Pelosi Statement on International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia

Contact: Speaker's Press Office,

202-226-7616

San Francisco - Speaker Nancy Pelosi released this statement marking International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia:

'On International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, Americans reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that every person can live free from the fear of losing their job, their home or their life simply because of who they are. Today and every day, we reject bigotry and discrimination against LGBTQ communities here at home and around the world and recommit to a future in which everyone is treated equally under the law, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

'Thanks to the persistent, dissatisfied leadership by generations of activists, our nation has made remarkable progress toward securing full equality. Democrats are proud to stand with our LGBTQ community as we have led the fight in Congress, from legislating protections against hate crimes to ending 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' to the fight for marriage equality. Continuing this proud tradition, the Democratic House passed the historic Equality Act in February, offering hope and happiness to millions. With a Democratic Senate Majority and President Biden in the White House, we will not stop fighting until it becomes law. The House is also proud to support the recent actions announced by the Biden Administration to harness American diplomacy to combat the criminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as advance human rights and protections for LGBTQ communities all over the world.

'As our beloved John Lewis said on the House Floor when we first passed the Equality Act in 2019, 'We have a decision to end discrimination and set all of our people free.' Civil rights for all communities are a sacred pillar of our democracy, and we must not relent until every American can enjoy the liberation of full equality. In this spirit, let us vow to defend the rights of LGBTQ people at home and abroad and strive together to build a brighter future with peace and justice for all.'

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