On Friday, House Democrats delivered remarks on the House Floor in celebration of pride month and called for increased LGBTQ+ community protections.
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NewsTranscript
00:00The gentleman from California, Mr. Takano, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee
00:05of the Majority Leader.
00:08Thank you, Madam Speaker.
00:09I ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend
00:16their remarks and include extraneous material on the topic of the special order.
00:20It is an honor to host this special order.
00:22Without objection.
00:23Go ahead.
00:24It is an honor to host this special order.
00:28Or in collaboration with the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Congressional Equality
00:32Caucus.
00:35As Congress's first out person of color, it is an honor to lead this time on the floor.
00:41As we near the end of Pride Month, it is important to celebrate the LGBTQ plus community's contribution
00:49to our community and fight for equal rights and the work that still has to be done.
00:55I'm proud to be joined by several of my colleagues in the house and appreciate their commitment
01:00to the LGBTQ plus community.
01:03Last year, I was joined by Leader Hakeem Jeffries and co-chairs, the co-chairs of the Congressional
01:10Equality Caucus and the LGBTQ plus activists to reintroduce the Equality Act.
01:17We stood together in solidarity on the shoulders of many pioneers of the LGBTQ plus movement
01:23to demand equal protections for LGBTQ plus people.
01:28Former Congressman David Cicilline entrusted me with this landmark piece of legislation
01:33that would prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
01:40And I take that responsibility very seriously.
01:43The Equality Act was passed twice under the leadership of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi
01:48and today it has the support of every House Democrat.
01:53The story of LGBTQ equality is not complete without the passage of this legislation.
02:01From the Stonewall riots in 1969 to protests over the policing, the over-policing and criminalization
02:09of the LGBTQ community, to the lives lost to the AIDS crisis, to the heroes of this
02:15moment like Marsha P. Johnson and Harvey Milk, our community has endured adversity, prejudice,
02:22and bigotry.
02:24Unfortunately, the ugliness of hatred persists.
02:29Discrimination against LGBTQ plus people is still active and violence against more vulnerable
02:34members of our community is increasing.
02:37The Equality Act would send a message to all LGBTQ plus Americans that their government
02:42wants to ensure their dignified existence while honoring those who came before us.
02:49In a political moment where the LGBTQ plus community is used to stoke fear and distrust,
02:56the Equality Act stands as a way to unite us under the principles that this country
03:00was founded, liberty and justice for all.
03:05I'm proud to come to the floor during Pride Month to highlight this legislation and to
03:10send a message to not only LGBTQ plus people who are living as their authentic selves and
03:16who have enjoyed the celebrations and festivities that this month has to offer, but also to
03:21those who, for whatever reason, cannot live or love in the way that is true to themselves
03:26out of fear of retaliation.
03:29To those individuals, I want to say you are not alone, that you have allies in places
03:35you may not expect.
03:37You have allies in the nine out members of the House of Representatives and you have
03:43allies in all of the vice chairs and members of the Congressional Equality Caucus.
03:49We cannot wait for the day when LGBTQ plus people don't have to make the impossible choice
03:54of choosing safety over living authentically.
03:58And while I cannot remedy every situation or make every American understand the fear
04:04many LGBTQ plus people live in, I can ensure the federal government does not stand in their
04:10way.
04:11And that's why we need the Equality Act, for dignity for a group who has historically
04:16been suppressed and continues to be the target of attacks.
04:22We will not stop until this goal is achieved.
04:26We will not go back.
04:28We will keep fighting.
04:31And now, I'd like to yield to my very good friend from Illinois, a Deputy Whip for the
04:39Progressive Caucus and Equality Caucus member as well, Representative Chuy Garcia.
04:48Thank you Mr. Takano and Madam Speaker.
04:54Today I rise in celebration of Pride Month, the LGBT plus community, and to raise awareness
05:03on National HIV Testing Day.
05:07Queer Latino and black communities have been disproportionately impacted by the HIV AIDS
05:14epidemic and continue to make up the majority of newly diagnosed people compared to their
05:21white counterparts.
05:23For many, this disparity is compounded by obstacles like poor transportation access,
05:30language barriers, and racial discrimination in health care, lack of family support, and
05:37the fears of deportation.
05:40If they seek treatment, to name a few, make no mistake, comprehensive and inclusive care
05:47is a matter of life and death for our communities.
05:53While we celebrate the resilience and the beauty of the LGBTQ plus community, I'm proud
06:00to join my Democratic colleagues in opposition to Republican attempts to gut funding for
06:07life-saving HIV AIDS programs and in solidarity with organizers fighting for a pro-equality
06:17agenda across America.
