Kamala Harris calls for protections for LGBTQ people at DC Pride Walk
The Vice President told the LGBTQ crowd that there's "so much more to do," including passing the Equality Act
Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a powerful call for greater protections for LGBTQ people during Saturday’s DC Pride Walk.
Harris became the first vice president to march in a Pride event when she and husband Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff joined the crowds on June 12.
Wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with “Love is love,” Harris marched to Freedom Plaza with other Pride-goers, wishing people a “happy Pride” as she walked.
Vice President Harris stopped to address the crowd at one point, issuing a rallying cry for greater LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections, particularly for trans people and LGBTQ youth.
“There’s so much more to do,” Harris said. “We celebrate all of the accomplishments — finally marriage is the law of the land. Now we need to pass the Equality Act, we need to make sure that our transgender community and our youth are all protected.”
The Equality Act, which Harris and President Joe Biden support, would enshrine nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people into federal law.
“We need, still, protections around employment and housing,” Harris continued. “There is so much more work to do and I know we are committed and we understand the importance of this movement and our roles of leadership in this ongoing movement.”
Harris waved and yelled “Happy Pride” to the gathered crowds, before entering a waiting car.
That same day, Harris — a longtime supporter of the LGBTQ community — also acknowledged the fifth anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shootings in 2016.
The attack on an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando left 49 people dead and dozens injured.
“Five years ago, 49 LGBTQ+ people and allies were enjoying an evening out at Pulse nightclub. And then, in an instant, they were gone,” Harris wrote in a tweet.
“Today, we remember those who died and their loved ones — and we recommit to building a world free from gun violence.”
Earlier this month, President Biden reaffirmed his support for the trans community, tweeting, “Your President has your back. During Pride Month — and all the time.”
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