Across the country, Republicans are trying to advance a culture war, and the healthcare and wellbeing of trans people hangs in the balance. It’s just plain wrong, and it’s also really personal for me -- trans people who I love are under attack. And now it’s happening here in North Carolina too.

These state-level attacks on LGBTQ+ people leave no doubt -- we need federal protections and we need them now. That’s why I’ve been advocating for the Equality Act for years. And why I’m appalled that my Republican opponent Madison Cawthorn voted against it.

The Equality Act is simple: it would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation nationwide. It ensures that no matter who you are or who you love, you have the same rights as anyone else. We are stronger and better as people and a nation when all of us are equal under the law. Why would you vote against that?

Everyone -- in our district, in North Carolina, and in the entire country -- deserves better. I’m asking you to join me and show your support for the Equality Act today.

As an LGBTQ person, I know what it’s like when discrimination against you is legal. That’s why I founded the Campaign for Southern Equality to advocate for marriage equality in the South at a time when others said it was an unwinnable fight. It is always the right time to stand up to discrimination and to organize for a future that is more just and equitable.

No form of discrimination should be legal. The Equality Act is a long-overdue law that our country urgently needs right now. We’re mobilizing 3,000 people to support the Equality Act at this critical moment -- will you sign on?

-- Jasmine Beach-Ferrara