John,

This weekend, my district celebrated Pride Month and honored our LGBTQ+ neighbors. This Pride month and all year round, we must keep fighting for LGBTQ+ people’s safety, dignity, rights, and liberation.

Unfortunately, state lawmakers across the country are increasing attacks on LGBTQ+ people, including banning schools from talking about LGBTQ+ history or issues, banning students from using bathrooms aligned with their gender identity, and restricting or banning access to health care including gender-affirming care for trans people.

We must urgently affirm LGBTQ+ rights in federal law, to protect people in the mroe than 20 states that discriminate against them.

I’m a proud co-sponsor of the Equality Act, which would protect LGBTQ+ people throughout the country from discrimination in employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services (including stores and restaurants), federally funded programs (including health care), and jury service.

The executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality spoke in support of the legislation, saying:

“Across the country, state legislators are taking aim at transgender people, trying to deny us appropriate health care, prohibiting us from participating in school sports or denying us access to public facilities. The Equality Act does more than just expand non-discrimination protections; it has the potential to dramatically change the lives of transgender people for the better.”

Please sign now to urge Congress to pass the Equality Act and other policies to expand and affirm LGBTQ+ rights.

When in office, the twice impeached and now convicted Donald Trump rolled back protections for trans people. Overturning these policies, President Biden has released important new rules to expand protections for LGBTQ+ students, LGBTQ+ patients seeking health care, and more.

At least 22 GOP-led states are already suing to try to block some of Biden’s progress, and Trump has said that he’d reverse these changes on “day one” if he’s re-elected.

If elected as president, Trump would not sign legislation like the Equality Act into law. Instead, he’s promised to support policies like a federal ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth. Gender-affirming care is medically necessary and life-affirming, significantly reducing suicide risk, which is higher among trans people given anti-trans hate.

We need to expand protections for LGBTQ+ people with actions at the federal level so they aren’t subject to the whims of a right-wing Supreme Court or a Republican presidential administration.

More than 80% of Americans, including majorities across the political spectrum, support non-discrimination protections that include LGBTQ+ people. President Biden has supported and called for the passage of the Equality Act for years, and we must urgently pass it in Congress to save lives.

Please sign to ask Congress to support the Equality Act and other protections for LGBTQ+ Americans.

Thank you. Our fight for LGBTQ+ rights is connected to our fight for human dignity for marginalized people everywhere. This Pride Month and every month of the year, I will continue working for the collective liberation of all people.

Always serving you,

Rashida

P.S. If you’re a trans or non-binary adult in crisis, the Trans Lifeline’s Hotline is a peer support line at 877-565-8860. For young people under 25 years old, the Trevor Project offers support if you call 866-488-7386, text START to 678678, or by online chat.

If you want to do more to support your LGBTQ+ neighbors, here’s a resource from the Trevor Project about being an ally to trans and non-binary youth, and a guide for creating safer spaces in schools for LGBTQ+ people.