Dear Friends,

This week, while Donald Trump and Elon Musk staged a messy public breakup — hurling petty insults and fighting for attention — anti-equality lawmakers continued to work on their devastating bill that will cut hundreds of billions from programs everyday Americans rely on, while cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans and increasing the debt by $2.4 trillion.

They’re cutting Medicaid. Slashing housing and food assistance. Undermining reproductive healthcare. And yes, continuing their relentless attacks on LGBTQ+ people with provisions that limit access to gender affirming care. It’s a familiar tactic: distract the public with chaos, while rigging the system behind closed doors.

At the Human Rights Campaign, we see through the noise. And we’re staying locked in on what matters: protecting our rights, defending our communities and expanding the power of our movement.

That’s why this week — as Pride Month officially kicked off — we showed the world what it means to celebrate, organize and resist all at once.

And here in the heart of Washington, D.C., WorldPride has transformed the city into a global epicenter of love, defiance and liberation.

There’s a reason for this beautiful transformation at a time of great crisis for our nation. Pride isn’t just a party — it’s a protest, a platform and a promise to keep going. Even when they try to silence us.

According to OutRight International, Pride is celebrated in over 100 countries, despite bans, threats and political repression. This year HRC will show up at more than 150 Pride events across the country this year, from major cities to small towns.

This Pride we’re also celebrating some major milestones:

Lexington, KY and West Valley City, UT will host their first-ever Pride parades. And Delaware Pride is on track to be the largest in state history.

This is what progress looks like. In every corner of the country, our communities are showing up and showing out.

As we take our pride and joy to the streets, we’re watching the courts. Right now, HRC is awaiting four upcoming Supreme Court decisions that could significantly impact LGBTQ+ rights and protections.

This week, one decision dropped: AMES v. OHIO DEPT. OF YOUTH SERVICES. While headlines were confusing, here’s the truth:

This was not a ruling in favor of discrimination.
This was not about a straight woman “winning” over a gay coworker.

What the Court said — unanimously — was simple: civil rights laws must apply equally to everyone. That’s how they work. That’s how they’re supposed to work.

As Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote for the Court, these laws still matter. They remain a crucial line of defense, especially as LGBTQ+ people face increasing political attacks and fewer legal pathways for justice.

Our own Cathryn Oakley, HRC’s Senior Director of Legal Policy, makes it clear: “Fighting discrimination is not just about one case or one person—it’s about defending the broader promise of equality and justice for all.”

And let’s also look at the context that we’re in. Anti-LGBTQ actions are coming from the highest powers in the land. This week, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth threatened to strip the name 'Harvey Milk' from the U.S. Navy ship that honors him. He’s also threatened to remove ships named after Harriet Tubman, Thurgood Marshall and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Harvey Milk was a Navy veteran and a civil rights leader who changed this country for the better. Renaming this ship is a cruel, targeted act during Pride month itself.

We won’t let them erase our heroes. Sign HRC’s petition to stop this attack.

At a time when strategic, visionary leadership is essential, we’re proud to announce two new members of HRC’s senior leadership team:

Jonathan Lovitz, a longtime advocate and changemaker, will serve as Senior Vice President of Campaigns and Communications.

Amy J. Peña, a deeply respected organizational leader, joins as Senior Vice President of People, Culture, and Operations.

They are powerful additions to our team—and they’re already rolling up their sleeves to help lead this movement with clarity, compassion and fire.

Finally, we end this week inspired by the truth of Harvey Milk’s words

“Hope will never be silent.”
 —Harvey Milk

In this moment of chaos, cruelty and coordinated attacks, we remain clear, courageous and committed.

We are fighting in courts, showing up in the streets, calling out cruelty from the Capitol to the Pentagon, and through it all, we are leading with pride.

And if you’re with us — if you believe these colors don’t run — then keep marching, keep organizing, and keep telling your story.

Talking Points & Actions:

SCOTUS Watch. HRC is tracking four upcoming Supreme Court decisions that will impact critical freedoms for LGBTQ+ people. These cases will shape the future of our fight for equality, putting the freedom to live authentically and the ability to access healthcare without discrimination at risk. Read our fact sheet.

Shameful, disgraceful, petty. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wants to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, named after the LGBTQ+ rights leader and Navy veteran, as a targeted attack against the LGBTQ+ community during Pride month. Sign HRC’s petition and demand Secretary Hegseth stop erasing American heroes from our Navy.

Lovitz and Peña. This week, HRC announced the addition of two dynamic and seasoned individuals to its senior leadership team. Jonathan Lovitz will serve as the Senior Vice President of Campaigns and Communications. And Amy J. Peña will serve as the Senior Vice President, General Counsel. Read more about them.