06:21Thank you and I yield back.
06:24We're clearing my time.
06:31At this time, Madam Speaker, I yield to my friend from Michigan, the Vice Chair for Member
06:35Services for the Progressive Caucus, and also Equality Caucus member, Representative
06:41Rashida Tlaib.
06:44There is a mental health crisis among our LGBTQ plus youth in our country, and far too
06:50many of our young people are struggling right now to access the care they need and deserve.
06:56We know that very much right-wing politicians, including many in this chamber, continue to
07:02carry out relentless attacks, just unbelievable attacks, on our LGBTQ plus people and push
07:09for discriminatory policies.
07:12This constant fear-mongering, rejection, and discrimination have real human consequences.
07:19According to the Trevor Project, nearly half of our LGBTQ plus youth have seriously considered
07:25suicide in the past year alone.
07:28At least one of them has attempted suicide every 45 seconds.
07:35This is heartbreaking reality that we are facing, so our words matter.
07:39The bills that we introduce matter.
07:42These young people, like all people, regardless of how they identify or who they love, deserve
07:46the opportunity to grow up and to live with human dignity and equal rights, free from
07:52discrimination.
07:53Our fight for LGBTQ plus rights is connected to our fight for human dignity for marginalized
07:58people everywhere.
08:00We must pass the Equality Act to protect LGBTQ plus people from discrimination at work, housing,
08:07public accommodations, and guarantee them equal protection under the law.
08:15And Madam Speaker, we must also pass legislation that increases access to mental health care,
08:20like the Pride in Mental Health Act, that funds mental health resources, training for
08:25our caregivers, school bullying prevention, and more.
08:29To my residents in the 12th District strong, your Congresswoman sees you, and I love you,
08:35and I will continue fighting for the collective liberation of all of our people.
08:39Thank you, and I yield.
08:42Thank you, Representative Tlaib.
08:45At this time, Madam Speaker, I yield to my good friend from the State of Vermont, Equality
08:51Caucus Co-Chair and Progressive Caucus Vice-Chair for new members, Representative Becca Ballant.
08:59Thank you so much to the gentleman from California, Mr. Takano.
09:04And Madam Speaker, I rise today to start with a reflection.
09:13When I was in high school, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.
09:19I wanted to go into politics.
09:21I was good in front of a room.
09:23I loved talking about policy.
09:26I wanted to make a real difference in the lives of Americans.
09:31So clear.
09:33I knew my path.
09:37But I also thought that was just a pipe dream because, first of all, I knew nobody in my
09:44family who had ever run for office.
09:45I didn't know the first thing about doing that.
09:47But I also knew at that time in high school that I had no role models for how to serve
09:56as an openly gay leader, politician.
10:00So I put that away and actually didn't run for office until I was in my 40s.
10:08Because I didn't see a way forward on that.
10:11Because there was just so much homophobia, so much vitriol from within my community,
10:20sometimes within my own family.
10:24And so I just want to reflect on the fact it's incredible that I am standing here today
10:30in this chamber, the House of Representatives, as the first woman ever to represent Vermont
10:37in Congress.
10:38As the first openly LGBTQ person to represent my state in Congress.
10:43I never imagined that I would be here.
10:48And I take it very seriously that I am a leader for all Vermonters, regardless of how
10:57they identify.
10:59Pride, which is what this month is about, pride is about celebrating love.
11:06It's about celebrating families of all kinds, including my own.
11:10I have a wife and two teenagers.
11:13It's about celebrating the joy that comes from living your authentic self and making
11:20genuine connection with other people.
11:24But pride is also a reminder that we must remember the history that brought us here
11:31today, of the political struggle that secured so many of our rights, and also the path we
11:39still must walk in order to get to true equality.
11:45Earlier today, I spoke in the Oversight Committee, waved on to that committee to talk about some
11:53of the really horrible rhetoric that has become all too commonplace in our committees and
12:02on the floor of the House of Representatives.
12:06And I know, because I feel it too, I know so many of us are feeling quite down about
12:12the state of the world and discouraged about the battles that we have fought.
12:18And we thought we had that discrimination behind us.
12:22We thought the hateful and hurtful rhetoric was something in the past.
12:29And I get it.
12:30We as members of marginalized communities, we understand the despair.
12:37We understand why it's so exhausting to think about having to fight these battles over again.
12:45But we do not have the luxury of losing hope or giving in to cynicism.
12:51As I say often, cynicism is the voice of the status quo.
12:59Cynicism tells you nothing can change, so therefore, why even try?
