Happy Pride! Let’s get to work!
[ [link removed] ]Take Action Now
[ [link removed] ]TAKE ACTION
Dear Friend,
Happy Pride Month!
Pride Month is a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and the people within
it, past and present, who have fought to make our country and lives safer
and stronger. [ [link removed] ] It is also about the importance of being able to live
authentically, and moving the dial toward a world where everyone is safe,
thriving, and not discriminated against in any way. And on that front,
there is a lot of work left to do.
At MomsRising we celebrate Pride every month of the year and especially in
June and that’s why we're calling on Congress right now to pass several
important pieces of legislation that will strengthen and protect the lives
and rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
[1]Add your name now to our letter urging Congress to pass the following
important and long overdue pieces of legislation which will codify and
strengthen protections for the LGBTQ+ community.
→ The Equality Act: This bill passed the House with bipartisan support in
2021 and would update our civil rights laws to explicitly prohibit
discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in key areas of life like employment,
housing, education, federally funded programs, credit, jury service, and
in public places and spaces. It would also prohibit discrimination on the
basis of sex in public accommodations and federally funded programs while
modernizing the definition of public accommodations for all protected
characteristics, including retail stores, banks, and public
transportation. [ [link removed] ] In the past year, more than 1 in 3 LGBTQ+ people
reported experiencing discrimination and negative impacts on physical,
mental, and spiritual wellbeing as a result. [ [link removed] ] We need the Equality Act
because right now there is a patchwork of different state laws with
varying degrees of protection against discrimination, and in some states
they are even going backwards and making it easier to discriminate against
LGBTQ+ people. [ [link removed] ]
→ The Transgender Bill of Rights: This year alone there have been
unprecedented numbers of anti-trans legislation introduced at the state
and federal level, and the rise in attacks on trans youth and transgender
women of color are particularly alarming. [ [link removed] ] The mental health and safety
of the transgender community is at risk. In fact, trans Americans are four
times more likely than cisgender peers to be victims of violent crime, and
34.6% of transgender youth reported attempting suicide in the 12 months
prior. [6,7,8,9] The Trevor Project has found that affirming transgender
and nonbinary youth has a significant impact on reducing suicidality. This
resolution, introduced in the US House and US Senate, calls on the federal
government to provide protections for transgender and nonbinary people.
The resolution provides a comprehensive policy framework including adding
transgender and nonbinary people to the prohibited categories of
discrimination or segregation, protecting access to gender-affirming
medical care, and enforcing civil rights. [ [link removed] ]
→ The Pride in Mental Health Act: This bill provides recommendations for
federal, state, and local agencies to improve data collection related to
the mental and behavioral health of LGBTQ+ youth and better identify youth
who may be at risk of experiencing – or already experiencing – child abuse
or neglect because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender
expression. This legislation also increases mental health supports for
LGBTQ+ youth by developing mental health resources, training for
caregivers, school bullying prevention guidelines, and more. And it
commissions a report on the mental health and mental health care of LGBTQ+
youth in foster care and other federal social services programs. [ [link removed] ]
→ The LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act: Last June, this bill passed out of the
US House with bipartisan support. As our partners at CAP explain: “This
landmark legislation would require the collection of voluntary,
self-disclosed demographic data on sexual orientation, gender identity,
and variations in sex characteristics…across federal surveys, while
maintaining necessary confidentiality and privacy standards that govern
federal statistics. An overall lack of routine data collection poses a
significant barrier for researchers, policymakers, advocates, and other
stakeholders seeking to understand and address the challenges that LGBTQI+
communities face, including discrimination and resulting inequities.” [ [link removed] ]
[2]**SIGN our letter now calling on Congress to pass these critical pieces
of legislation protecting the LGBTQ+ community!
When you take time to take action with MomsRising in support of these
important policies - it matters and it works. Last year MomsRising joined
many other organizations to help push for the passage of the Respect for
Marriage Act - and we won! The Respect for Marriage Act had bipartisan
support and was signed by President Biden late last year. The law ensured
protection of the marriages of same-sex and interracial couples. It also
repealed the discriminatory, misnamed Defense of Marriage Act, and ensured
that federal benefits are available to married couples no matter where
they live.
[3]→ Join us in calling on Congress to take action this Pride Month and
pass these critical pieces of legislation.
And don’t forget to forward this email to your friends and family so they
can take action too.
Together we’re a powerful force for our families and communities.
- Gina, Ruth, Felicia, Elyssa, Ruby, and the whole MomsRising.org &
MamásConPoder Team
References:
[1] American University: The First Pride Was A Riot
[link removed]
[2] [4]HRC: The Equality Act AND [5]Center for American Progress: What You
Need To Know About the Equality Act
[3] Center for American Progress: Discrimination and barriers to well
being: The state of the LGBTQI+ community in 2022
[link removed]
[4] The 19th News:2023 wave of bills is fueling a political ‘war against
LGBTQ+ people,’ new report shows
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
AND Equality Federation State Legislation Tracker
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
[5] HRC: Fatal Violence Against the Transgender and Non-Comforming
Community
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
[6] CDC [ [link removed] ][link removed]
and The Trevor Project: Suicide By Gender
[link removed]
[7] Trans Legislation Tracker [10][link removed]
[8] Trans Students Educational Resources Definitions
[link removed]
[9] UCLA Willams Insitute
[11][link removed]
[10] Rep. Jayapal: Jayapal, Markey Introduce Landmark Trans Bill of Rights
Trans Bill of Rights
[12][link removed]
[11] Congress.Gov: Pride in Mental Health Act: HR 3850
[link removed]
[12] Center for American Progress: US House Approves LGBTQI Data Inclusion
Act
[link removed]
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