Congresswoman Lee Celebrates LGBT Pride Month
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, a founding member and Vice Chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, released this statement in honor of LGBT Pride Month:
“As a founding member and Vice Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus, I am proud to join East Bay residents, Americans across those country and people around the world in celebrating LGBT Pride Month.
“In recent years we have made tremendous strides in the struggle against discrimination and the fight for equal rights. This year, we mark the start of the second Pride Month with marriage equality as the law of the land nationwide - a sign that progress, while difficult and often painful, is indeed possible. While we celebrate these undeniable accomplishments, we must also recognize that our struggle is far from over.
“It is unconscionable that in 2017 Americans can be fired from their jobs for being gay or evicted from their apartments for being transgender. And it is simply appalling that only 28 states have protections based on sexual orientation. This disturbing reality is compounded by the Trump Administration, which has made it clear that they will not combat discrimination, bullying and violence against LGBT persons. Instead, Republican leaders have doubled down on their hateful policies by selecting anti-LGBT appointees and refusing to protect transgender students.
“We have witnessed the costs of hate and discrimination towards the LGBT community here at home and across the globe. Just last year during Pride Month, 49 Americans were massacred at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida. As we speak, gay men are being tortured, jailed and killed in Chechnya and the murder rate of transgender Americans continues to rise dramatically in the United States.
“Now more than ever, members of the LGBT community and their allies must unite, resist and continue the fight for full equality in the United States. As we celebrate Pride Month, we must recommit ourselves to the work that lies ahead and hold in our hearts the moral obligation we have to defend civil and human rights for ALL Americans, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.”
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