Vote to protect LGBTQ+ rights
LGBTQ+ rights are being threatened. Two weeks ago, Associate Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas lashed out at the same-sex marriage ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, the case which legalized gay marriage, on July 15, 2015.
A week later, Judge Amy Coney Barret, then-nominee to the Supreme Court and who has practiced law for over 20 years, used the dog whistle term “sexual preference,” and clearly knows that this term is used by opponents of equality to suggest that being LGBTQ+ is a choice.
The ability of same-sex couples to marry passed by one vote. It is fragile and can change if the Supreme Court becomes populated by far-right judges.
The House of Representatives has tried many times to pass the Federal Equality Act, but the far-right led U.S. Senate has blocked all efforts. The Equality Act would guarantee that the LGBTQ+ community rights would become the law of the land.
We URGE the LGBTQ+ community and its allies to vote. We also urge the Connecticut congressional delegation to prevent any efforts to undermine LGBTQ+ freedoms. This includes passing a federal equity amendment and making sure that any Supreme Court justice nominee is versed in the plight of the LGBTQ+ community.
Jalmar De Dios is the Director of Hartford Pride/ CLARO Inc.
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