Gay Rights
Congressman Moran believes that our Constitution secures the rights of all individuals – regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Dating back to his efforts as Mayor of Alexandria to prohibit discrimination in the hiring of city employees, Moran has a long record of working to secure equal treatment under the law for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals.
A founding member of the LGBT Equality Caucus and with a 100 percent vote rating from the Human Rights Campaign, Moran continues to take a leading role in ensuring equal treatment under the law for all Americans. He opposed passage of the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 and subsequent attempts to add heterosexual-only marriage amendments to the Constitution. Rep. Moran was also a cosponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act that passed the House in 2007.
Last Congress, Moran supported passage of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010 (H.R. 2965) that ended the military’s discriminatory policy of discharging gay and lesbian service members. Repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” marked the conclusion of a nearly two decade long fight against discrimination within our military. Congressman Moran will closely monitor the implementation of this repeal to ensure that fairness prevails. Moran also supported the passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (H.R. 1913). Signed into law in October 2009, this bill adds crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability to the list of federal hate crimes.
In the 113th Congress, Moran will continue to push for legislation to ban discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation or gender identity and will work to repeal a law that prohibits federal recognition of lawfully married same-sex couples.
Notable Legislation:
- Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 1397) – prohibits discrimination in the workplace on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity
- Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 1116) – repeals the Defense of Marriage Act which prohibits federal recognition of lawfully married same-sex couples
- Uniting American Families Act (H.R. 1537) – allows American citizens to sponsor their long-term partners for U.S. citizenship
- Student Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 998) – prohibits any school program or activity receiving federal financial assistance from discriminating against any student on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity
- Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act – provides benefits to same-sex domestic partners of federal employees
More on Gay Rights
Washington DC - Congressman Jim Moran, Northern Virginia Democrat and founding member of the LGBT Equality Caucus, today released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s decision not to review lower court rulings that struck down marriage discrimination laws in five states, including Virginia:
“This is a momentous day for Virginia and for all who believe in equality under the law. This decision affirms the right of all people to pursue happiness, the most basic example of which is the ability to marry and share your life with the person you love.