Political Quotes

“It is an honor to host this Special Order hour in collaboration with the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Congressional Equality Caucus. As Congress' first out person of color, it is an honor to lead this time on the floor. As we near the end of Pride Month, it is important to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community's contributions to our country, our fight for equal rights, and the work that still has to be done. I am proud to be joined by several of my colleagues in this House, and I appreciate their commitment to the LGBTQ+ community. Last year, I was joined by Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the co-chairs of the Congressional Equality Caucus, and the LGBTQ+ activists to reintroduce the Equality Act. We stood together in solidarity and on the shoulders of many pioneers of the LGBTQ+ movement to demand equal protections for LGBTQ+ people. Former Congressman David Cicilline entrusted me with this landmark piece of legislation that would prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity, and I take that responsibility very seriously. The Equality Act was passed twice under the leadership of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, and today it has the support of every House Democrat. The story of LGBTQ+ equality is not complete without the passage of this legislation. From the Stonewall riots in 1969 to protest the over- policing and criminalization of the LGBTQ community, to the lives lost to the AIDS crisis, to the heroes of this movement like Marsha P.…”