LGBT

Congresswoman Lee is a founding member and vice chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus. She is proud to stand with 113 bipartisan 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. After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Proposition 8, Congresswoman Lee welcomed marriage equality back to California by officiating same-sex weddings in front of Oakland City Hall.

Priorities:

• Equality for Same-Sex Families: Congresswoman Lee believes that loving and committed same-sex couples should have the right to get married in every state. Congresswoman Lee strongly believes that same-sex couples should have equal opportunity to adopt and provide a loving home to children who may otherwise be left in foster care systems.
• Employment Non-Discrimination Act: Congresswoman Lee supports legislation that would prohibit the discrimination of LGBT individuals in the workplace. She is a cosponsor of the bipartisan Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013, HR 1755.
• LGBT Pride Month: Congresswoman Lee is proud to be a cosponsor of H. Res 416, which recognizes the month of June as LGBT Pride Month. June is an important month in the LGBT community – this bill honors the legacy of the historic Stonewall riots, as well as the annual gay and lesbian pride parades that happen in cities around the world every June.  
• Supporting the Goals and Ideals of the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT): Congresswoman Lee has introduced legislation, H. Res 221, promoting healthcare, education, and funding efforts to support the health and wellbeing of LGBT people.
• Real Education for Healthy Youth Act: Congresswoman Lee firmly believes that all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, should have access to potentially lifesaving health and sex education programs. That’s why she’s introduced H.R. 725, legislation that would authorize grants for comprehensive sex-education programs that are inclusive of LGBT youth. Specifically, it would require comprehensive and medically accurate sex education to cover sensitive and respectful discussions of gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation, among other topics.
• Combatting Homophobic and Transphobic Policies Around the World: Congresswoman Lee strongly opposes efforts by the governments of other nations to marginalize and persecute their LGBT citizens.

Accomplishments:

• Military Service: Congresswoman Lee was a leading advocate for repealing the discriminatory and outdated “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the military. This policy, which forced gay and lesbian service members to choose between serving their country and embracing their identity, dishonored the military and all the brave men and women risking their lives. The repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was a long overdue restoration of fundamental civil liberties to our gay and lesbian service members.
• Hate Crimes Prevention Act: Congresswoman Lee was a cosponsor of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which expanded the federal definition of hate crimes to include gender and sexual orientation. The law also increased funds for police forces investigating hate crimes.
• Violence Against Women Act: When extremists attempted to gut protections for LGBT individuals in the Violence Against Women Act, Congresswoman Lee refused to accept their watered-down bill. Today, the Violence Against Women Act includes protections for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. 
• Discriminatory Blood Donation Policies: While U.S. hospitals face serious shortages in donated blood, the Department of Health and Human Services continues to use an outdated policy banning those classified as men who have sex with men (MSM) from donating. This prejudiced policy flies in the face of established science; the MSM ban has been denounced by the American Medical Association, the American Association of Blood Banks, and the Red Cross. In 2013, Congresswoman Lee coauthored a letter to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius requesting information on the department’s efforts to re-evaluate the MSM blood donation ban. The bipartisan letter was signed by 82 members of Congress. 
• Founding Member and Vice Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus: In 2008, Congresswoman Lee helped to found the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus. This bipartisan caucus now totals 113 members pursuing legislation to help the LGBT community. As a vice chair of the caucus, Congresswoman Lee considers furthering equality and strengthening protections for LGBT individuals among her top priorities.