13:04I can tell you I've been shocked at the constant attacks on my community that I've experienced
13:10in the last year and a half in Congress, and the public debate, and the passage of so many
13:16dangerous anti-transgender, anti-LGBTQ bills and amendments and riders.
13:25And there is this sense that somehow our words don't matter, that they don't have an impact.
13:31It's just an amendment.
13:32I literally had people say to me in the hallway, you know I don't really believe this stuff.
13:37You know I don't really hate gay people.
13:43That doesn't matter if what you do in the end is vote for those hateful amendments and
13:49riders and bills.
13:51Your actions matter.
13:54It's not enough to say to me privately, hey, I know you.
13:58I know you're a good person.
14:00You know I don't mean you.
14:01It doesn't matter if what you do in the end is vote against my rights and my freedoms.
14:10And more than that, demonize me within my community, and as the representative from
14:17Michigan just said, contribute to the mental health crisis that so many youth in my community
14:28suffer from.
14:32We can't allow our elected officials and our leaders to continue to demonize and dehumanize
14:40other Americans, other Americans who have the rights that all Americans have to live
14:50their lives free from discrimination, to go to work and not have to face discrimination
14:58at work, to serve on a jury, to be treated with dignity and respect.
15:05That is all we are asking.
15:08And we thought that the work was behind us because we are your friends and we are your
15:15neighbors and we are your family members.
15:19And we have already fought these battles.
15:24And the sky didn't fall when we passed civil unions in Vermont, and the sky didn't fall
15:31when we passed same-sex marriage, and the sky didn't fall when we passed anti-discrimination
15:37legislation.
15:39All the terrible things that were going to come to pass by treating people with dignity
15:44and respect and love and affording them the same freedoms as everyone else in this country.
15:53The sky did not fall.
15:54We are still here.
15:56We are still a strong democracy.
16:00The consistent stream of hate is a reminder that whenever you make progress, and my colleague
16:08here knows it so well, whenever you make progress, the backlash comes.
16:13And we are in the midst of a furious backlash.
16:19And we cannot allow the attacks to go unchallenged.
16:24We must go toe-to-toe in committee after committee and debate after debate on the floor.
16:32We cannot normalize the dehumanizing rhetoric, the fear-mongering, the hatred.
16:39We must every day call attention to the fact that what is happening in the most powerful
16:47body in this country, what is happening is people are using their political platform
16:52to demonize and dehumanize and spread hatred and fear of other Americans who are worthy
16:57of dignity and respect and freedom.
17:02And I hear from so many young people, both in my state and here on the Hill, people who
17:10work in this building, people who come to advocate on behalf of organizations and policies
17:16they believe in.
17:17They say, thank you so much, Congresswoman, for being out about who you are and being
17:26open about your family, because it's still really hard to live a life full of joy and
17:36promise in many pockets of this country.
17:45We risk lives when we don't stand up clearly and loudly against discrimination, against
17:54trans people, against queer people, against people who are just different.
18:05We have forgotten that everyone in our community, regardless of gender identity, regardless
18:13of background, is worthy of dignity and respect and should be afforded the same freedoms and
18:18rights as every other American.
18:24So we must be loud and we must not give an inch.
18:29And that's why we're here tonight.
18:31We're not going back.
18:33It doesn't matter how many amendments you bring up, how many rioters, how many bills
18:38that are attacking our community, we are not going back.
18:42We are not going back in the closet.
18:45We're not going to stop being who we are.
18:47We're not going to stop showing up with courage and dignity and love, not just for ourselves,
18:56but for all the young people who are watching us, who see their leaders demonizing them,
19:03who tune into C-SPAN and tune into committee hearings and they say, I can't believe they're
19:11spending their time attacking our community again when all we want is to live a life of
19:18dignity and freedom.
19:19Why are they spending their time on this?
19:22And I have to say, I don't know.
19:26I don't know.
19:32This month is about loving and living.
19:37That's what this is.
19:38This is life affirming.
19:40Tonight is about saying we are here, we are your friends, we're your neighbors, we're
19:44your family members, and we deserve dignity and respect.
19:51I want to remind my community out there, you be you, keep being you, keep being yourself.
20:04When we reach our full potential as humans, it does make the world a better place.
20:09It makes our communities more rich.
20:13I tell you this because I know my 11-year-old self needed to hear that.
20:19I needed to hear that from the adults in my life and the leaders.
20:27My 11-year-old self was worried that just being me, just having me would limit what
20:35I would be able to do in life, which is why I didn't run for office until my 40s.
20:44I knew at 17 I wanted to serve my community, but I felt limited because of the homophobia,
20:52because of the hatred.
