, and to
support organizations that focus on health disparities, education, youth, and families;
       WHEREAS, as the very first Black Pride festival in the world, DC Black Pride fostered
the beginning of the Center for Black Equity and the “Black Pride Movement”;
       WHEREAS, since the birth of DC Black Pride, more than 50 other Black Pride
celebrations now take place throughout the world and on 4 continents, with many using DC
Black Pride as a model;
       WHEREAS, May 22, 2026, through May 25, 2026, marks the 35th annual DC Black
Pride celebration;
        WHEREAS, the theme for this year’s celebration is “New Black Renaissance,” which
centers Black LGBTQIA+ “artists, leaders, healers, and organizers while confronting what still
makes Black Pride necessary, including HIV, inequity, homophobia, and transphobia;”
       WHEREAS, for more than 30 years, DC Black Pride has been an opportunity for the
Black LGBTQIA+ community to gather and celebrate being both African American and
members of LGBTQIA+ communities;
       WHEREAS, DC Black Pride is the oldest and one of the largest Black Pride events in the
world, drawing thousands of residents and visitors from around the globe; and
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                                                                   ENROLLED ORIGINAL
       WHEREAS, DC Black Pride brings more than 500,000 people to the nation’s capital
from across the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, South Africa, Great Britain, France,
Germany, and the Netherlands and will carry that tradition this year and into the future to
celebrate their shared community, raise awareness and funding for HIV/AIDS prevention, and
stand against homophobia inspired by violence and bigotry.
        RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that
this resolution be cited as the “Black Pride Honoree Philip Pannell Recognition Resolution of
2026”.
        Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes and celebrates Philip Pannell
during the 2026 celebration of DC Black Pride.
       Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
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