Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi today delivered a message celebrating “how far we’ve come in the fight for civil rights,” acknowledging the first day of LGBT Pride Month. The former (and possibly next) Speaker of the House has long been an advocate for LGBT rights, including her 1996 vote — one of the few — against the Defense of Marriage Act.
Full text of comments:
During LGBT Pride Month, we celebrate how far we’ve come in the fight for civil rights, we pledge to keep working to ensure our nation lives up to the American ideal of equality, our heritage and our hope.
Since the dark days of the Stonewall riots more than four decades ago, millions of Americans have joined the struggle for equal protection under the law; the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; respect and dignity for all Americans.
Despite setbacks and obstacles along the way, we have made progress.
Just in recent years, in Congress we passed a fully-inclusive hate crimes law and made historic investments in HIV/AIDS treatment, research, and prevention. The discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy took its rightful place in the dustbin of history. President Obama made it the policy of his administration to no longer defend the shameful Defense of Marriage Act in court.
And we all witnessed history just last month when the President of the United States spoke out in favor of marriage rights for LGBT couples. We look forward to the day when all American families are treated equally in the eyes of the law.
But more must be done. We must keep up the charge for an end to discrimination in all its forms — in the workplace, in schools, in government, and in our laws. We must protect and preserve the rights of all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation.
This LGBT Pride Month, let’s recommit to building a future of freedom, liberty, and progress for LGBT Americans and all Americans.
Thank you.