20:53I worried that my family would not love me.
20:58I worried that I would never be accepted in school because those were the messages.
21:04I worried and feared that I would lose friends, and I did.
21:13So today, we have to remember where we've come from, and we cannot allow the rhetoric
21:24to continue in this body because it isn't just about the bills that we pass or don't
21:32pass.
21:33It's about the messages that we are sending to people across this country.
21:41Are we a nation that believes that everyone is entitled to dignity and respect and humanity?
21:53Or are we going to become a nation that continues to scapegoat those in our communities that
22:07for some reason we don't understand?
22:12So I'm here as a member of Congress.
22:14I'm here as a parent.
22:16I'm here as a former teacher.
22:21It is the honor of my life to serve my state in the U.S. House of Representatives.
22:31I could not be more proud, and I'm going to use my voice to stand up for any community
22:43that is in danger of having its rights taken away from it.
22:49I yield back.
22:52I thank the gentlelady from Vermont, and I thank her for her most powerful and righteous
22:57voice.
22:58I now would like to yield to my good friend from Georgia, a member of the Equality Caucus
23:06and a strong advocate for LGBTQ plus equality, a member of the Judiciary Committee, Representative
23:12Hank Johnston.
23:15Thank you, Representative Takano, for all that you do in upholding human rights, civil
23:22rights for everyone in this country, regardless of what your sexual inclination might be.
23:31When you really stop and think about it, that's such a—I mean, we should be beyond judging
23:40each other based on who we love.
23:45And that's why I'm so happy to say Happy Pride Month to all people out there, because none
23:54of us are free if any of us are not free.
23:58And it heartens me, Representative Takano, this day in time, 2024, when we see polling
24:09that shows that about 8% of adults in this country identify as LGBTQ.
24:19And the reason why it's not more is because we've been conditioned and we're afraid, people
24:26are afraid to say who they are.
24:29Because the older that you get, the more you have to lose by revealing who you are.
24:37But I'll tell you, it's also heartening that in 2024, in the millennials, among the millennial
24:49generation, 30% of our millennials identify as LGBTQ.
24:57What that tells you is that, first of all, the older folks have made it such that the
25:04young people feel more comfortable in identifying as who they are.
25:11They're not steeped in how much I can lose if I come out.
25:16They are young enough to not have anything to lose by coming out.
25:20And it's actually so much healthier for them than it has been for the older people who
25:28have tried to hide, who have felt the need to hide who they are and go through life unhappy,
25:38go through life miserable.
25:41You know, people should not have to live like that.
25:45We should be free.
25:47People should be free to be who they are.
25:50And so that's what Pride Month is all about, is people being able to come out and say that
25:57this is who I am, and I love me for being me, and I love you for being you, even though
26:05you may have a different sexual inclination than I have.
26:09When we allow license to hatred in our lives, you know, first it starts with, okay, I don't
26:19like the blacks, and then it goes, I don't like the Jews, and then I don't like people
26:24who keep their hair cut short because they look like Nazis, and then it becomes, I don't
26:31like short people, I don't like people who like dogs.
26:35So, you know, the more that you allow hate, that you license hate in your heart, the easier
26:44it becomes for you to hate people who are different than you.
26:50What gives you the authority to judge someone?
26:56What gives you the authority to hate on someone and to act in that way?
27:00It's just not human.
27:02The more we become human, the more we begin to love people for who they are, and to recognize
27:10that they, regardless of their differences from me, are equal to me.
27:16And so Pride Month is all about people feeling good about themselves.
27:22It's all about challenging folks who have hatred in their heart to remove that hatred,
27:29and it's all about sending the message that the march for humanity will continue, regardless
27:37of whether or not you keep hating or not.
27:40And so with that, I will just say that I'm happy to stand with my LGBTQ plus brothers
27:50and sisters throughout this country and the world.
27:54I'm happy to stand with you in this month, which is Pride Month.
28:01Happy Pride Month.
28:03Thank you.
28:04And I yield back.
28:06I thank the gentleman from Georgia for his kind and warm and righteous words.
28:14I now would like to yield to my friend from New Jersey, a member of the Equality Caucus,
28:19a strong advocate for LGBTQ plus equality, Representative Josh Geiterhmer.
28:24Thank you so much, Madam Speaker.
28:26Happy Pride to all.
28:28I rise tonight in support of LGBTQ plus equality, a domain in which we've made so much progress,
28:36and I'm so grateful for that, but we know we have a long way to go.
