In recognition of his substantial and sustained advocacy for LGBTQ equality and human rights throughout his career in government, GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) will honor Congressman David Cicilline (RI) on June 15, at a GLAD event in Providence, Rhode Island. (For event tickets and details, click here.)
Congressman Cicilline has represented Rhode Island’s First Congressional District in the US House of Representatives since 2011 and has been a steadfast advocate for the rights of LGBTQ people and for reproductive freedom, racial justice, voting rights and election integrity. He announced earlier this year that he will leave Congress this summer to lead the Rhode Island Foundation.
“Congressman David Cicilline has been a resolute champion of human rights and LGBTQ+ equality during his 12 years in the US House and throughout his nearly two decades of public service in Rhode Island before that,” said GLAD Executive Director Janson Wu.
“His leadership on the Equality Act was vital to building record bipartisan support for federal LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination protections. Representative Cicilline’s trailblazing accomplishments — from becoming the first openly gay mayor of a major US city to his pivotal work in the Congressional Equality Caucus — alongside his integrity and dedication to civil rights and democratic ideals — have made him a role model for generations of young LGBTQ+ leaders. We are thrilled to honor him with the Justice for All award for his steadfast and inspiring work for equality.”
Congressman Cicilline was the lead sponsor of the Equality Act, legislation that would provide explicit federal nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people. Under his leadership the bill passed the House with strong bipartisan support in 2019 and 2021. Representative Cicilline has served as a leader in the Congressional Equality Caucus and has co-sponsored multiple bills seeking to advance LGBTQ+ rights, including the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, the Student Non-Discrimination Act, the LGBT Data Inclusion Act, and the Global Respect Act. Following former President Trump’s announcement of a ban on military service of transgender Americans in 2017, Congressman Cicilline quickly voiced opposition to the policy and introduced the Restore Honor to Service Members Act, which aimed to reverse the ban. This past year, Representative Cicilline was a co-sponsor of the historic Respect for Marriage Act (RMA) which was signed by President Biden in December 2022.
Prior to being elected to Congress, David Cicilline served for eight years in the Rhode Island House of Representatives, during which he was instrumental in passing an LGBTQ+-inclusive state hate crimes law in 2001. He made history as the first openly gay mayor of a major U.S. city when he was elected mayor of Providence, where he served from 2003 – 2011. As mayor, Cicilline launched a Safe Schools initiative to support LGBTQ+ students in the city. He was active in efforts to add protections for transgender people to Rhode Island’s state nondiscrimination law in 2011, and in the passage of marriage equality legislation in 2013.
— from a GLAD press release
More: glad.org
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