It’s Pride Month, and I want to make this as clear as possible: Every single American, no matter how they identify or who they love, has the right to present themselves authentically. Openly, safely, and with dignity. We’ve made so much progress over the last several years, but I also know many LGBTQ+ Americans feel like the attacks on their lives and wellbeing from Republican politicians have become overwhelming recently. And personally, I am particularly outraged by the efforts of some of my colleagues to expose LGBTQ+ youth to even more bullying and isolation. So to my LGBTQ+ friends reading this email, I want you to know that there are millions of us standing with you in the fight for equality. And we won’t give up that fight until we succeed in building a future where everyone is treated equally — whether at school, at the doctor’s office, or in the workplace. One of the most important steps we can take in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality is to pass the Equality Act — so that every LGBTQ+ American is protected from discrimination, regardless of what state they live in.
Sometimes progress is hard to make sense of, and it’s rarely linear. America has made incredible strides when it comes to freedom and equality for LGBTQ+ Americans, but somehow at the same time, we have a Republican House Speaker who says gay people caused the fall of the Roman Empire. But I don’t think his beliefs — or the horrific legislation put forward by some of my colleagues — reflect the values of this country. We’re a nation that believes in the right of every child to get a great education that prepares them for a bright future, free from harassment and bullying. We’re a nation that believes no American should lose access to opportunity because of who they are or who they love. Thanks, and happy Pride Month. -Andrea |
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