Congressional Democrats held a press briefing on Tuesday on the Equality Act.
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00:00Good morning everyone. The sun is shining on us today. Greetings. Welcome to the 2025
00:14reintroduction of the Equality Act. We're here today to fight for equality, to fight for
00:20opportunity, to fight for freedom. Because freedom is the right to participate fully
00:26in every aspect of our national life. Freedom is the right to live as your authentic self
00:32without fear of harassment or discrimination or violence. Freedom is the right to be treated
00:38as equal with all other Americans. But right now we're witnessing a contraction of freedom
00:45and opportunity. More than 850 anti-LGBTQ plus bills have been filed in state legislatures
00:53this year. That is a record and we're only in April. Since day one of this administration,
01:02our authoritarian president and his lackeys have been trying to erase and endanger LGBTQ
01:08plus Americans by greenlighting discrimination against the entire community in critical aspects
01:15of daily life from health care to housing. With particularly vicious attacks on transgender
01:21Americans from preventing access to identity documents that reflect their gender identity to expelling
01:27them from the military where they provide invaluable service to our national security. No one should
01:34be discriminated against because of who they are or whom they love. That is why we must pass
01:41the Equality Act. The Equality Act tells our LGBTQ plus people across the country, you are not
01:49alone. This is your country too and you have the right to fully participate in our national life.
01:56The Equality Act says to our LGBTQ plus youth, we will stand with you and we will fight to end the prejudice,
02:04to end the discrimination, end the bullying so that you have the full opportunity to thrive.
02:11The Equality Act tells the world, we will not tolerate discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity,
02:18in employment, in education, in housing or financial contracts, in mortgages, in jury duty, in restaurants,
02:27in libraries, in public accommodations. We will not tolerate discrimination in any part of American society.
02:35America's future belongs to everyone equally. All of us here today are standing shoulder to shoulder
02:43with our amazing Senate Champions, Senator Baldwin, Senator Booker, Leader Schumer,
02:49our outstanding House Champions, Representative Takano, Representative Papa,
02:53Speaker Emerita Pelosi, Whit Clark, our tireless partner organizations including the Human Rights Campaign,
02:59the Advocates for Trans Equality and many others. We are here today to say simply and forcefully,
03:08discrimination is wrong, equality and opportunity are right, and we will not stop until all LGBTQ plus Americans
03:18are treated as persons equal in dignity, equal in promise, and equal under the law.
03:26Thank you. I'll turn the podium now over to Congressman Mark Takano, who chairs the Equality Caucus,
03:31who has been an outstanding leader in this movement and great partner in bringing this bill forward. Thank you.
03:36Well, thank you. Thank you, Senator Merk Lee, for your long-standing advocacy of the Equality Act in the Senate as the lead in the Senate.
03:48So, I'm Congressman Mark Takano. I'm a proud gay man and chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus.
03:57And I'm honored to be joined today by my fellow LGBTQ plus members of Congress, Senator Baldwin, Congressman Pappas,
04:06and actually Mike Quigley is one of our Equality Caucus members. And also with the StadFest allies who have stood shoulder to shoulder with us in the fight for equality.
04:21Leader Schumer, Whip Clark, Speaker Emerita, Pelosi, and I've already mentioned Senator Booker, Senator Merk Lee and Senator Booker.
04:30Under the leadership of Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, this bill, the Equality Act, passed twice through the House of Representatives.
04:39And I'm expecting her shortly, but her presence with us today at this movement is bigger than any one of us.
04:47Today, we introduce the Equality Act not just as a bill, but as a declaration that freedom, dignity, and opportunity must belong to all Americans.
04:58That is the promise of the Equality Act, full humanity under the law. Right now, the fear in our community is deep, and it is palpable.
05:08The waves of attacks on LGBTQ plus Americans, LGBTQI plus Americans, have swept from state legislatures into the chambers of Congress and the White House.
05:20We are facing the most anti-LGBTQI plus presidential administration in recent history. And for that reason, we demand that our existence be not just recognized, but protected.
05:32We demand not just the right to survive, but to thrive. We demand the same right as any other American to live freely in this country without being forced to justify our existence or prove our worth.
05:45Now, more than ever, LGBTQI plus Americans need our fundamental civil rights codified into law.
05:54The Equality Act prohibits discrimination in seven key areas of everyday life and extends to the LGBTQI plus community the same civil rights that other Americans enjoy.
06:04It strengthens the civil rights framework not just for LGBTQI plus Americans, but for all Americans, reinforcing protections for women, religious minorities, and people of color.
06:15And it says clearly you should not be denied a job, a home, a loan, or a seat at the table simply because of who you are.
06:23We cannot leave those basic rights vulnerable to a patchwork of inconsistent protections, hostile administrations, or unpredictable courts.
