Washington, DC is back to being on a more inclusive tangent since Trump was voted out of office, and over the weekend, Kamala Harris became the first sitting vice president to march in a Pride event.
Harris and the first husband, husband Doug Emhoff, took part in the Capital Pride in Washington, D.C. She proudly rocked a “love is love” t-shirt while walking alongside Pride-goers to the Freedom Plaza rally.
During the event, Harris advocated for the U.S. Senate to pass the Equality Act.
The bill expands protections for members of the LGBTQ+ community. It also outlaws discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It was passed by the House of Representatives in February.
“We celebrate all of the accomplishments, but we need to pass the Equality Act. We need to make sure that our transgender community and our youth are all protected. We need, still, protections around employment and housing,” Harris said during her brief speech. “There is so much more work to do, and I know we are committed.”
Twenty-nine states do not currently have laws that explicitly shield LGBTQ Americans from discrimination. Equality Act protections would encompass federally funded programs, employment, housing, loan applications, education and public accommodations.
Last week, President Joe Biden honored the 49 victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando after the House and Senate unanimously passed legislation to designate the establishment a national memorial.
In June 2016, Omar Mateen opened fire on a crowd during Latin night at the gay club. Fifty-three people were also wounded.
“Over the years, I have stayed in touch with families of the victims and with the survivors who have turned their pain into purpose, and who remind us that we must do more than remember victims of gun violence and all of the survivors, family members, and friends left behind; we must act,” said Biden, who was vice president at the time.
