Biden tells transgender Americans ‘I will always have your back’ so you can ‘be yourself and reach your God-given potential’: Tells Congress to finally get the Equality Act to his desk
- President Joe Biden stood up for the rights of transgender Americans during Tuesday night’s State of the Union address
- He called on Congress to ‘finally’ get the Equality Act passed, after it only passed the House of Representatives last year
- ‘The onslaught of state laws targeting transgender Americans and their families is wrong,’ the president said
- He told transgender Americans, ‘I will always have your back as your President, so you can be yourself and reach your God-given potential’
- Transgender Americans continue to be targeted by red state governors and lawmakers
President Joe Biden stood up for the rights of transgender Americans during Tuesday night’s State of the Union address.
He called on Congress to ‘finally’ get the Equality Act passed.
‘The onslaught of state laws targeting transgender Americans and their families is wrong,’ the president said. ‘As I said last year, especially to our younger transgender Americans, I will always have your back as your President, so you can be yourself and reach your God-given potential.’
President Joe Biden stood up for the rights of transgender Americans during Tuesday night’s State of the Union address
An activist holds a sign ‘Let Trans Kids Play Sports’ at a demonstration in New York City last summer
Transgender Americans continue to be targeted by red state governors and lawmakers.
Most recently, Texas’ Republican Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state child welfare officials to launch investigations into families where a child is receiving gender-affirming care.
Lawmakers in Alabama are pursuing a similar bill.
Abbott was being challenged to the right in this state’s GOP primary to hold onto his job – a race he won Tuesday night.
Earlier this month, South Dakota’s Republican Gov. Kristi Noem signed a bill that would ban trans youth from participating in school sports with students of their same gender identity.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who gave the Republican response Tuesday night to Biden’s speech, says she supports similar legislation, which is going through the Iowa legislature currently.
In Florida, the state legislature is debating what’s being called the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, which would bar teachers from discussing LGBTQ people.
At the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida last weekend, a number of Republican politicians brought up the issue of trans women playing in women’s sports.
Former President Donald Trump said liberals ‘teach four-year-olds to pick their own genders.’
‘And they say it’s absolutely fine for boys to participate in women’s sports,’ he said to boos from the crowd.
The Equality Act – which federalizes protections for LGBTQ invidivuals, adding them to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – passed the House of Representatives last February, but the bill hasn’t budged from the Senate Judiciary Committee.
It’s unlikely to pass the 50-50 Senate without filibuster reform.
Biden’s move was applauded by the LGBTQ group, the Human Rights Campaign.
‘The president’s call for action couldn’t come at a more urgent moment as state legislatures across the country are increasingly advancing discriminatory measures that seek to take us backward as a nation, shamelessly attacking transgender youth,’ a statement from HRC’s interim President Joni Madison said.
‘We applaud the president’s commitment to having the backs of trans youth, and HRC stands in solidarity with the president, pledging to continue fighting back against the harmful, discriminatory attacks on trans kids and families who deserve to be supported, not attacked, by our elected leaders,’ Madison continued. ‘The president’s message tonight is one that must be amplified across the country, especially amongst young transgender people.’
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