John,

This month, I’ve had the privilege of attending Pride events across the district. In rural Upstate New York, queer people of all ages and our allies are gathering to celebrate and form community.

We are also organizing because we know we must fight to protect our rights. Since radicalizing from purported moderate to MAGA leader, Elise Stefanik has escalated her assault on the LGBTQ+ community. She voted against the Equality Act and even dropped her support of the so-called “Fairness For All Act.”

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I take Stefanik’s actions personally.

Her party is working to dismantle constitutionally protected rights and all but erase LGBTQ+ people from American society:

• Clarence Thomas made it clear that Friday’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade should open the door to also overturn the right to same-sex marriage.


• “Don’t Say Gay Bills” are being proposed and passed across the country.


• The Republican Texas Attorney General issued a legal opinion that stated that providing gender-affirming health care to trans children is child abuse.

What Stefanik and the extreme faction of the Republican Party are doing is dangerous, un-American, and contradictory to what the majority of Americans want.

I’ve devoted many volunteer and pro bono legal hours to advancing LGBTQ+ equality with organizations like TLDEF, Lambda Legal, and the Stonewall Community Foundation. One of the reasons I am running for Congress is to continue that work.

Pride is both a celebration and a protest. Let us celebrate the gifts of this community and be organized to fight for our freedom and equality.

Matt Putorti