To acknowledge LGBT awareness week, Mayor Fenty issued the following proclamation.

WHEREAS, high-quality compassionate health care should be available to all of our citizens; and

WHEREAS, despite much progress in the fight for legal and social equality, the LGBT community, a vibrant and vital part of our city, still faces tremendous challenges in receiving culturally competent and appropriate health care; and

WHEREAS, many members of the LGBT community continue to face outright discrimination from health care providers; and

WHEREAS, National LGBT Health Awareness Week provides a platform to raise awareness of the health care needs of the LGBT community and the challenges the community faces in meeting those needs; and

WHEREAS, this annual event reflects the hard work and dedication of the National Coalition for LGBT Health and its constituent member organizations in the District of Columbia and across the nation:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, THE MAYOR OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, do hereby proclaim March 11-17, 2007, as “LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER (LGBT) HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK” in Washington, DC, and call upon all of the citizens of this great city to join me in this observation.