28:41I want to thank Congressman Takano for his phenomenal leadership, his friendship, what
28:48he does on the Equality Caucus as co-chair, and what he does in the halls of Congress
28:53every day, standing up to hatred, fighting for doing right, and for, of course, coordinating
29:00tonight's Pride Month special.
29:01Thank you so much.
29:03Yesterday was Equality Day, the anniversary of three Supreme Court decisions that transformed
29:09LGBTQ plus rights here in our great country, Lawrence v. Texas, U.S. v. Windsor, and Obergefell
29:17versus Hodges.
29:19In just over two decades, we made a century's worth of progress, unbelievable progress in
29:25a short period of time, decriminalizing homosexuality and guaranteeing marriage equality nationally.
29:32And yet, in the midst of this monumental progress, there are forces here in the halls of Congress
29:38and in state legislatures across our country that want to pull us backward and go after
29:43Americans for who they love.
29:46So far this year, the ACLU is tracking 515 anti-LGBTQ plus bills in our state legislatures,
29:54embedding hate and cruelty into the letter of their laws.
29:58LGBTQ plus rights are personal for me, as they are for many people in Congress, and
30:05for Americans across our country.
30:07For the sake of our brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, and friends, we can't and we won't
30:13let extremists roll back the clock on the great progress we've made.
30:18The monumental progress I highlighted just a minute ago originated in the courts.
30:22But really, where it came from is the country, in homes, in communities, and people realizing
30:30that it is the right thing to do to make sure people can love who they want and live their
30:35lives.
30:36I'm deeply grateful the courts made the decisions on marriage equality, but we can't rely on
30:41the whims of Supreme Court justices.
30:44We need to make these victories permanent through Congress.
30:48That's why in 2022 I helped pass the bipartisan Bicameral Respect for Marriage Law, which
30:52enshrines marriage equality into federal law.
30:55We can and must do the same when it comes to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
31:00I'm incredibly proud to be a member of the Equality Caucus and a co-sponsor of the Equality
31:04Act, which will ban this discrimination outright.
31:08We've now passed the Equality Act twice through the House.
31:11I urge House leadership to bring it up for a vote once again.
31:15Equal treatment isn't a partisan issue.
31:18We can send a message of acceptance to our country by sending this bill to the President's
31:21desk.
31:22This is a place where we can work together and come together.
31:24Finally, we must stop the mistreatment of our LGBTQ community.
31:29That's why I'm introducing the Elder Pride Protection Act with Congresswoman Angie Craig
31:34of Minnesota, an Equality Caucus co-chair, which will combat the runaway abuse facing
31:38LGBTQ plus seniors across our country.
31:41It is a real issue, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this critical legislation.
31:48Let's never forget the words at the heart of our country found in the Declaration of
31:51Independence.
31:52We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed
31:56by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty,
32:01and the pursuit of happiness.
32:03The best way that we can move forward and go and live up to the Founders' vision is
32:07by standing for LGBTQ plus equality and happiness, and equality, I mean, for everybody here in
32:17the greatest country in the world.
32:18I know if we do that and stand together and work together, our best days will always be
32:22ahead of us.
32:23I yield back and want to again thank Mr. Takano.
32:27I thank the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Gottheimer, for his commitment and the spirit
32:33which he brings to fighting for justice for LGBTQ people.
32:37I offer my gratitude and my love and respect to the gentleman.
32:40Madam Speaker, I wish to turn my attention toward the world and the international stage.
32:48LGBTQ plus issues continue to be the topic of public debate globally.
32:53In every corner of the world, there has been movement, both good and bad, and we have seen
33:02the struggle in many nations in the fight for equality and dignity.
33:09On a very positive note, we see in the nation of Greece the legalization of same-sex marriage,
33:15making Greece the first Christian Orthodox country to pass such a measure.
33:22Taiwan is making historic strides toward equal rights for the LGBTQ plus community.
33:28In 2019, on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, Taiwan
33:36became the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.
33:41Then this past year, legislators in Taiwan extended the Same-Sex Marriage Act to grant
33:46adoption rights to LGBTQ plus couples.
33:50Now both individuals who are part of a same-sex couple with children are able to be acknowledged
33:57as legal guardians and can experience the parental rights enjoyed by all other couples.
34:04This past October, Taiwan celebrated Pride with over 175,000 onlookers from all over
34:12the world gathering in Taipei to join the march.
34:17This year's theme was Stand with Diversity, which sought to recognize the diversity of
34:23every person and respect different gender identities.
34:27And in January, Taiwan elected its first openly gay legislator.
