Dear Friends,

It's been an eventful and consequential week for the Human Rights Campaign and our allies. We celebrated Trans Day of Visibility with a powerful show of support from President Biden and leaders like White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Senator Raphael Warnock.

Despite efforts by extremists to sow division, transgender and non-binary visibility and allyship only continues to grow. Trans Day of Visibility was started 15 years ago by Michigan activist Rachel Crandall-Crocker and is now celebrated internationally to mark the progress we've made, while recommitting to the work still ahead to secure full equality and inclusion for all.

Growing support for the trans community was recently exemplified by the historic election of Jay M. Jones as the first transgender woman to become the Howard University Student Association President. As an alumna of our National HBCU Leadership Summit, Jay's victory is a testament to the progress we're driving on campuses across the country.

Having strong LGBTQ+ representation in student leadership roles at HBCUs is crucial for fostering more inclusive campus communities. Jay's election sends a powerful message that LGBTQ+ students belong and can thrive in every aspect of campus life. We're proud of Jay and look forward to her leadership at Howard.

We also saw crucial victories for transgender youth, as Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers vetoed two discriminatory bills that would have banned trans students from participating in sports and censored LGBTQ+ curriculum. These vetoes in a key swing state underscore the political cost of anti-LGBTQ+ extremism.

As hateful anti-trans bills continue to be introduced in state legislatures across the country, these vetoes are an important reminder that discrimination against transgender youth remains deeply unpopular with the American people. We'll keep fighting alongside state and local partners to oppose these harmful bills wherever they arise.

This week also brought tragedy once again on the global stage. We mourned the deaths of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including an American, who were killed in an Israeli air attack in the Gaza Strip. World Central Kitchen, an NGO founded by Michelin-starred chef Jose Andres and his wife in 2010, provides fresh meals to areas facing conflict or natural disaster. The United Nations has warned that Gaza is on the brink of famine, and President Biden has called for an immediate ceasefire to protect civilians and provide humanitarian aid. We join the global community in condemning these horrible attacks and demand accountability for the innocent lives lost.

In Uganda, we condemned the Constitutional Court's decision to uphold the majority of the draconian "Anti-Homosexuality Act," which will only embolden further violence against LGBTQ+ Ugandans. This is a heartbreaking setback for LGBTQ+ rights in Uganda and across the region.
We stand in unwavering solidarity with LGBTQ+ Ugandans and the human rights advocates fighting tirelessly to oppose this unjust law. Working together with global partners, we will continue to support efforts to protect LGBTQ+ communities in Uganda and build a world where everyone is free to love.

In these challenging times, Bayard Rustin's words ring true: we are all called to be "angelic troublemakers." I'm grateful for your partnership in this work, and I know that together, we will continue to build a world where everyone can live freely and openly as their true selves.

Dear Friends,

The past week highlighted both the progress we have achieved in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality and the urgency of the battles still ahead of us.

We began the week celebrating University of South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley for her principled stance of solidarity with transgender athletes in the face of criticism.

By refusing to engage with attempts to divide our community, Coach Dawn showed true leadership. Moments like these remind us that while acceptance is growing, courage is still required to stand up against efforts to roll back dignity and basic fairness. And it’s on all of us to lift and celebrate that courage when and where we can.

This week, we kicked off Equality in Action, HRC’s largest member-volunteer and board gathering of the year. During the three-day event, participants hear from speakers about the fight for LGBTQ+ equality, take part in learning and development opportunities, and network with other volunteer leaders from around the country. Attendees also take their voices to Capitol Hill, advocating for the passage of the Equality Act and urging federal lawmakers to stand up against anti-LGBTQ+ extremism taking place on both the state and federal levels.

Our Equality in Action Leadership Weekend continued with First Lady Jill Biden’s keynote address passionately urging our community to “fight like Hell” against attacks and stressing the importance of mobilizing equality voters ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Under the Biden-Harris administration, more progress has been made for LGBTQ+ Americans than ever before. But the progress of the past few years is fragile as extremists make an all-out effort to undermine equality at all levels of government.

With so much at stake, we cannot become complacent in 2024. That is why we came out early to endorse Biden-Harris and this week we joined millions of Americans in launching Out for Biden-Harris. One of our first orders of business is to recruit thousands of volunteers across the country. This coming Monday (April 15) I’ll be joining. I’m joining the Out for Biden-Harris team, NCTE Action Fund Executive Director Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, Rep. Robert Garcia, and actor Wilson Cruz for a national volunteer recruitment event. I invite you to join us in our commitment to winning in November.

As we move through spring, we know our work is cut out for us. My hope is that we will take heart knowing that together we are more powerful than we have ever been as a movement. The extremists who want to roll back the clock on progress know that the spirit of justice is unstoppable when good people stand united. Today and every day I want to thank you for all you do.