WorldPride Wraps. WorldPride 2025 ends this weekend, but HRC is continuing to show up louder, prouder and more powerful than ever. Now with a record 3.6 million members and supporters, HRC is building people power to shift the momentum for equality. Celebrate Pride with HRC all season long — because these colors don’t run!

Dear Friends,

This has been a trying week — and filled with reminders of both how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go. Through it all, I’m proud to be doing this work with you. Our movement is clear-eyed, rooted in love and unshaken in our purpose.

We continue to monitor the chaos and cruelty unfolding in Los Angeles. Just yesterday, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a press conference and detained by law enforcement. He was exercising his rights — not only as a private citizen but as an elected leader — when he was met with force.

Let us be clear: what happened was not only unacceptable, it was unlawful. HRC responded immediately and unequivocally. We condemn the mistreatment of Senator Padilla, and we remain vigilant as this administration continues its campaign of intimidation and overreach. That is why we will be protesting the overreach of this administration throughout the weekend. Join us!

But this week, our attention and our hearts were also in Orlando.

June 12 marked nine years since the Pulse Nightclub massacre — a tragedy that changed us forever. That night, 49 lives were stolen in one of the deadliest acts of anti-LGBTQ+ violence in American history. Pulse was more than a nightclub — it was a sanctuary, especially for Black and Brown queer and trans people. It was a place where joy and safety could coexist. And it was targeted for exactly that reason.

We remember their names. We remember their faces. We remember their dreams. And as our National Press Secretary and Pulse survivor Brandon Wolf said yesterday, “This somber day is the time to recommit to showing up — for a safer future, for full equality, for a freer, more equal nation. And honoring those stolen from us with action.”

We joined our partners at Equality Florida and Equality Federation in calling for a country where LGBTQ+ people — especially those of color — can live free from hate, violence and fear. And we called once again on our leaders to do more than offer words. We need gun reform. We need hate crimes protections. We need leadership that honors the lives lost by safeguarding those still here.

The fight for that future continues.

This week, the Southern Baptist Convention gathered to pass a resolution calling for the repeal of marriage equality — urging the Supreme Court to overturn its landmark decision that allows same-sex couples to marry across the country. They also took aim at protections for transgender people.

When we think about this moment we’re in, with such a target on transgender rights, we must never forget how knit together we are as an LGBTQ+ community. As a transgender man who also benefited from the earliest days of marriage equality, I know this personally. The SBC’s moves proved my point — our opposition may be coming for my driver’s license now, but they’ll come from my marriage license next. They want to erase all our families, our rights and our humanity.

But we are not backing down. We are 3.6 million strong — and growing by the day. We are energized, we are organized, and we are ready for whatever comes next. Our message is simple: Our families are valid. Our love is sacred. And our colors don’t run — because neither do we.

And in the midst of this week’s challenges, we also celebrated a powerful milestone in our movement: Congratulations to HRC-endorsed champion Gina Ortiz Jones on her historic election as the next mayor of San Antonio, Texas! She will be the first out LGBTQ+ mayor of the city — an incredible breakthrough in one of the largest cities in the country. A veteran, public servant and advocate, Gina represents the kind of leadership our communities need right now. We can’t wait to see her get to work.

Even in heavy moments, we find light. This week’s Tony Awards — the “gayest night of the year” — was a celebration of LGBTQ+ creativity, brilliance and joy. Congratulations to all of the queer artists who brought their stories to the stage and made Broadway shine brighter.

And that celebration of queer artistry continues this weekend in Washington. On Friday, June 13, the 2025 DC/DOX Festival will premiere I WAS BORN THIS WAY, a moving documentary about singer-turned-activist Archbishop Carl Bean. As a pioneering voice for LGBTQ+ rights, HIV/AIDS awareness, and spiritual liberation, Carl Bean’s story is one of defiance, faith, and community power. Directed by Daniel Junge and Sam Pollard — and starring Billy Porter, dear friend of HRC — this film is a reminder that visibility and voice are essential tools of resistance.

The premiere takes place today at 5:15 PM ET at the Burke Theatre. More details at dcdoxfest.com.

And finally, as Donald Trump and his allies continue to trample over constitutional norms and weaponize the military against its people, HRC will join “No Kings Day” rallies across the country this weekend. In places like Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and the anchor rally in Philadelphia, our staff and volunteers will show up to say with one voice, we will protect our loved ones from Trump’s military campaign to terrorize our families and communities.

So yes — it’s been a heavy week. But it’s also been a week of remembering why we fight, who we fight for and how much power we hold when we fight together.