34:31But the most promising sign of LGBTQ plus equality came earlier this month from Taiwan
34:38when legislators approved the Marriage Equality Bill, a move that puts the country on a clear
34:44path to becoming the first nation in Southeast Asia to recognize same-sex couples.
34:56Excuse me, Madam Speaker.
34:58I think I meant to say the nation of Thailand, right?
35:04They have Taiwan in my remarks, but it was Thailand.
35:09All of this is happening in the shadow of a more and more repressive People's Republic of China.
35:17The state authorities have continually targeted LGBTQ plus individuals and cracked down on
35:22pro-equality organizers.
35:25These groups lack legal support and are at the whims of an authoritarian regime that
35:31seeks to diminish and eliminate LGBTQ plus people.
35:35No person should live in fear because of their gender identity or who they love.
35:41And it's imperative that we protect the rights for LGBTQ plus people globally and hold governments
35:46with this anti-equality agenda.
35:51I want to commend Taiwan for their champion of equality for their LGBTQ plus citizens.
35:57And it sets an example for other countries in Asia and across the world that have yet
36:01to support freedom and equality for our community.
36:05I might just take a note and make an aside here that while I share my Republican colleagues
36:13concern about the authoritarianism of Xi Jinping and the CCP, I have yet to see my Republican
36:22colleagues rise in indignation about the way in which the regime of China treats its LGBTQ
36:31plus citizens.
36:34Recent events in Uganda have cast a harsh light on the global struggle for LGBTQ plus
36:40rights and it's our moral duty to speak out against the draconian laws that criminalize
36:45same-sex relationships in that country.
36:48More than a year ago, Uganda enacted one of the world's harshest anti-LGBTQ laws, criminalizing
36:56same-sex conduct with punishments that include life imprisonment and even the death penalty
37:02for aggravated homosexuality, whatever that might mean.
37:08Sadly, the law was recently upheld by the nation's highest court.
37:14This law is not just a legal measure, it is an instrument of hate and repression designed
37:19to persecute and dehumanize a segment of society simply for being who they are.
37:26As someone who has experienced both the triumphs and challenges of being openly gay in public
37:31life, I can tell you that laws like these do more than legislate against behavior.
37:37They legitimize prejudice, foster environments of fear, and justify violence.
37:44They rip apart families, drive people into hiding, and erode the fundamental principles
37:49of equality and human rights.
37:52We simply cannot and must not look away.
37:57Silence in the face of such opposition is complicity.
38:00We must use our voices, our platforms, and our influence to condemn these injustices
38:06and support those who are fighting for their right to love and live openly and freely in
38:12Uganda and around the world.
38:14That's why I introduced a resolution condemning this recent regression of LGBTQ rights in
38:20Uganda.
38:21I look forward to my colleagues' support in this measure and to send a message to the
38:26LGBTQ plus community in Uganda that they are seen, that they are heard, and that they
38:32are not alone.
38:35And Madam Speaker, I want to also extend my comments to praise the Biden administration,
38:44which has sent a clear message to LGBTQ plus Americans that they deserve to live safely
38:49and with dignity.
38:52Buried in the 2022 Dobbs decision that stripped women of their reproductive rights was an
38:58ominous and dangerous warning from the justices that marriage equality may be next.
39:05Congress and the president were quick to act to protect equality by passing and signing
39:12the Respect for Marriage Act.
39:15Just imagine if we had a commander-in-chief who did not prioritize this sacred right.
39:21We know that 169 of my House Republican colleagues voted against it, and their agenda has not
39:27changed.
39:28But thanks to President Biden, marriage for everyone is safe from an extremist conservative
39:34court that has repeatedly shown that decades of old precedents can be overturned with a
39:40stroke of a pen in pursuit of their ideological aims.
39:45House Democrats, progressives, and President Biden will always protect the right for anyone
39:51to marry who they love.
39:54The president has also leveraged executive agencies to ensure that LGBTQ plus people
39:59are safe and healthy.
40:01President Biden has directed the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department
40:06of Homeland Security, and the Department of Justice to ensure that communities have the
40:10tools to curb violence against LGBTQ plus people.
40:14The president's goal of ending gun violence is something that will help all Americans,
40:20including to ensure the safety of LGBTQ plus people as they continue to be targeted based
40:25on who they love, what businesses they go to, or how they present.
40:30We all remember the tragedies and lives lost from bigotry and fueled by gun violence at
40:36Club Q in Colorado and Pulse Nightclub in Orlando.
40:43Through Congress passing the Safer Communities Act and President Biden's establishment of
40:47the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, Democrats are ensuring that our community is safe to
40:53live our lives authentically and with dignity.
40:57A part of living a dignified life is one where you don't have to worry about a doctor turning
41:02you away based on your identity.
