Advocates for Trans Equality, the nation’s largest transgender-led advocacy organization (the result of a merging of the National Center for Transgender Equality and the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund),  recently released its first “Trans Equality Champions” report.

The report lists members of Congress who have co-sponsored six bills aimed at advancing the rights of transgender people and the LGBTQ community, as well as those who have cast votes against legislation or amendments to bills seeking to restrict transgender and LGBTQ rights.

Because Republicans control the House of Representatives, the number of anti-LGBTQ bills or provisions has significantly increased, especially as Republicans ramp up anti-transgender messaging and use Democrat support of trans rights as a wedge issue leading into November’s election.

The report stresses the harmful impact of anti-LGBTQ legislation on transgender individuals, and calls for the 119th Congress, which begins session on January 3, 2025, to pass the six bills it is prioritizing.

Those bills include the Equality Act, a sweeping nondiscrimination bill; the Do No Harm Act, which would ensure that “religious freedom” can not be used as a justification for anti-LGBTQ actions; the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act; the Safe Schools Improvement Act, an anti-bullying bill; a bill to classify conversion therapy as a form of fraud; and the Global Respect Act, which would impose sanctions on foreign persons responsible for violations of human rights committed against members of the LGBTQ community.

“The 118th Congress introduced over 100 bills aimed at restricting gender-affirming care, erod[ing] anti-discrimination protections, and revers[ing] pro-LGBTQI+ policies implemented by President Biden,” Caius Willingham, a senior policy advocate at Advocates for Trans Equality, said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful to our Trans Equality Champions and allies for their unwavering support.”

Eleven U.S. senators and 123 House members were named “Trans Equality Champions.”

In the Senate:

• Sen. Dick Blumenthal (D-Conn.)
• Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.)
• Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), who is retiring at the end of this term
• Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), who is retiring after this term
• Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.)
• Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.)
• Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.)
• Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)
• Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.)
• Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
• Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)

In the House:

• Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.);
• Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas), who is running for the U.S. Senate against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz
• Rep. Gabe Amo (D-R.I.)
• Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.), a co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus
• Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio)
• Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.)
• Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), who is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by retiring Democratic Sen. Tom Carper
• Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.)
• Rep. Julia Brownley (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.)
• Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.)
• Rep. André Carson (D-Ind.)
• Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas)
• Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.)
• Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas)
• Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.)
• Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.)

• Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.)
• Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn), a co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus
• Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.)
• Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kansas), a co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus
• Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.)
• Rep. Madeline Dean (D-Pa.)
• Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro (D-Conn.)
• Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas)
• Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.), who is retiring at the end of this term
• Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.)
• Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.)
• Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas)
• Rep. Valerie P. Foushee (D-N.C.)
• Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.)
• Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.)
• Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Independent Kyrsten Sinema
• Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), a co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus
• Rep. Sylvia R. Garcia (D-Texas)
• Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-N.Y.)
• Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.)
• Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.)
• Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn)

• Rep. James A. Himes (D-Conn.)
• Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.)
• Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.)
• Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.)
• Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.)
• Rep. Bill Keating (D-Mass.)
• Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.)
• Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), who is retiring at the end of this term
• Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.), who is not retiring at the end of this term
• Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), who is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez
• Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.)
• Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.)
• Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), who is not seeking re-election to the House
• Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.)
• Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.)
• Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.)
• Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.)
• Rep. Morgan McGarvey (D-Ky.)
• Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.)
• Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.)
• Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.)
• Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.)
• Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.), who is retiring at the end of this term
• Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.), who is retiring at the end of this term
• Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.)
• Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.)
• Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)
• Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), a co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus;
• Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.)
• Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine)
• Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), a co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus;
• Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), who is not seeking re-election to the House;
• Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.)
• Rep. Delia C. Ramirez (D-Ill.)
• Rep. Raul Ruiz. M.D. (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Patrick Ryan (D-N.Y.)
• Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.)
• Rep. Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.)
• Rep. John P. Sarbanes (D-Md.), who is retiring at the end of this term 
• Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.)
• Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.)
• Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), who is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Laphonza Butler;
• Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.)
• Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), a co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus
• Rep. Melanie Ann Stansbury (D-N.M.)
• Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.)
• Rep. Haley M. Stevens (D-Mich.)
• Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.)
• Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio)
• Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.), a co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus
• Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.)
• Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)
• Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii)
• Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.)
• Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), a co-chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus
• Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.)
• Rep. David J. Trone (D-Md.), who is not seeking re-election to the House
• Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.)
• Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Marc A. Veasey (D-Texas)
• Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.)
• Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.)
• Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.)
• Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.)
• Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.), who is retiring at the end of this term
• Rep. Nikema Williams (D-Ga.)
• Rep. Frederica S. Wilson (D-Fla.)

For more information about Advocates for Trans Equality and its initiatives, visit www.transequality.org.

Keep up with the latest LGBTQ news. Subscribe to Metro Weekly’s free magazine and newsletter.