RIAH MILTON, DOMINIQUE “REM'MIE” FELLS, LAYLEEN CUBILETTE-POLANCO, TONY MCDADE, TETE GULLEY, JAYNE THOMPSON, SELENA REYES-HERNANDEZ, NINA POP, MYA HALL, YAHIRA NESBY, BRIANNA "BB" HILL, ITALI MARLOWE, MUHLAYSIA BOOKER, BEE LOVE SLATER, BAILEY REEVES, PEBBLES "LA DIME" DOE, KIKI FANTROY, BUBBA WALKER, TRACY SINGLE, DENALI BERRIES STUCKEY, BROOKLYN LINDSEY, ZOE SPEARS, CHANEL SCURLOCK

Dear Friend,

Again, those names are not statistics. These are lives that matter. Every single one.

But again, it's not enough to say their names. It's time to say, without hesitation—Black Lives Matter—Black trans lives matter, and we will mourn those lives and turn to swift action.

Black trans people are disproportionately the victims of police violence, and the American Medical Association said last fall that killings of transgender women of color in the United States amounted to an epidemic.

And though the Supreme Court decided last week that people cannot be fired for their gender identity or sexual orientation, that came immediately after the Trump administration announced (on the anniversary of the Pulse massacre) that protections for healthcare for trans individuals were being rolled back.

This administration pointedly attempted to remove basic health care protections, which is both despicable and unlawful.

That’s why I'm calling on Senate leaders to stop letting the Equality Act languish in the Senate. This bill would codify protections for LGBTQ+ people in these areas of life, while adding much-needed protections for sexual orientation and gender identity in public spaces, services, and federally-funded programs.

Stand with me, add your name to mine if you're one of the 70 percent of Americans that supports the Equality Act!

We are overdue for action.

In solidarity,

Madeleine Dean