HR1524 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1524 LRB099 24132 MST 51807 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The United States and the State of Illinois should strive to foster inclusion, opportunity, and equality for all individuals regardless of race, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, or religion; and

WHEREAS, We are a nation built on an American dream, which has flourished due to hope, unity, and the acceptance and inclusion of immigrants in our society; and

WHEREAS, The greatest strength of our people and our society is our diversity; out of many, we are one; and

WHEREAS, Stephen Bannon is a known white supremacist who has fanned the flames of hatred and intolerance while editor-in-chief at Breitbart News; as a top advisor, he has brought the same hateful tactics to President-elect Donald Trump's campaign; and

WHEREAS, The deplorable headlines published during Mr. Bannon's tenure at Breitbart including: "Would you rather your child had feminism or cancer", "Hoist it high and proud: The Confederate flag proclaims a glorious heritage", "Gay rights have made us dumber, it's time to get back in the closet", "Bill Kristol: Republican spoiler, renegade Jew", reflect the frightening world view of the white-nationalist group, known as the "alt-right"; and

WHEREAS, An individual heralded by the "alt-right" and pushing a strong white-nationalistic, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, and misogynistic agenda, who has used racial divisiveness for his own personal advancement has no place working in American government, much less in a leadership role within the White House; and

WHEREAS, Since the November 8, 2016 election, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the American Council on American-Islamic Relations have both documented an alarming surge in the number of reported hate crimes against marginalized Americans; and

WHEREAS, Since the November 8, 2016 election, calls to the suicide hotline in Illinois have increased by 200%, with experts attributing the alarming increase in part to marginalized communities fearing for their safety after the results of the election; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters of marginalized communities including women, people of color, immigrants, the LGBTQ community, and the disabled by condemning the appointment of Stephen Bannon as Chief Strategist to President-elect Trump and demand President-elect Trump to rescind the appointment and focus on uniting our country and serving as Commander-in-Chief for all Americans; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge Governor Rauner to stand with marginalized communities in Illinois and call for the rejection of hate speech and the immediate dismissal of Mr. Bannon; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to Governor Rauner and President-elect Trump.