Talking Points & Actions:

Remembering Pulse. Thursday marked nine years since the Pulse Nightclub massacre, a tragedy changed us forever. We joined our partners at Equality Florida and Equality Federation in calling for a country where LGBTQ+ people — especially those of color — can live free from hate, violence and fear. We remember the 49 lives lost and 49 reasons to take action.

Gina Ortiz Jones. This week, we celebrated a powerful milestone in our movement: the election of HRC-endorsed champion Gina Ortiz Jones to be the next mayor of San Antonio, Texas. She will be the first our LGBTQ+ mayor of that city, one of the largest in the country. Join us in congratulating her.

I Was Born This Way. Today, we also celebrate queer artistry and the 2025 DC/DOX Festival premier of I WAS BORN THIS WAY, a moving documentary about singer-turned-activist Archbishop Carl Bean. Starring friend of HRC, Billy Porter, this film is a reminder that visibility and voice are essential tools of resistance. Find out how to see the film here.

No Kings. And tomorrow, HRC will join “No Kings” rallies across the country. In places like Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, and Philadelphia, our staff and volunteers will show up and say with one voice, we will protect our loved ones from Trump’s military campaign to terrorize our families and communities. Join a rally here.

Dear Friends,

This week, the Supreme Court handed down a decision that cut deep. In United States v. Skrmetti, the Court upheld a cruel law that denies transgender youth access to best practice, medically necessary care. It was not the outcome we fought for. It will make life harder for too many families — families that deserve support, not shame.

And still — we are not defeated.

In the wake of the decision, we rallied just steps away from the Supreme Court. We stood shoulder to shoulder with parents, youth, advocates and allies to say clearly and loudly: this is a roadblock, not the end of the road. This Court may have failed us, but we will never fail each other.

We are so grateful to everyone who showed up, spoke out and made their voices heard. And we hope many of you will join us for our community town hall this Monday, June 23rd, at 8:00 PM ET. That solidarity — that fire — is what fuels our movement.

This moment hurts. But it also gives us clarity. It reminds us who and what we’re up against. It reminds us why we fight. And it calls us, once again, to act.

We know that history does not bend toward justice on its own. It takes all of us — pushing, protesting, organizing, refusing to back down.

As Coretta Scott King taught us, “Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation.”

That truth echoed across the entire week. Because alongside heartbreak, we also commemorated Juneteenth — a celebration of Black freedom and a reminder of how long justice has been delayed, and how fiercely it has been pursued.

More than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, over 250,000 enslaved Black Americans in Texas remained in bondage. It wasn’t until June 19, 1865, that Union troops arrived in Galveston and enforced their freedom.

Juneteenth is a reminder: liberation is not a date. It’s a struggle. It’s a demand. And it’s a promise we keep making real, generation after generation.

That’s why we do this work. Because we know our fight — for trans youth, for LGBTQ+ lives, for racial justice, for bodily autonomy — is part of that same long arc toward liberation.

So to everyone who showed up this week — at the Court, in your communities, in your own courageous ways — thank you. You are proof that we are not alone.

This was a hard week. But we are still standing. Still rising. Still fighting.

And we are not done.

Talking Points & Actions:

U.S. v. Skrmetti: On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a devastating ruling in U.S. v. Skrmetti, upholding Tennessee’s ban on affirming healthcare for transgender youth. We’re calling on everyone — every LGBTQ+ person and ally — within the HRC community to step forward and do whatever they can. A generous donor has offered to triple-match every emergency donation in this moment. Will you join them?

HRC Membership Town Hall: Join HRC on Monday, June 23, at 8:00 PM ET / 5:30 PM PT, for a membership town hall to discuss the Skrmetti decision and its implications for the LGBTQ+ community. RSVP here and tell your friends.

No Kings: Recapping the nationwide No Kings rallies last weekend, HRC posted photos from around the country. Check them out and share with your networks.

Political Violence. Last week, HRC whole-heartedly condemned political violence in all its forms, especially against elected officials, in the wake of the assassination of Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband and the shooting of State Senator John Hoffman and his wife. Honor them by sharing their story.

Dear Friends,

This month's Supreme Court decisions delivered some crushing setbacks. I won't sugarcoat the losses: when the highest court in our land says parents can pull their children away from stories that simply acknowledge LGBTQ+ families exist, and when they shut down access to healthcare for transgender youth in 27 states, it’s easy to feel the weight of the world we’re living in. 

But today, we stand resolved and defiant. 

The work of liberation requires steadfast determination and remembering that we build strength through our connections to each other. It's not about winning every battle. It's about understanding that our fates are linked — that when we fight together, we multiply our power in ways that can't be counted on spreadsheets.

