John — June marks Pride Month, the annual celebration in honor of the invaluable contributions and accomplishments of our LGBTQ+ community.

Pride Month honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, which was a turning point in the liberation movement for the LGBTQ+ community and led by women of color — Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera.

This month, especially, I’m mindful of the legacies of trailblazers here in California like Harvey Milk, as well as of the lives that have been lost as a consequence of anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination.

I’m emailing you today, on the 5-year anniversary of one of the most horrific acts of anti-LGBTQ+ violence in recent history. A day that should serve as a reminder of how much more work there is for us to do to protect and uplift the LGBTQ+ community.

We must recommit to the fight for LGBTQ+ liberation and equality — human rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

That means passing the Equality Act — which has passed the House and is sitting idle in the Senate.

That means ending stigma, discrimination, and increasing equitable access to care in the global fight to end HIV/AIDS.

That means standing up for transgender youth who are the target of restrictive bathroom bills and youth sports laws.

And that means protecting trans people of color, who face discrimination and fatal violence at an obscenely high rate.

Our work as allies continues to ensure everyone can live proudly and peacefully, no matter who you are or how you identify.

In solidarity,

Barbara Lee