On the recordJune 9, 2016
Mr. Speaker, somewhere in America today there is a young person who, all of a sudden, realizes that he or she is gay. They are afraid that, if their parents find out, they may be tossed out of the house, that their classmates will taunt them, and there are still politicians who say that they are not equal. For years, these young people didn't believe they had any options, but, today, because of the work of the LGBT community and because of leaders like Harvey Milk, they have hope. They can run for public office; they can serve in our military; they can marry whom they love. They have hope for a better future, but there is still work to be done. Across the country, including in Florida, LGBT Americans can still be discriminated against. That is why Congress must pass the Equality Act. We must pass it because it is the right thing to do. We must pass it for the young person who is still scared and struggling. We must pass it to give them hope. ____________________