06:31Now, I know the sting of discrimination. I have lived it. I am the child and grandchild of Americans who were stripped of their rights and incarcerated for being of Japanese descent during World War II.
06:44As a teenager in the late 1970s coming to terms with my own sexuality, I watched legislators in California host debates on whether gays and lesbians should be allowed to teach in public schools.
06:58Undeterred, I would later go on to become a teacher myself.
07:02And when I ran for Congress in 1994, I was publicly outed by my opponent and made the target of homophobic attack ads.
07:11I lost that race, but when I won nearly two decades later, I became the first openly gay person of color to be elected to Congress.
07:19It was deeply meaningful to me, but to be clear, I was not the first gay person of color to serve in Congress.
07:27As a boy, I watched in awe of Congresswoman Barbara Jordan participate in the Watergate impeachment hearings.
07:34And in her speech, Congresswoman Jordan immortalized her conviction that her faith in the Constitution was whole, complete, and total.
07:46Although the Constitution had not originally included her, a black woman, when it was written, it had come to include her after two centuries of struggle and amendment.
07:55And despite that, Congresswoman Jordan still had to hide from public scrutiny that she had spent 20 years in a loving relationship with a woman.
08:03At that time, being openly LGBTQI plus would certainly have come at the cost of her career.
08:09Today, the National Archives recognizes her as the first LGBTQI plus woman in Congress.
08:16I share her belief that my faith in the Constitution is whole, complete, and total.
08:22I believe that all people are entitled to the fruits of democracy, and that includes freedom, equality, and justice for all.
08:30That the Constitution's promises were never meant to be frozen in time.
08:34That they must be renewed by future generations.
08:37That the idea of America, an imperfect country still full of promise, is still worth fighting for.
08:43And right now, LGBTQI plus Americans are afraid.
08:47There is fear that the progress we have made in the decades, in the last decades, is being lost.
08:53Yet, we must remember that we have seen and overcome darker times before.
08:58That there was a time when being out was nearly impossible, as it was for Barbara Jordan.
09:03And our existence was universally criminalized.
09:06We have gone from the rage at the riots of Stonewall to the joy of celebrations of marriage equality.
09:14We have come out of the closet and survived the scourge of HIV.
09:17And today, we fight to win full equality under the law.
09:23We were born for this fight and forged in resistance.
09:26The LGBTQI plus community's generational gift, passed down from our ancestors, is grit, persistence, and unconquerable strength.
09:35We will continue to fight.
09:37We will propel ourselves into a brighter, more hopeful, more just future.
09:42And we will not stop until the Equality Act is the law of the land.
09:48And now, I'll hand over the podium to Senator Schumer.
09:55Thank you, Mark.
09:56Thank you, first, for the bravery of your struggle and for your leadership on this issue.
10:01I want to thank my colleague, Senator Merkley, who's been our strong advocate for many years on the Equality Act.
10:08And, of course, Senator Baldwin, who's been such a leader and has experienced the same kind of political attacks just recently that you did, Mark.
10:16But like you, she survived and prevailed.
10:19Thank you, Tammy.
10:21Look, let me say this.
10:24Because we, well, it is hard to believe in 2025 that in so many states, not New York, but my daughter and her wife, if they lived in another state, could be told, you can't rent this apartment.
10:43You're lesbians.
10:44You're lesbians.
10:45A doctor could say, I don't want to treat you.
10:48You're lesbians.
10:50A job, an employer could say the same.
10:57It's amazing.
10:582025 in America, and people can just adversely turn people around because of who they love or how they love.
11:05People forget how much bigotry and discrimination there is that actually takes effect in law.
11:15Because the law allows this bigotry and discrimination.
11:19In how many states, Jeff?
11:21Well, only 21 have potential state protection.
11:24So in 29 states, if I have my math right.
11:28The bottom line is this.
11:31We achieved marriage.
11:34It was a great thing.
11:37My daughter and her wife have a beautiful baby, and one is on the way, and they're living a good, happy life.
11:45Just as I was able to live.
11:48But that's because they live in New York.
11:51We must have a national ethos that bigotry is outlawed.
11:56And until we pass the Equality Act, that will not be close to true in America.
12:02We're going to do everything we can to pass it.
12:05We're hopeful that good people, people of LBGTQI community, and people who are not part of that community,
12:14will tell their congressmen and tell their senators, it's about time.
12:19It's about time here in America that we have this full equality.
12:25I'm committed to the cause personally, politically, and just morally.
12:31And will do everything I can to help get our legislation passed in the Senate.
12:36Jeff, thank you.
12:37Well, what a beautiful day.
12:50And colleagues, it is so great to join all of you to announce the reintroduction of the Equality Act.
12:56The bill that we're here to talk about could not be more straightforward or common sense.
