Cookies in use
The Human Rights Campaign uses cookies to improve your site experience. By using this site, you agree to our use of cookies. To learn more, please read our Privacy Policy.
Summer of Outrage: Combat Extremist Attacks
by HRC Staff •
Radical politicians resent our progress and our freedom, and they’ll stop at nothing to silence us, force us back into the closet and erase us from society. They are well-coordinated and well-funded, determined and relentless. Our opponents are deeply dangerous — but we’re ready for them. We need your help to make clear that we’re not going anywhere.
HERE’S WHAT IS HAPPENING
In the 2022 legislative session, a horrific 344+ anti-equality bills — including 144+ anti-trans bills, 80+ education discrimination bills and 34+ religious refusal bills — were introduced in state legislatures. 25 of these harmful bills have been passed in 13 states. While HRC has helped to defeat 93% of anti-equality bills, extremist politicians continue to use attacks on our rights to rally their base before elections. It’s shameful and dangerous, and real people in our community are finding their lives turned upside down with every law that has been passed.
We need to double down against each and every attack.
HOW WE’RE FIGHTING BACK
The Human Rights Campaign needs your help to fight extremists at all levels of government. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives, 35 seats in the Senate and control of both chambers of Congress are up for grabs. Over 7,000 state and federal offices are being contested. If anti-equality politicians win, they will have the power to do more damage to our democracy and our rights — especially with an out-of-step, conservative Supreme Court backing them up.
It’s critical to stay informed about local elections and to vote in every election as well.
Across the country, HRC PAC works every day to elect pro-equality leaders who will advocate for policies that will support the rights and lives of LGBTQ+ people. During the 2020 election cycle, HRC staff on the ground recruited 5,800 individual volunteers nationwide who completed 28,500 hours contacting voters in more than 2,650 volunteer events. HRC engaged in robust digital and online GOTV efforts, including sending more than 2.7 million person-to-person text messages. HRC also sent over 2.5 million pieces of direct mail, had over 930,000 phone conversations with voters and engaged more than 200,000 voters through HRC’s voter dashboard.
And we can do it again! Help us to mobilize the 62 million Equality Voters who have pledged to support pro-equality candidates in the midterm elections.
PROTECTING EQUALITY IN THE SENATE
Particularly important now is the fate of the Senate. We need to invest heavily to re-elect our allies in tough races: Senators Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) — and to elect new pro-equality Senators in close races in Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
PROTECTING EQUALITY IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
In the House, HRC is laser-focused on protecting the seats of our LGBTQ+ members: Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN), Sharice Davids (D-KS) and Chris Pappas (D-NH), who are in tight races. Their visibility and representation are critical to the future of the LGBTQ+ rights movement. In total, HRC has endorsed 185 members of the House who support the Equality Act, the Women’s Health Protection Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, the American Dream and Promise Act, and the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization.
PROTECTING EQUALITY IN THE STATES
State-level elections are also critically important — especially in key races for governor, attorney general, secretary of state and the state legislature — in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. We must elect champions of equality in these key battleground states, but we urge all members to vote in every local election no matter where you live! The past few years have shown just how much progress can be dismantled when local and statewide anti-equality politicians gain power. Whether it’s the midterms or the school board elections, please vote.
WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW
Our lives and our democracy are on the line. Turn your outrage into action: we need millions of young people, people of color, LGBTQ+ people and allies to defeat anti-equality politicians and send a message that the politics of division and discrimination won’t triumph here.
Sign Up for our Virtual Summer of Outrage Actions: Text OUTRAGE to 472472 from your mobile phone. (Msg&dataratesmayapply. Recurring msgs. TxtSTOP2quit. HELP4info.)
Love conquers hate.
Image:
Wear your pride this year.
100% of every HRC merchandise purchase fuels the fight for equality.