Every day, LGBTQ+ individuals continue to face discrimination at work, at school, and in their communities. Elizabeth is committed to standing side-by-side with LGBTQ+ people until each and every person has a fighting chance to build a brighter future for themselves and feels safe to be who they are. Equal is equal. 

America’s federal civil rights laws ban discrimination based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, and disability – but they do not consistently protect against discrimination for sexual orientation or gender identity. Elizabeth has fought for the Equality Act to ban discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals in employment, housing, public spaces, education, and other areas of life. Her housing plan also expands the Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Elizabeth believes that nobody should have to fear for their life – or their ability to get a job, to find an affordable apartment, or to see a good doctor – because of their gender identity or expression. That’s why she supports Medicare for All and opposes efforts to restrict access to affordable health care – including reproductive care – for all LGBTQ+ people, including transgender and gender nonconforming individuals. And it’s why she has fought hard against so-called religious liberty bills that would license discrimination against LGBTQ+ Americans, and against the Trump administration’s unconstitutional ban on transgender service members – because the only thing that matters when it comes to allowing military personnel to serve is whether or not they can handle the job.

Elizabeth also supports the Do No Harm Act to make sure that we do not pit the religious liberty of one person against the civil rights of another. She has fought hard to end the discriminatory policy that bans gay and bisexual men from donating blood, led the opposition to anti-LGBTQ+ judges that have been nominated to lifetime positions by President Trump, and supports federal legislation to ban the despicable practice of conversion therapy nationwide. She is also committed to reversing the State Department’s decision to deny visas to unmarried same-sex partners of foreign diplomats. 

For years, legally married same-sex couples couldn’t file joint taxes and often paid more because of it. Elizabeth has led the fight in the Senate for the Refund Equality Act to allow same-sex couples to claim the tax refunds they earned but were denied because of who they love. And because far too many young people continue to face bullying that affects their health, safety, and well-being, Elizabeth has also fought for federal legislation to strengthen policies against bullying in K-12 schools and to require colleges and universities to take action to address harassment.  

Comprehensive immigration and criminal justice reform must also include specific protections for LGBTQ+ individuals. That’s why Elizabeth will fight for an immigration system that treats everyone with dignity, including by making sure that LGBTQ+ asylum seekers’ claims are taken seriously and stopping ICE’s dangerous treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals. She’ll also make sure our criminal justice system ensures LGBTQ+ individuals in correctional facilities are housed according to their gender identity, kept out of solitary confinement, and safe from the threat of sexual violence. Elizabeth will reverse the guidance that exempts privately run re-entry programs that contract with the Bureau of Prisons from anti-discrimination laws, restoring protections for LGBTQ+ individuals that encounter discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. And she’ll work to end the criminalization of homelessness and ensure that housing insecure people, including many LGBTQ+ individuals, are given the resources they need to get back on their feet. 

We have a lot of work to do to secure equal rights for LGBTQ+ people, but Elizabeth is in this fight all the way.