Remember, this week also marked the 10th anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges — a landmark victory worth holding close as we navigate today's challenges. Marriage equality taught us something profound about the math of our movement — how efforts to divide are unequal to what happens when we multiply.

The LGBTQ+ community didn’t fight alone. We were clear-eyed about uniting a movement that could win: bringing together millions of Americans — including many who had never met an openly LGBTQ+  person — who came to understand that love is love, and that our democracy is stronger when everyone has equal protection under the law.

Lasting change requires both moral clarity and strategic planning. We understand the importance of staying focused on the goal while building the broadest possible coalition to get there.

This month’s setbacks are real, and they hurt. But they're also revealing something important: our opposition knows that inclusive education and accessible healthcare are winning issues. They know that when students read books featuring diverse families, understanding grows. They know that when people can access lifesaving healthcare without the politicians getting between people and their doctors, communities become healthier and more resilient. That's why they're hell-bent on rolling these rights back.

HRC held a membership town hall this week to examine the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti which upheld Tennessee’s ban on healthcare for transgender youth. You can watch the recording here.

In her recent interview on the Ezra Klein podcast, Congresswoman Sarah McBride spoke truth: in moments of crisis, our opposition wants us to turn on each other. They want us to spend our energy policing each other rather than pulling together.

But the zero-sum thinking that drives our opponents doesn't have to drive us. We can hold space for difference while keeping our eyes on the prize. We can welcome imperfect allies while staying clear about our values. We can be both principled and pragmatic.

Yesterday, I met an officer forced to retire from the military after two decades because of the transgender military ban that we’re fighting in court. This man, who has spent his career saving lives in search and rescue missions and cleaning up beaches after oil spills, was forced to retire in a ceremony where he couldn’t wear his own uniform because doing so would have broken the military code he so highly honors. Fighting for him and for every LGBTQ+ person harmed by this administration — every transgender young person denied healthcare, every gay immigrant disappeared by ICE, every LGBTQ+ person whose medicine will no longer be affordable — requires us to operate with hearts and smarts. And the understanding that we are part of a whole.

Today’s victory in the Braidwood decision was a small ray of light in a tough month of losses. The court’s decision means that millions of people can continue to receive preventative healthcare — including PrEP — at no cost despite efforts by anti-LGBTQ+ extremists to roll it back. But the truth is we must remain vigilant, because the power to determine what’s covered and what’s not is up to a task force appointed by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

But for now, we celebrate and we remember that, as the plaintiffs said today in their response to the decision, “This was never about religious liberty. It has been about using LGBTQ people as a scapegoat to push a broader agenda that punishes the vulnerable. And the truth is, most of the people harmed by this decision wouldn’t have been queer. They would be working-class families, Black and Brown communities, rural Americans and anyone who relies on preventive care to stay healthy and alive.”

Liberation is interconnected. When parents can opt their children out of learning about America’s history, it doesn't just harm LGBTQ+ students. It robs all students of the chance to build empathy and understanding. When people lose access to healthcare, it doesn't just affect individuals — it weakens entire communities. When kids are banned from participating in sports, it doesn’t just affect them — it affects the whole team. When marriages are threatened, it doesn’t just affect a family — it affects the fabric of this country.

The stakes are simply too high for us to go it alone. 

So yes, let's grieve this month's losses. Let's feel the anger and use it as fuel. And let's also remember that the most powerful force in any democracy is people who refuse to be divided, who understand that we rise together or we don't rise at all.

The fight for equality has never been a straight line. But when we stay connected to each other and to our shared values, when we welcome everyone who wants to be part of our movement, that's when we become unstoppable.

And speaking of unstoppable, look at what you and your support have accomplished in the last few months in our Special Pride 2025 issue of Equality magazine, hitting your inboxes on Sunday morning. See yourself reflected in every page.

Talking Points & Actions:

SCOTUS Watch 1: Today, in Mahmoud v. Taylor, the U.S. Supreme Court said that schools must allow parents to opt their children out of reading books that include LGBTQ+ characters or families, or any curriculum that discusses LGBTQ+ people. This isn’t about protecting freedom — it’s about erasing LGBTQ+ people from everyday school life. Read more.

SCOTUS Watch 2: And in Kennedy v. Braidwood Management, the Court ruled that the provision of mandatory coverage of certain care under the Affordable Care Act, including the lifesaving HIV-prevention medication, PrEP, is maintained for now. Read more.

USNS Harvey Milk: Today, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that the USNS Harvey Milk would be renamed the USNS Oscar V. Peterson, an insult to the LGBTQ+ community made deliberately during Pride month. Add your name to stop this shameful erasure of American civil rights heroes.