Friend,

Today, we celebrate National Coming Out Day!

I remember coming out to my own family and friends -- and the mixed emotions and reactions to telling loved ones how you identify can certainly feel overwhelming. And while folks around the world use this day to “come out” to the people closest to them, remember how strong you are, how beautiful you are, and how loved you are just the way you are!

Friend, the fight for LGBTQ+ rights is one of the many reasons why I'm working so hard to be your representative in Congress.

Just last week, SCOTUS Justices Alito and Thomas volunteered to eliminate same-sex marriage rights enshrined in the landmark Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges. And with the Amy Coney Barrett nomination advancing in the Senate, the threat to our hard-earned rights is only increasing.

We have got to do better.

From the FDA's ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood to Don't Ask Don't Tell and the trans-military ban, the United States has a stained history on rights for LGBTQ+ folks. In 2020, we must do better. We must do better -- to each other, for each other.

This fight is personal to me because I've experienced the discrimination firsthand, as have so many of you. In Congress and beyond, as the first LGBTQ+ Latina, I'll be a leader in the fight for full lived equality -- because in our democratic society, homophobia and discrimination have no place.

But I need your help to get there. Will you chip in $5 or more right now?

Whether you're an ally or a part of the LGBTQ+ community, let's make the 2020 National Coming Out Day one for the books. And in a time of heightened divisiveness, extend a hand of kindness and support, today and every day.

-- Georgette Gómez