13:06The Equality Act simply puts into law what we all believe, that every American is created equal and should be treated equally under the law.
13:17This is a tenet of our nation's founding, and something that I know and my constituents take seriously.
13:25But as we all know, for far too many LGBTQ Americans in states across the country, equality is not the reality.
13:35Depending on where you live in this country, you are afforded a different set of fundamental rights if you are gay, lesbian, or transgender.
13:46And let that sink in.
13:48It's a patchwork of rights and protections depending on who you are and who you love.
13:54Will you be protected from being discriminated against by a bad landlord when you try to rent a house?
14:03Depends on where you live.
14:06Will you be protected from being discriminated against when you are trying to get a mortgage or a new credit card?
14:13Again, it depends upon where you live.
14:17The list of these basic rights that some people have and some people don't goes on and on.
14:25This year alone, the ACLU is tracking over 570 bills in state legislatures across the country
14:34that aim to strip away rights from LGBTQ Americans, including 12 in my home state of Wisconsin.
14:44If these bills become law, it will further this patchwork of rights.
14:49If they don't, it will still make our friends, our families, and our neighbors feel less safe, less welcome in their own communities.
15:01But look, take it from me, the first elected openly gay senator in U.S. history.
15:09A more welcoming, more equal country is possible.
15:15It takes hard work, but it's work that is worth doing.
15:20Just a few years ago, we proved that.
15:23I was proud to lead the charge to pass the Respect for Marriage Act into law in 2022.
15:30Yep.
15:31And that was the first time that we codified marriage rights for gay and interracial couples into law.
15:41At that time, I got so many questions about how we were able to get so many Republicans on board.
15:49The simple truth was that we had open and honest conversations with our colleagues about the people in their lives,
15:58their family members, their staff members, their neighbors, their fellow parishioners who were gay.
16:07And today, that's who I ask both my Republican and Democratic colleagues to think about when considering the Equality Act.
16:17This is simply a matter of right and wrong.
16:21I, for one, believe that every American deserves to be treated and protected equally under the law.
16:29The Equality Act makes simply clear that in the United States we will not tolerate discrimination based on sexual orientation,
16:39based on gender identity, just like religion, race, or ethnicity.
16:44Equality is not a privilege.
16:47It is what we are owed as American citizens.
16:52And I'm committed to making that promise a reality.
16:56And next, I would love to welcome up to the podium, Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi.
17:07I join in applauding Tammy Duckworth and, excuse me, Tammy Baldwin.
17:12Tammy Duckworth, too. Tammy Baldwin.
17:14When Tammy came to the Congress, she was the first lesbian to serve in the House of Representatives.
17:21And when she arrived, everybody knew how she became the first because of her knowledge, her wisdom, her values in every way, her graciousness.
17:30And we're so proud of you. And we continue to be so proud of you, Tammy.
17:34I visited her in her district as the Congresswoman and can see how she related to the farmers as well as the people in the city.
17:43And let me just say that I associate myself with everything that has been said about the need for this.
17:48And I just want to tell a little different perspective.
17:51And, Jeff Merkley, thank you for your leadership.
17:55And I'll talk about when we had our first press conference on this.
17:58But first, I want to acknowledge Sarah McBride, our member of Congress from Delaware.
18:04And she's a pioneer in Congress as well.
18:07And as you all know, Dina Titus has been a champion on these issues from Nevada over time.
18:13So here's the thing.
18:15Well, hearing Chuck speak about his daughter, I remember when Allison was born.
18:21So to hear him talk about it with such pride in her marriage, her baby, and her baby, another baby to come, is an emotional thing for me.
18:30But just think of how valuable that is to us in this cause.
18:35Mark Takano, I heard your speech as I was coming.
18:38Oh, our great leader, the House Democratic Whip Catherine Clark is now with us as well.
18:46So here's the thing.
18:49Go back a few years.
18:52And when Tammy was speaking, she was talking about how to get the votes and the mobilization involvement.
18:58But go back a few years.
19:00We had four things we were going to do.
19:02Four things we were going to do.
19:04We were going to have a fully inclusive hate crimes act.
19:08We were going to have ending discrimination in the workplace.
19:12We were going to have marriage when that became a court issue, too.
19:16And we had a number of things, including the repeal of don't ask, don't tell.
19:21In the course of that, folks said, why are we doing ENDA?
19:25Why are we doing ending discrimination in the workplace?
19:28Let's do the whole kit and caboodle, the Equality Act.
19:32It was a challenge because it involved the Civil Rights Act and the rest and those who were very protective of it.
19:40And rightfully so because of certain things that go on around here that we didn't want to interfere with what protections were already in the law.
19:50But John Lewis, remember Senator Merkel?
19:53He stood with us.
19:54Right, Mark?
19:55He stood with us at that first press conference.
19:58He said to the Black Caucus, it's long overdue.
