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 香蕉视频直播渓ift up香蕉视频直播� their accomplishments and contributions.
She said LGBTQ+ people need to know that Biden 香蕉视频直播渉as their back香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播渨ill continue to fight for them. And that香蕉视频直播檚 the message that we want to make sure that gets out there.香蕉视频直播�
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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香蕉视频直播檚 capital was under a 香蕉视频直播渃ode purple香蕉视频直播� 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香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檚 Pride Month, the campaign said it acted in response to an 香蕉视频直播渦nprecedented and dangerous香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播� more than double last year香蕉视频直播檚 number.
Kelley Robinson, the campaign香蕉视频直播檚 president, called for a 香蕉视频直播渟wift and powerful香蕉视频直播� response by people in power, including in government, business and education.
香蕉视频直播淭his is a full-out crisis for our communities that demands a concerted response,香蕉视频直播� she said in an interview with The Associated Press. 香蕉视频直播淚 think this is kind of a national call to action and a call to arms to stand up and fight back.香蕉视频直播�
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香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檝e seen a record number of such measures in statehouses.
The White House points to Biden香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播檚 declaration of a 香蕉视频直播渟tate of emergency香蕉视频直播� as a 香蕉视频直播淧R stunt so ignorantly detached香蕉视频直播� from the community香蕉视频直播檚 progress over the past decade.
Charles Moran, the group香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播渄estructively redefining香蕉视频直播� support for these individuals around trans surgeries for minors, biological men competing in women香蕉视频直播檚 sports, and sex and gender identity lessons in kindergarten.
香蕉视频直播淲hile these issues can be emotional and complex, they in no way pose an unprecedented 香蕉视频直播榮tate of emergency香蕉视频直播� to the LGBT community, which has persevered through far worse,香蕉视频直播� Moran said.
Darlene Superville, The Associated Press
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