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Statement Celebrating Pride Month From Building Back Together

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 1, 2023
PRESS CONTACT: McKenzie Wilson, (773)-715-0169, [email protected]

STATEMENT CELEBRATING PRIDE MONTH FROM BUILDING BACK TOGETHER

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Building Back Together Communications Director McKenzie Wilson released the following statement in honor of Pride Month:

“Each Pride Month, we honor the generations of LGBTQI+ people, leaders, and activists who have fought for decades to create a more just and equitable America, celebrating the advancements we’ve made and recognizing the work we still have ahead.

“Over the past two years, the Biden-Harris Administration has made major strides to expand the protections and rights for LGBTQI+ people, including codifying into law protections for same-sex and interracial marriage at the federal level and adding an X Gender Marker option to U.S. passports for non-binary, transgender, and intersex Americans.

“But this year’s Pride also runs parallel to increasingly hateful attacks on the LGBTQI+ community, including extreme MAGA attacks on the rights and freedoms of children and families. The Biden-Harris Administration continues to take action to defend the rights of LGBTQI+ people and their families in the face of this bigotry and extremism. Since day one, President Biden and Vice President Harris have committed to building a country where everyone can be their whole self, without fear for their safety and or the safety of their family because of who they are or who they love.”

Since taking office, President Biden has led his administration in the fight for justice and equity for the LGBTQI+ community, including by:

  • Signing the Respect for Marriage Act to protect same-sex and interracial marriage at the federal level.
  • Reversing the discriminatory ban on openly transgender service members serving in the military.
  • Advancing health equity for LGBTQI+ Americans, who are more likely to be uninsured, by improving access to and affordability of health coverage through the Affordable Care Act.
  • Establishing a White House-led interagency working group on anti-transgender violence, and releasing a White House report uplifting the voices of transgender people on gender-based violence and discrimination.
  • Adding a non-binary gender marker option for U.S. passports, which impacts 1.2 million non-binary adults, 2 million transgender people, and as many as 5.5 million people who were born intersex.
  • Expanding birthright citizenship to children born abroad to same-sex couples.
  • Increasing funding for research on gender-affirming procedures to further develop the evidence base for improved care.
  • Reinstating a rule to prohibit housing discrimination against LGBTQI+ people, while ensuring transgender individuals seeking emergency shelter and homeless services have access to housing.
  • The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has filed multiple Statements of Interest and amicus briefs to protect the constitutional rights of transgender individuals and combat legislative attacks on transgender kids at the state level.

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Building Back Together (BBT) is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization that serves as a messaging and organizing hub for national and in-state allies to advance the legislative agenda of the Biden-Harris Administration. BBT works alongside our partners to educate communities across the country about how the Biden-Harris agenda impacts their lives – by creating good-paying union jobs, lowering costs, and fueling economic growth – and contrasting these legislative accomplishments with the harmful plans of Republicans in Congress.