President Joe Biden has invited thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals to celebrate Pride Month on Thursday (June 8) in a high-profile show of support at a time when the community feels under attack like never before and the White House has little recourse to beat back a flood of state-level legislation against them.
Biden announced new initiatives to protect LGBTQ+ communities from attacks, help youths with mental health resources and homelessness and counter book bans, though the impacts may be limited.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the first openly gay White House press secretary, said Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their spouses are strong supporters of the LGBTQ+ community and think that having a celebration is an important way to 害羞草研究所渓ift up害羞草研究所� their accomplishments and contributions.
She said LGBTQ+ people need to know that Biden 害羞草研究所渉as their back害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所渨ill continue to fight for them. And that害羞草研究所檚 the message that we want to make sure that gets out there.害羞草研究所�
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The White House was closely monitoring air quality due to hazardous smoke from Canadian wildfires to determine whether to proceed with plans for a Thursday night picnic featuring food, games, face painting and photos. Queen HD the DJ was handling the music; singer Betty Who was on tap to perform. The nation害羞草研究所檚 capital was under a 害羞草研究所渃ode purple害羞草研究所� air quality alert, the fifth-highest level on the six-level U.S. air quality index, with authorities recommending that all people limit their exposure to smoke, and District of Columbia schools canceled all outdoor activities for a second day Thursday.
The Human Rights Campaign, the nation害羞草研究所檚 largest advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer individuals, earlier this week declared a tate of emergency for LGBTQ+ individuals in the United States and released a guidebook outlining laws it deems discriminatory in each state.
Just a few days into June害羞草研究所檚 Pride Month, the campaign said it acted in response to an 害羞草研究所渦nprecedented and dangerous害羞草研究所� spike in discriminatory laws sweeping statehouses this year, with more than 525 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced and more than 70 signed into law so far 害羞草研究所� more than double last year害羞草研究所檚 number.
Kelley Robinson, the campaign害羞草研究所檚 president, called for a 害羞草研究所渟wift and powerful害羞草研究所� response by people in power, including in government, business and education.
害羞草研究所淭his is a full-out crisis for our communities that demands a concerted response,害羞草研究所� she said in an interview with The Associated Press. 害羞草研究所淚 think this is kind of a national call to action and a call to arms to stand up and fight back.害羞草研究所�
Biden, a Democrat, announced that the Department of Homeland Security, working with the Justice and Health and Human Services departments, will partner with LGBTQ+ community organizations to provide safety resources and training to help thwart violent attacks.
Separately, HHS and the Department of Housing and Urban Development will provide resources to help LGBTQ+ young people with mental health needs, support in foster care and homelessness.
To confront a spike in book bans, the Department of Education害羞草研究所檚 civil rights office will appoint a new coordinator to work with schools to address that threat. The White House said banning books erodes democracy, deprives students of material needed for learning and can contribute to the stigma and isolation that LGBTQ+ youth feel because books about them are often the ones that are prohibited.
Hundreds of bills have been proposed restricting the rights of transgender people, including limiting their access to certain forms of health care, and LGBTQ+ advocates say they害羞草研究所檝e seen a record number of such measures in statehouses.
The White House points to Biden害羞草研究所檚 support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals, including appointing them to prominent positions in the White House, such as Jean-Pierre, and across the federal government.
After the Supreme Court last year overturned a woman害羞草研究所檚 constitutional right to an abortion, Biden signed legislation to protect marriage equality. He continues to urge Congress to send him the Equality Act, which would add civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ individuals to federal law.
Polls show public support for the rights of people who are gay and lesbian has expanded dramatically over the last two decades, with about 7 in 10 U.S. adults in polling by Gallup saying that marriages between same-sex adults should be legally valid and that gay and lesbian relationships are morally acceptable.
But attitudes toward transgender people are complex: In polls conducted in 2022 by KFF and the Washington Post and by the Pew Research Center, majorities said they support laws prohibiting discrimination against transgender people in areas such as housing, jobs and schools.
At the same time, both polls found that a majority of Americans think that whether someone is a man or a woman is determined by sex assigned at birth, and many also support restrictive policies aimed at people who are transgender, for example preventing transgender women and girls from participating in sports teams matching their gender identity, along with restrictions on access to medical treatment like puberty blockers and hormone treatment for transgender teens and children.
The Log Cabin Republicans, which represents LGBTQ+ conservatives, criticized the Human Rights Campaign害羞草研究所檚 declaration of a 害羞草研究所渟tate of emergency害羞草研究所� as a 害羞草研究所淧R stunt so ignorantly detached害羞草研究所� from the community害羞草研究所檚 progress over the past decade.
Charles Moran, the group害羞草研究所檚 president, noted the gay marriage legislation Biden signed, increased public support for equal rights for LGBTQ+ Americans and their higher visibility across society and accused the campaign of 害羞草研究所渄estructively redefining害羞草研究所� support for these individuals around trans surgeries for minors, biological men competing in women害羞草研究所檚 sports, and sex and gender identity lessons in kindergarten.
害羞草研究所淲hile these issues can be emotional and complex, they in no way pose an unprecedented 害羞草研究所榮tate of emergency害羞草研究所� to the LGBT community, which has persevered through far worse,害羞草研究所� Moran said.
Darlene Superville, The Associated Press
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