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Supporting Equal Rights for the LGBT Community

To see video of Congresswoman Lee speaking on this issue, please click here.


“I am a firm believer in the need to guarantee and protect the civil rights of all individuals.  Despite some of the progress we have made towards this goal, discrimination still exists in our society.  At the federal and state level, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community has been the focus of several attempts to limit the rights and benefits of individuals and enshrine discrimination into existing policies and laws - and even the Constitution.  That is just flat out wrong, and I will strenuously oppose any such effort.  Rather than seeking to divide us, our government and our leaders should be working to encourage greater tolerance and understanding.  As your representative, I pledge to you that I will do my part.”

                                                                                                                 - Congresswoman Barbara Lee

Congresswoman Lee is a founding member of the new Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus co-chaired by Chairman Barney Frank and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin.  She is proud to stand with 52 bi-partisan members to continue the work of ensuring that every American is treated equally under the law no matter their race, sex, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Barbara Lee has demonstrated her resolve to protect the civil rights of all individuals with her support for:

• Same-Sex Families: She believes that loving and committed same-sex couples should have the right to get married, receive legal recognition of their marriage in the eyes of the government, and exercise all the legal benefits associated with their marriage. She also believes that same-sex couples should not be discriminated against if they wish to adopt children and provide a loving home to kids who may otherwise be left in foster care systems.

• Partner Benefits: She believes that current federal benefits for individuals which exclude LGBT couples from receiving equal treatment under the law are unfair and discriminatory.  She is a strong supporter of legislation that would extend benefits to domestic partners.

• Prosecution of Violent Crimes: She strongly supported expanding the federal definition of a hate crime to include sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability.  This new definition will in turn require vigorous prosecution and harsher criminal penalties for those who willfully commit violence based on sexual orientation.
 
• Military Service: She believes that the U.S. military should not discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity.  She has co-sponsored legislation which repeals the current Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, and allows LGBT service members to serve openly.

• Immigration: She believes that same-sex partners of United States citizens and same-sex partners of lawful permanent residents should have the same immigration rights that legal spouses of U.S. citizens enjoy.
 
Co-Sponsored Legislation (110th Congress)

• HR 1246: Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2007 – Enhances the readiness of the Armed Forces by replacing the current “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy concerning homosexuality in the Armed Forces, with a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

• HR 2221: Uniting American Families Act of 2007 – Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate discrimination in immigration laws by permitting permanent partners of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents to obtain lawful permanent resident status in the same manner as spouses of citizens and lawful permanent residents.

• HR 2232: Clarification of Federal Employment Protections Act – To affirm that Federal employees are protected from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and to repudiate any assertion to the contrary.

• HR 2792: Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act – To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to permit leave to care for a same-sex spouse, domestic partner, parent-in-law, adult child, sibling, or grandparent who has a serious health condition.

• HR 4838: Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2007 – To provide benefits to domestic partners of Federal employees.

• HR 2392: Balancing Act of 2007 – Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to allot funds to eligible states, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations to pay the federal share of providing access to affordable health benefits coverage for eligible child care providers and at state option, the spouses, domestic partners, and dependents of such providers.

• HR 2015: Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007 – Prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.  While Congresswoman Lee supported the passage of H.R. 3685 a version of the ENDA bill which did not include protections for transgendered Americans, she will continue to fight to extend federal employment protections for transgendered Americans along with members of the LGBT Equality Caucus.

For more information contact the Office of Congresswoman Barbara Lee at 202-225-2661 or send a message from my email gateway at lee.house.gov