20:02The time is now.
20:03We cannot wait.
20:04This is it.
20:05And that was such a remarkable, okay, right, Mark?
20:08It was such a remarkable occasion.
20:11And we went from ENDA to equality in every aspect.
20:16And that's exactly what we should have done.
20:19So I just wanted to put it in perspective for you.
20:22When we were going along with ENDA, the groups outside said to us, don't ask, don't tell.
20:29So again, I take great pride in the fact that my last bill as speaker the first time around was the repeal of don't ask, don't tell.
20:40And we were so proud because of the outside mobilization.
20:44So I want to salute our friends from the outside because this is, I know you'll be hearing from Jay Brown and Olivia Hunt,
20:51but the outside mobilization made all the difference, as Tammy described in her comments.
20:58That made all the difference in telling people's experience with their own families and just the support that grew and grew and grew.
21:08So hopefully springing from this introduction, let me just say, Senator Merkley has been such a champion, relentless, persistent, constant on all of this.
21:19And I salute you for your leadership and always look to you for guidance on this on other issues as well.
21:26So that's why I'm here again to say, let's get it done.
21:32I don't know what the prospects are now, but I do know that we're going to win the House.
21:38I know we're going to win the House, hopefully the Senate.
21:40We're going to win in a short period of time.
21:43It will be clear to them and maybe they'll be more receptive to doing what the right thing is.
21:49Now, the next speaker that I'm going to yield to spoke on the floor for, what, 20?
21:56Let me read to get it exactly right.
21:59How long was it?
22:0225 hours.
22:03I had the record in the House for over eight hours.
22:06Of course, I had on spiked heels and we can't yield, but nonetheless, 25 hours, a record that an African-American leader could replace the record there above.
22:18What would you call him?
22:22Segregationists.
22:23Segregationists.
22:24That's as gentle a word as we can use right here, I guess.
22:28So I'm so glad that I'm going before him because you never know how long he's going to talk.
22:35But thank you, Cory Booker, for your leadership and I'm pleased to yield to you.
22:43Thank you, Nancy Pelosi.
22:44Let me give another round of applause for one of the most incredible leaders I have ever had the privilege of serving next to.
22:50We are here again, reintroducing a bill.
22:55I'm proud to be an original co-sponsor, but there are trailblazers in Congress behind me, champions that have defied the sad truth of our America that we still live in a nation in the majority of states that you can post your wedding pictures online, but still be denied.
23:13Still be denied the ability to stay at a hotel in your community or be fired from your job without legal recourse.
23:23We still live in a nation that has a profound injustice.
23:28The Equality Act is on the right side of history and right now we stand in the cold shadow of injustice.
23:38And so here we are again introducing this bill, but it is not a normal time that we introduce this bill.
23:46We introduce it in the backdrop of a president that in his very campaign singled out in opportunistic bigotry.
23:56The trans community, we stand here in the backdrop of a time that LGBTQ Americans are being targeted and singled out for heaped upon more injustice.
24:10This is not a normal time in which we are standing up and yet again reintroducing a bill with moral urgency.
24:20I've been thinking a lot about my own rights recently because you cannot attack the fundamental rights of anyone without threatening the rights of everyone.
24:36I've been thinking about my own rights to walk down the street and not be disappeared by un uniformed individuals and swept away.
24:48I've been thinking about my due process.
24:50I've been thinking about my free speech rights because when free speech is attacked anywhere in this nation, it is a threat to free speech everywhere.
24:59I've been thinking about my liberty, my ability to organize.
25:05The very rights that have been given to us in the Constitution are still not the rights that are enjoyed by everyone in our country and certainly not the rights of the LGBT community.
25:16And so today, I want you to know we reintroduced this bill with attitude.
25:22We reintroduced this bill with swagger.
25:25We introduced this bill with confidence because there are a lot of people who are hearing our voice right now that don't understand that they are implicated.
25:35There's no bystanders in history when injustice is in our midst and you say nothing and you do nothing.
25:42You are part of the perpetuation of that injustice.
25:47We call upon all Americans, not just LGBTQ Americans.
25:52We call upon all Americans not just to be allies.
25:56Don't be allied only.
25:59Be implicated.
26:01Don't just be allied only.
26:03Remember our history.
26:05The horrors of our history during the Middle Passage when one African was chained and thrown overboard.
26:15All Africans were on that boat that were chained together were pulled under.
26:19Remember our history and the courage of men and women in the trench warfare in Europe who saw one person go down and risk their lives to run into danger to carry that person off.
26:32Understanding that we stand together or we fall together.
26:36This is one of those voices.
26:38This is one of those moments that we need your voice.
26:41So I say in conclusion very simply this.
26:44There are Americans today that are worried.
26:49That are afraid.
26:52That need to hear from you.
