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| Equality for All |
Dear Neighbor,
This week, communities across our country are coming together in support of our transgender loved ones. Transgender people, like all people, deserve our love, our respect, and the right to live their lives without fear or shame. I have the transgender pride flag outside my office to remind my transgender constituents that I will never stop fighting to protect the civil rights of all people.
Unfortunately, that support is not shared by all in Washington. Today, 1.4 million of our fellow Americans are under attack by the Trump administration. They have rolled back protections for transgender students, sought to limit federal protections for LGBTQ individuals, eliminate federal recognition of transgender individuals, and implement a ban on transgender servicemembers in the military. This is wrong and un-American.
In Congress, I am committed to giving voice and dignity to all Americans:
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• That’s why I am a cosponsor of the Equality Act. In a majority of states, it’s still legal to discriminate against LGBTQ Americans for employment, housing, public accommodations, education, and other core areas of day to day life. The Equality Act will ensure that all LGBTQ Americans can enjoy their most basic human rights no matter where they live, work, or go to school. By amending the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other existing laws to ensure that LGBTQ individuals are afforded the same protections against discrimination as every other American.
• I am also a cosponsor of H.Res.124, legislation opposing President Trump’s outrageous ban on transgender Americans serving in the military, and I was proud to vote for its passage on the floor. For years, thousands of transgender servicemembers have served openly and bravely in our Armed Forces, earning such commendations as the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. As fifty-six retired general and admirals said in an August, 2017 statement, President Trump’s ban “would cause significant disruptions, deprive the military of mission-critical talent, and compromise the integrity of transgender troops who would be forced to live a lie.”
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For too long our transgender community has been unfairly subjected to bullying and misunderstanding when what they deserve is our love and support. Please know I will continue to fight for the full equality of all Americans.
Sincerely,
Gerald E. Connolly
Member of Congress
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