41:06The Biden administration advanced civil rights protections for patients by barring health
41:12providers and insurers receiving federal funding from discriminating against those seeking
41:17care on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.
41:22Reversing this Trump-era license to discriminate comes as LGBTQ plus people face unprecedented
41:29attacks on their right to health care.
41:33We have seen over 20 states across the country attempt to get in the middle of health care
41:38decisions concerning LGBTQ plus care, causing patients to move to states that do not have
41:45these hateful regulations or forego care altogether.
41:50The action from President Biden sends a clear message.
41:55No one should be denied care or coverage of care due to who they are or who they love.
42:02Even this week, the president continues to reconcile the harm caused to LGBTQ plus people
42:07in the military.
42:09He announced pardons for thousands of former service members convicted of a crime under
42:16military law based on their sexual orientation.
42:19The effects of these convictions have blocked those who served our country their benefits
42:25that they have rightfully earned.
42:27This is a meaningful step forward for us to coming to terms with the institutionalized
42:34discrimination, targeting, and repression of LGBTQ plus people in the uniform services.
42:40This is a glimmer of hope in a political era when some of my Republican colleagues and
42:46many state governments across the country have put some of the most vulnerable among
42:50us in the LGBTQ plus community in their crosshairs.
42:54Attack on trans youth, particularly those who want to participate in sports, are the
42:59new bogeyman of the far right.
43:02No student, athlete, or young person should be the target of attacks from members of Congress
43:07because they are living as their authentic self.
43:11President Biden has responded to these attacks by strengthening Title IX protections.
43:16This update to Title IX stipulates protections from sex-based discrimination, which includes
43:21gender identity, for the very first time.
43:25All of these actions recognize the dignity of LGBTQ plus people and the community, a
43:31group that has experienced relentless attacks from my colleagues, my Republican colleagues
43:36in Congress.
43:37We did not ask to be targets of the far right.
43:41We did not ask for our personal lives to be the topic of national debates.
43:46What we do ask for is respect and the privilege to live as we are without fear, something
43:54that non-LGBTQ people have never had to consider.
43:58I am proud to come to the floor today to highlight the things this administration has done.
44:04But our fight is not over until no one is targeted or retaliated against for being who
44:09they are.
44:10And that's why the Equality Act needs to be taken up, passed, and signed by President
44:15Biden to take an even larger step into the future of true equality for everyone, regardless
44:24of the zip code in which they live.
44:28So Madam Speaker, in the summer of 1974, I was glued to the television set in my grandfather's
44:39living room.
44:41My grandfather at the time lived across the street from where I lived.
44:47He was an immigrant grandfather, as we say in the Japanese language, his generation is
44:53known as the Issei, or first generation.
44:57I was watching on the public television station Representative Barbara Jordan give her remarks
45:05during the House Judiciary Committee's hearing on the Nixon impeachment.
45:10I believe I was 13 years old at the time.
45:15Her eloquent and impassioned speech on the solemn nature of impeachment and the role
45:20of Congress in those proceedings made a deep impact on me, as it did for many others.
45:28She in fact became a national figure because of her role in giving her opening speech.
45:39And she said in her very memorable speech, quote, that her faith in the Constitution
45:46is whole, it is complete, and it is total, end quote.
45:52Her conviction was present to all, and it made an indelible mark on me.
45:59It inspired me to pursue public service, and it inspired me to study the art of wordsmithing
46:04and rhetoric with the hopes of one day having the same command of language that she did.
46:11That journey led me to pursue a career in education.
46:15I returned home to Riverside, California, and began teaching in the nearby community
46:21of Rialto in the Rialto Unified School District in 1988.
46:25Ask any teacher and they will say it is their students, the young, the curious minds that
46:30inspire them to strive for greatness in and out of the classroom.
46:34This is the same in my story when my students approached me to start the very first Gay
46:42Straight Alliance at that school.
46:46Their bravery and clarity of purpose inspired me to run for Congress for the third time
46:54in 2012.
46:57I had run for the first time in 1992 and again in 1994.
47:02And in fact, in 1994, I had been outed by my opponent.
47:08And when my students came to me in 2009, several months after the passage of Proposition
47:198, and I might say that Proposition 8 was the statewide initiative that overturned the
47:27ballot initiative, overturned the California Supreme Court decision that granted same-sex
47:35couples the right to marry.
47:38The people of California did this in the 2008 election at the same time that they gave President
47:45Barack Obama nearly a 20-point margin of victory, a much narrower victory was given to Proposition
47:548, which overturned marriage equality in California.