26:54There are Americans today that are afraid to go to their grade school because they're still being bullied for who they are and how they love.
27:01There are people today that feel so tired and so worried that this nation will not stand for what it says we should stand for.
27:11And so I say to those people that we will speak up, we will stand up, that Americans will stand up.
27:20I say to those people remember what the good book says that weeping will endure through the night but joy cometh in the morning.
27:27I remind those Americans that even the truth when crushed to the ground after lie after lie after lie after lie that the truth will still rise again.
27:37That this is still one nation under God.
27:40That we still swear an oath of liberty and justice for all.
27:44And that we will not stop until freedom rings from every coast in this country.
27:50That freedom rings for every person and every soul.
27:53That freedom rings for every American no matter who you are, race, color or creed, LGBTQ American or straight ally.
28:02That we declare that the arc of the moral universe is long but it doesn't bend automatically.
28:08We declare today and every day until justice is established in this land, until the Equality Act passes.
28:15We declare that we the people will grab hold of that arc and pull and bend it until we live up to our promise in a country and truly are free at last, free at last.
28:28Thank you very much.
28:29What did you just say about Katherine Clark who is coming up next?
28:35Wasn't that remarkable?
28:38Well, I want to say about Katherine Clark that she is in a long tradition of extraordinary leaders.
28:42She is unbought.
28:43She is unbossed.
28:44She is tireless, indefatigable and she is unconquered and will continue to fight for justice.
28:49I'm glad to pass it over.
28:50And I want to also say of her that she was a close ally of John Lewis in the Congress, whether it was guns or LGBTQ or whatever it was.
28:59They were partners in great things in the Congress, as well as with David Cicilline, who was the original author in the Congress of the United States.
29:11I yield to the distinguished whip of a half.
29:14Thank you so much.
29:16Thank you, Madam Speaker.
29:18Amen, Senator Booker.
29:20And I am so grateful to all my colleagues that are here.
29:25A special shout out to Senator Merkley and to our own Mark Takano, chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus.
29:34We are so grateful for your leadership on the Equality Act over in the House.
29:41So let me tell you, the Republicans' opposition to this bill tells you everything you need to know about their accrual calculation.
29:53They pick a scapegoat so they can have cover for the real agenda going on.
30:00They are vilifying a community, blaming them, and trying to erase them from our country.
30:08So you take everything from them, and then the GOP moves on to everyone else.
30:15Taking away Medicaid, Social Security, defunding our public schools and childcare,
30:21taking away control over our own bodies, and taking away the right to live as you are.
30:28They believe that safety and opportunity are not a right, but a luxury of a few.
30:35The Republicans have decided that some Americans are unworthy of freedom,
30:42unworthy of health care and housing and education and a voice because of who they are,
30:50because of what they look like, or who they've married, or how much money they have.
30:57But here's the truth that we know. The basis of the Equality Act is that freedom is a birthright of every person.
31:08And we can only defend ours if we defend everyone's.
31:14Freedom doesn't grow in a pot. It's not a container plant that you stick in a corner.
31:20It only thrives in the open, unfettered.
31:24And otherwise, it withers and dies for everyone.
31:29And that's what this fight is about.
31:31As Dr. King reminded us, we are tied together in the single garment of destiny.
31:38So thank you all for coming together. Thank you for fighting for a future, a destiny that is worthy of all, all of our children.
31:50And where the rights and dignity of the LGBTQ Americans are unquestioned,
31:56where every person can live free of discrimination in all of its forms.
32:03So please help me welcome a colleague who's working every day to make that dream a reality.
32:12The gentleman from New Hampshire, the co-chair of the Equality Caucus, Congressman Chris Pappas.
32:21Well, thank you so much to our whip, the amazing Catherine Clark.
32:24I want to thank the other leaders who are with me today.
32:27Chair Takano of the Equality Caucus, Senator Merkley,
32:30thank you for bringing this bill to the floor once again.
32:33And to Speaker Emerita Pelosi,
32:35thank you for helping to usher the Equality Act twice through the House of Representatives.
32:40We're ultimately going to get this done.
32:42It's a matter of when and not if we are committed to this fight.
32:45And so thank you for your persistence.
32:47I also want to thank Congresswoman McBride, who is an inspiration to all of us.
32:51We are so happy to have her joining our Equality Caucus in Congress.
32:55So look, full equality under the law, nothing less and nothing more.
32:59That's what the Equality Act is going to deliver.
33:02That's what it means to LGBTQ plus Americans who have not enjoyed these protections under the law.
33:07And while we know this is an uphill battle for sure, there can be no backing down from this fight.
33:13No backing down from the fight that's about freedoms and protections and the dignity that all Americans deserve.
33:19So I come from New Hampshire.
33:21We put live free or die on our license plates because we take freedom incredibly seriously there.
