The White House condemns “hateful and dangerous” attacks on LGBTQ rights

The White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has spoken out against the “hateful and dangerous” attacks on LGBTQ rights taking place in the U.S.

Speaking to reporters, she referenced Republicans calling to ban same-sex marriage in Iowa and Tennessee, as well as attempts to limit protections for said couples in Florida. “In Florida, just Florida alone, Republicans introduced 20 bills, 20 bills on a single day to roll back the rights of LGBT community,” Jean-Pierre said.

She added that more than 450 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced across Republican states in the U.S., and stated that President Joe Biden’s administration will continue to call out attacks on LGBTQ people.

Jean-Pierre continued: “Just think about a kid who’s sitting at home in this community, who’s listening and hearing elected officials talking about how they want to take away their rights, or how they want to even threaten their parents with felony charges for seeking healthcare for their children.”

The Democrat-dominated House voted to pass the Equality Act in 2019, but it has been held up in the Senate, where it needs 60 votes to pass and overcome a Republican filibuster. Many republicans lawmakers refused to vote for the bill, saying it would infringe on religious rights, even though a majority of Americans support its passage. Until when?

LGBTQ identification in U.S. ticks up to 7.1%, by Gallup