Dear friends,

June officially marks the start of Pride Month -- a time to celebrate and lift up the voices of LGBTQ+ Americans. But I won't lie -- this Pride Month feels different. In addition to a global pandemic putting a stop to in-person celebrations, we are also grappling with a movement-defining outpouring of anger about anti-Black racism.

In the spirit of the moment, I wanted to talk a little about the Stonewall uprising and the beginning of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. On June 28, 1969 police raided the Stonewall Inn, looking to intimidate and arrest the patrons under the anti-LGBTQ+ laws on the books.

The members of the community decided they weren't going to go quietly and resisted the police, leading to days of protest that brought the eyes of the nation onto the plight of LGBTQ+ people.

It was Black lesbian Stormé DeLarverie and Black trans woman Marsha P. Johnson, along with Puerto Rican trans woman Sylvia Rivera, who helped start and sustain the uprising, and we owe them an unending debt of gratitude.

But we have so much further to go. Right now, most states do not ensure LGBTQ+ people equal treatment under the law. That means LGTBQ+ people can be evicted, fired, or refused service because of their sexual or gender identity. That's wrong.

It's clear that the work Marsha, Stormé, and Sylvia helped spark is still ongoing.

Last year I joined my House colleagues in passing the Equality Act which would help move us further and ensure that all LGBTQ+ Americans receive equal treatment under the law. But unfortunately it has not yet received a vote in the Senate.

This Pride Month, I'm asking you to step up and sign our petition to make sure that the work doesn't stop. Add your name here: https://act.myngp.com/Forms/-8104148298541167872

In solidarity,

Andy