WASHINGTON (NewsNation Now) — President Joe Biden commemorated Pride Month Friday and signed into law a measure that designates the Pulse Nightclub as a national memorial.
A mass shooting at the Orlando, Florida club in June 2016 left 49 people dead and 53 wounded in what was the deadliest attack on the LGBTQ community in U.S. history.
After the signing, Biden made remarks on Pride Month.
Biden also announced Friday he is naming a special diplomatic envoy for LGBTQ rights.
The White House said in a statement Friday that Jessica Stern, executive director of OutRight Action International, will fill the State Department post. Her responsibilities will involve ensuring that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the LGBTQ rights around the world. OutRight defends human rights and works to prevent abuses of LGBTQ people.
In her new role, Stern will help put in place a presidential memorandum to advance the rights of LGBTQ people as well as bring together like-minded governments, nonprofits and corporations to uphold equality and dignity, according to the White House.
Last week, Biden praised the courage of the Las Vegas Raiders’ Carl Nassib for becoming the National Football League’s first openly gay active player and Japan women’s soccer forward Kumi Yokoyama for coming out as a transgender man.
“Because of you, countless kids around the world are seeing themselves in a new light today,” Biden added on Twitter.