47:58My students were in a slingshot moment.
48:02They surprised me.
48:04They came to me and said, Mr. Takano, many kids at our school are upset about the injustice
48:10of Proposition 8, and they're mad, and they want to start a Gay Straight Alliance.
48:18What was amazing to me was that over 100 kids turned up in my classroom for that first organizing
48:26meeting.
48:28And it began to make me think that another run for Congress was something that I should
48:36start thinking about, that my experience in 1992 and 1994, 1992 almost winning against
48:46my opponent, and 1994 being a year in which I was attacked for being gay, and homophobic
48:54attacks were used.
48:59I found that in 2012 I was surrounded by family, loved ones, and supporters as I was elected
49:06to Congress, making me the first out person of color to be elected to the House of Representatives.
49:13My story is not all that unique.
49:15There are still LGBTQ plus people whose queerness is used against them, whether it is being
49:21outed or otherwise forced to stay in the closet for longer.
49:26Pride Month and the idea of pride reminds us that it isn't always the case that an out
49:32gay Asian man could come to the floor of the House of Representatives and stand alongside
49:37his colleagues to celebrate his identity.
49:41It wasn't always the case that bills like the Equality Act could be introduced and nevertheless
49:47passed out of committee and out of a chamber of Congress, let alone twice.
49:53We have made so much progress, but there is still so much more to do.
49:59There are still members of our community being targeted, harassed, and diminished by those
50:03with hatred in their hearts.
50:06So while the journey to full equality for the LGBTQ plus community is long and winding
50:12and I stand here on the floor of the House of Representatives with clear eyes, proud
50:16of the progress we have seen in the past decade and beyond, along with a faith in the
50:23Constitution that is whole, that is complete, and that is total.
50:34Madam Speaker, just a few miles from here is the Congressional Cemetery.
50:41There is a silent protest happening.
50:44There amongst the tombstones of former representatives, senators, and former cabinet members is the
50:50tombstone without a name and instead bears the message, quote, when I was in the military,
50:58they gave me a medal for killing two men and discharge for loving one, end quote.
51:06Leonard Matlovich is laid to rest there, a Vietnam veteran who rose to fame in 1975 by
51:12becoming the first gay service member to publicly reveal his sexuality, challenging
51:19the military's long-standing ban on LGBTQ plus people, and after meeting with famed
51:25gay rights activist Frank Kameny in D.C., Matlovich hand-delivered a letter to his commanding
51:31officer declaring his sexual identity.
51:34Despite years of exemplary service and multiple tours of duty in Vietnam, which included a
51:40bronze star and a purple heart that he had earned after nearly being killed by a landmine,
51:47he was discharged.
51:49Thirteen years later, Leonard passed away from HIV AIDS after years of advocacy, bravery,
51:56and being a voice for LGBTQ plus service members serving during Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
52:02Our nation failed Leonard and the estimated 114,000 service members who were discharged
52:10on the basis of their sexual orientation between World War II and 2011.
52:16The repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell came 13 years ago, but the hurt, shame, and legacy
52:22of this rule lives on in the form of missed benefits and harassment.
52:27As a ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, I've heard stories from
52:30former service members who either ended their service early or were discharged due to who
52:35they loved.
52:37To date, there has been no congressional-led effort to investigate the historic and ongoing
52:42impacts of discriminatory military policies on LGBTQ plus service members and veterans.
52:48That's why I've introduced legislation to establish a commission to collect facts and
52:52testimonies while also providing recommendations to Congress, VA, and the Uniformed Services
52:58on how to move forward from these harmful policies.
53:02There are currently 250,000 active duty LGBTQ plus service members and over 1.5 million
53:08LGBTQ plus veterans receiving healthcare from VA.
53:15But there continues to be a pervasive lack of data collection on LGBTQ service members
53:21and veteran populations and an absence of education on the LGBTQ plus community who
53:27serve in uniform.
53:29I stand ready to pass this legislation so that even more veterans can experience the
53:33world-class care that all veterans are entitled to through the VA.
53:40I just want to say in closing that Pride Month is a time for celebration but is also a time
53:46for action.
53:48I want to thank all the speakers who joined in this special order hour and to pay tribute
53:56to the LGBTQ plus community and to enunciate the work that is left to do.
54:02Our speakers today have made clear the progress that we have made but also the work that we
54:08still need to do in order to achieve full equality.
54:13This month and every month the Congressional LGBTQ plus equality caucus stands in solidarity
54:19with LGBTQ plus people throughout the country and around the world.
54:23We will never stop fighting for your rights and with that Madam Speaker I yield back.