Wednesday, from the White House, President Biden signed executive order 14075, Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex individuals.
Biden gave his remarks prior to signing the order, during a celebration of Pride month. Present with cabinet members, were individuals and advocates of the LGBTQ community, some of whom have faced discrimination .
"Let me say, as Commander-in-Chief, I'm proud to have ended the un-American ban on transgender Americans serving in our military.
"And just last week, the Department of Defense announced new policies allowing HIV-positive members to finally be to be deployed and commissioned.
"And we're also proud to have signed an executive order on my first day in office to combat discrimination against LGBTQ Americans, and housing and healthcare and education and employment, financial services, and the criminal justice system.
"And you know, no one knows better than the people in this room - we have a lot more work to do. A lot more work to do. I don't have to tell you about the ultra-MAGA agenda attacking families and our freedoms. Three hundred discriminatory bills introduced in states across this country. In Texas, kânocking on doors to harass and investigate parents who are raising transgender children. In Florida, going after Mickey Mouse, for God sake.
"Think about this: All of you in this room know better than anyone that these attacks are real and consequenctial for real families. Just look at what happened in Idaho last weekend: 31 white supremacists, stopped just before they reached the Pride celebration, where they apparently planned to unleashed violence on people gathering peacefully in a show of their pride.
"And my message to all the young people: Just be you. You are loved. You are heard. You are understood. You do belong. And I want you to know that, as your president, all of us on this stage have your back. We have your back..."
"Let me close with this: We're in a battle for the soul of this nation, and that's not hyperbole. We're in a battle for the soul of the nation. But when I look around this room here - it's a battle I know we will win. We will win..."
More than a few states have either passed/and or proposed legislation that would allow discrimination against LGBTQ individuals. There are those who absolutely despise the very idea that LGBTQ individuals should be treated equally, and would rather legislate their own morality on everyone else, hence anti-abortion and anti-trans legislation.
These are the same individuals who ironically claim that it is the left that is authoritarian.
Sources: The Hill, Axios, Whitehouse.gov.
The Weekly News 