33:26We were the first state to pass marriage equality legislatively where a governor signed it into law.
33:31And in 2018, Democrats and Republicans came together to add transgender granted staters to our state's nondiscrimination statutes.
33:39So I know the people I represent want their government.
33:42They don't want their government telling people how to live their lives.
33:45They fundamentally want everyone to be equal before the law and to have the same rights and responsibilities.
33:51Passing the Equality Act is consistent with the basic promise of America.
33:55And it has never been more urgent that we confront the politically toxic attacks on our community and that we move forward.
34:02I think of the LGBTQ plus community members that we all talk to, people who are beyond afraid about the direction of our nation.
34:09Think about the high school student who reached out to our office.
34:12He couldn't attend class for a week after the last election, despite having supportive family and friends,
34:18because he felt to his core that there wasn't a place for him in the United States of America.
34:23I think about the trans constituent who told me the other day that they've never felt less safe in their community,
34:28are always looking over their shoulder and are taking new precautions when they just go about their day to day business.
34:33No one should question whether or not they have a future in the United States or can live authentically.
34:38No one should feel unsafe in their community.
34:40No one should be a second class citizen in the United States of America in the year 2025.
34:45So the Equality Act is for them.
34:47It's for all of us, because not only will it establish the legal protections that are overdue,
34:52but it will send a powerful and unmistakable message about who we are as Americans
34:57and the kind of future that we can secure together.
35:00You know, just the act of introducing this bill again, that's enough to give people hope at a time where it is in short supply.
35:07But we're not going to stop there. We're going to keep fighting.
35:10We're going to keep showing up month after month, year after year, until this bill is finally the law of the land.
35:15You know, Jefferson referred to equality as a self-evident truth, meaning it didn't need really any further explanation or defense.
35:23And today, Americans overwhelmingly believe the same.
35:26They embrace the Equality Act.
35:28Seven out of ten Americans support passing this law.
35:31So it's time leaders in Washington caught up to how people are living their lives
35:35and how people feel about the enduring promise of America's founding in extending the same rights and protections to the LGBTQ plus community.
35:43We are going to get this done, whether it is in the next few weeks, few months or a few years.
35:48We all have to stay committed to this fight.
35:50So with that, I want to bring up a great partner from an organization who's a driving force behind the Equality Act.
35:55Jay Brown, who's the chief of staff to the Human Rights Campaign. Jay.
36:03Good morning. Thank you, Congress. Congresswoman Clark.
36:07Thank you, Congressman Pappas.
36:09Thank you to our lead sponsors of the Equality Act, Senators Merkley, Baldwin and Booker and Congressman Takano for incredible leadership as champions of the LGBTQ community.
36:18And of course, we are so grateful to have leaders Schumer, Jeffries and Speaker Emerita Pelosi, who have stood up time and again for LGBTQ plus equality.
36:26I'm Jay Brown. I'm proud to serve as the chief of staff of the Human Rights Campaign.
36:30And I'm here representing our three more than three million members and supporters across the country.
36:35Today, as we announced the introduction of the Equality Act, I'm thinking about the journey that brought us here.
36:40I'm thinking about the activists who marched at Stonewall, who the couples who fought for the right to marry, the trans Americans who have bravely lived their truth in the face of discrimination and violence.
36:50Their courage has paved the way for this moment.
36:53But I'm also thinking about those who still wait for justice.
36:56The young people in states where lawmakers have targeted them with harmful legislation.
37:00The same sex couples who still face discrimination when trying to adopt children or access health care.
37:06The LGBTQ plus workers who still feel like they have to hide who they are in the workplace.
37:11We're talking about real people here. People like Carter Brown from Dallas, who was outed at work and eventually fired due to anti-transgender discrimination.
37:21And Queen Hatcher Johnson from Atlanta, whose landlord asked her to move out after she came out.
37:27In 29 states across America, LGBTQ people still lack comprehensive explicit non-discrimination protections.
37:34This means that in more than half of our country, your ability to live, to work, to thrive, can depend on whether others approve of who you are or who you love.
37:43This isn't just wrong, it's un-American. And it's why the Equality Act is so essential.
37:49But this bill does more than protect LGBTQ people. It strengthens our civil rights protections for everyone.
37:55It expands public accommodation protections for women and for people of color.
37:59It ensures that people of all faiths are protected from discrimination.
38:03The Equality Act recognizes that our struggles for justice are interconnected and our progress must be shared.
38:10At HRC, we've built the largest grassroots equality movement in history.
38:14A movement that has already made more than 30,000 calls this year to members' offices asking them to support the Equality Act.
38:21We've mobilized millions of equality voters who make LGBTQ rights a priority at the ballot box.
38:26And we've partnered with major businesses that have adopted non-discrimination policies of their own.
