Newly elected state and local LGBT lawmakers from all six New England States have joined 152 openly LGBT elected officials from across the country to call on the incoming Congress to act on four key initiatives to LGBT equality:
- to pass the Equality Act to expand nondiscrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
- to reduce HIV/AIDS by forming an advisory commission, advocating a “Getting to Zero” goal and taking proactive measures to address disparities in communities of color.
- to protect trans people from anti-trans Trump administration policies and other measures.
- to improve LGBTQ rights globally by supporting asylum claims and ensuring LGBTQ rights is a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy.
Signing on so far:
- From Massachusetts: State Senator Julian Cyr and Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis.
- From Vermont: Reps. Diana Gonzalez and Bill Lippert.
- From Maine: Rep. Ryan Fecteau and Lois Reckitt, and State Senator Justin Chenette.
- From Rhode Island: Rep.-Elect Rebecca Kislak, Rep. Deborah Ruggiero and State Senator Donna Nesselbush.
- From Connecticut: Rep.-Elect Raghib Allie-Brennan.
- From New Hampshire: State Rep.-Elect Lisa Bunker, and Reps. Ed Butler and Garrett Muscatel.
The call comes in a letter, drafted after at a meeting held during the LGBTQ Victory Institute’s International LGBTQ Leaders Conference last week. Officials are still gathering signatures for the letter, which will be delivered in early 2019 when the newly elected Democratic majority arrives in Congress.
According to Annise Parker, president and CEO of LGBTQ Victory Institute and mayor of Houston:
“LGBTQ political power is growing thanks to the rainbow wave of LGBTQ people who won elected office in November—and this letter is the first sign of us wielding that new power. The current US Congress failed to advance equality policies and legislation that most Americans support: non-discrimination protections, addressing the HIV/AIDS crisis, protecting trans people from abusive policies, and being a moral voice on the global stage.
The next Congress can remedy these wrongs and LGBTQ elected officials are determined to add their voice and energize their constituents around these important measures. The officials who attended our conference and signed this letter won elected office because voters demanded authentic, values-driven leadership. That is what they are delivering on and we hope the new Congress delivers as well.”
More on this story in a Dec. 12 article in The Hill.