38:31We've put coalitions with allies across the political spectrum who understand that discrimination is bad for business, bad for communities, and bad for America.
38:40So today, I'm asking all Americans to join us in this fight.
38:43Call your representatives and tell them to support the Equality Act.
38:46Share your stories, because personal stories change hearts, minds, and laws.
38:52And remember that progress isn't always linear, but it is inevitable when we stand together.
38:57And now I'm so honored to introduce my dear friend, Advocates for Trans Equality's Director of Federal Policy, Olivia Hunt.
39:07Thank you, Jay.
39:10Good morning, everyone.
39:11It is an incredible honor to be here alongside so many people who have championed LGBTQIA plus equality for so long.
39:20Senator Merkley, Representative Takano, Senator Baldwin, Leader Schumer, Senator Booker, I apologize.
39:29Representative Pride, Representative Pappas, Peter Pelosi, and, of course, Whit Clark.
39:34Thank you all for everything that you've done for our community.
39:37Now, if you're anything like me, for you, spring is a time to take stock, to pause and reflect on what's gone before.
39:47And for me, the past couple of weeks have been loaded with a lot of memories from about five years ago.
39:54The constant reminders of those first COVID lockdowns that we all went through together.
39:59The memories of how uncertain we were, how uncertain the future felt, the ways all of our lives have changed forever.
40:06But something else has struck me about those past five years, which is that over those past five years,
40:11more than 2,500 anti-LGBTQIA plus bills have been introduced in state houses around the country.
40:18A variable tidal wave of political bullying disguised as legislation.
40:23And fully 1,000 of those bills were introduced in just 2024 and 2025.
40:28As we all know by now, most of those bills specifically target transgender youth and their families.
40:34Now, thankfully, more than 90% of these bills have been defeated.
40:38In some cases, the same bill has been defeated again and again, year after year, because our community is strong.
40:42And it's resilient.
40:43And we'll always come together to do what's right and defend our most vulnerable members.
40:49But this year is different.
40:52This year, in addition to the attacks that we've become used to at the state level,
40:56the Trump administration has launched its own unrelenting attacks on LGBTQIA plus Americans.
41:01And just like in the state houses, they've reserved their most vicious attacks and their most dehumanizing rhetoric for trans youth.
41:07This is a moment that demands action.
41:09These are not abstract policy debates.
41:11It's a coordinated effort to erode civil rights and protections, to criminalize LGBTQIA plus existence,
41:18and to erase us from our communities.
41:20All people deserve to live full and honest lives.
41:25More importantly, all children deserve to grow up free of violence and harassment and discrimination just for being who they are.
41:32And they deserve to see a future that has a place for them in it.
41:36Trans youth deserve to be protected by their government.
41:39They shouldn't have to be protected from their government.
41:41It's long past time that our federal laws reflect and protect the reality and dignity of all people.
41:47Advocates for Trans Equality is proud to support and endorse the Equality Act.
41:53Trans people have always existed.
41:55We've always been part of the complex tapestry that is the United States.
41:59Across the country, we are writers, teachers, journalists, cashiers, ministers, construction workers, librarians,
42:07any other profession that you care to name.
42:10We have always been here, but we always will be here.
42:13And that's the truth that no amount of hostile rhetoric, policy, or legislation can ever change.
42:19Thank you all, and I'll turn the podium back over to Senator Berkley.
42:28I think we can take a couple questions if folks have any.
42:31Yes?
42:33Hi, Senator. A few of you mentioned there is an uphill battle with getting this legislation through.
42:39How do you plan to talk about this with your Republican colleagues and what's the strategy to advance this?
42:45The question, if you couldn't hear, was how do we plan to talk about this with our Republican colleagues?
42:50As Tammy Baldwin was saying, she had very explicit conversations, very open conversations.
42:55The Republican Party at one point was founded on the notion of fairness to fight against discrimination,
43:01against black Americans, to fight against slavery.
43:05And we know, when we passed the Employment and Nondiscrimination Act in the Senate,
43:08that we had partners across the aisle who said discrimination is wrong.
43:12We passed it with more than 60 votes.
43:14We sent it to the House, and it was not brought to the floor, or it might have passed at that point.
43:18Now we have this expanded bill.
43:20If you can be against discrimination in employment, you can be against discrimination in financial contracts.
43:26You can be against discrimination in mortgages, in jury duty.
43:30You can be against discrimination in public accommodations and housing.
43:34And so we're going to continue to remind our colleagues that discrimination is wrong.
43:39Join us as you joined us back in 2013 when we passed the Employment Nondiscrimination Act.
43:44I don't know if anyone from the House side would like to speak to that.
43:46Sure.
43:47So, Senator Baldwin talked about the conversation she had with her Senate Republican colleagues.
43:54But I can tell you in the House, when we passed the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022,
44:01there was no expectation that we would have, I forget how many it was, Nancy, like 30 or 40 Republicans vote for the bill.
44:08We thought we were just putting forward some legislation in response to what Justice Clarence Thomas opined in one of the decisions, the courts.
44:18He welcomed cases to revisit what he felt were wrongly held decisions.
44:23You know, that wasn't really about conversations we had with colleagues.
44:29That was about a change that had happened in our country.
44:32Those 30 or 40 Republicans that voted with the Democrats in a surprising way, which gave it momentum in the Senate,
44:40was Republicans reflecting a change of heart in their districts.
44:47And so I say that the work that we need to do is to also, as Speaker Emeritus has always taught me, that public sentiment is everything.
44:59That now is the moment to bring greater understanding and greater momentum because really the Congress is a reflection of the people.
45:09Speaker Emeritus, would you like to comment on this?
45:12Well, I'd like to because we passed it twice in the House.
45:15And we were optimistic that there would be something that could be done in the Senate.
45:19And keeping with what Senator Merkley said and what Distinguished Chairman Takano said about this,
45:26we thought corporate America, because they said they were supportive of this,
45:31would weigh in on the Senate, respectful of their own employees, high-ranking employees in their corporations.
45:39We said, when we were overseas, when we were in Singapore, we said to the people, the businesses that were there,
45:46if you want the best, you better be for legislation like this so that people can freely participate openly.
45:55So I do think there's still an opportunity.
45:58Well, they're in a little different place right this minute, but there is an opportunity for corporate America to weigh in for their own employees,
46:07if they want the very best.
46:09They will be helpful with the Equality Act.
46:12And that is what we anticipated in the House, that they might be true to some of the things they were telling us,
46:19and act upon those beliefs.
46:21Corporate America.
46:24And I would say, you know, corporate America is part of that public sentiment we're talking about.
46:30And I was with the Speaker of America when we spoke to the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore on that trip to Taiwan.
46:38And by the way, Taiwan is the leading nation in Asia for LGBTQI rights, very proudly so.
46:46But, again, I agree with her. Corporate America is a huge voice in the advancement.
46:55So much has changed within corporate America, the vice presidents, the executives.
47:00And the very workforce is demanding equality as well.
47:05I'd like to say, when we were in Singapore, when we went there, one of our tasks given to us by Mr. Takano
47:11was that we would advocate to change the law there because to have a same-sex relationship was not, well, illegal.
47:23Unspoken but not legal in Singapore.
47:27A week after we left, they changed the law.
47:30They changed the law.
47:31Because corporate America wanted the very best human in Singapore.
47:36Any other questions that we might have?
47:38Yes.
47:39Thank you so much.
47:40I wonder if anyone can speak to the decision to do this today on the president's mandate office?
47:45You know, sometimes, I don't know if there was a conscious decision, but, I mean, look at this beautiful day.
47:54It's a beautiful day to stand up for equality.
47:58And, you know, I think the president's clearly hitting a wall that Americans are saying, many Americans are saying, we didn't vote for this.
48:08Many Americans never voted for this.
48:10But, I mean, Americans, I mean, it's a great day to remind them that, you know, what is in the core of what is the right side of history, a more perfect union.
48:20This is the march toward a more perfect union.
48:22That's what most Americans believe in.
48:24And it's a great day, on this hundredth day, to remind our administration what the right side of history is.
48:30The question was whether there's still a path forward in this particular Congress at this, at this moment.
48:48Well, the path forward is in the conversation with communities across this nation.
48:52My Republican colleagues in the Senate are not planning to put the Equality Act on the floor as they went through.
48:58But we're going to continue advancing that conversation.
49:02And I think about my daughter, who said to me when I talked to her first about the Employment Non-Discrimination Act,
49:08and then about the Equality Act, she said, but, Dad, discrimination is already illegal.
49:14Why? I don't understand.
49:16And I think much of America already believes that we put discrimination in our past.
49:22We are reminding them that that is not the case.
49:25As we heard from the advocates, discrimination is alive and well.
49:28Discrimination is being encouraged by some of the leaders in the Republican Party.
49:32But we're here to say that that is wrong.
49:35And we're going to keep amplifying this conversation inside the halls of Congress with our advocates and communities all across this nation until we pass this bill.
49:45And look, on the 100th day of this administration, it's not just about what we're against and what we're opposed.
49:54This is what we're for. And this is what most Americans are for.
49:57And it's an important marker in the ground.
49:59And we need to make sure that all Americans know that we're fighting for what they believe in.
50:04I want to thank you all very much and close by saying our advocates back here.
50:08Can you hold those signs high?
50:09Let's pass the Equality Act and restore and end discrimination and restore fairness in America.
50:15Thank you all very much.
50:17Thank you, sir.