Joe Biden sworn in as president: “A new day has begun” for LGBTQ Americans
Human Rights Campaign celebrates the start of what is expected to be "the most pro-equality presidency in history"
Joe Biden has been sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, bringing with him a seismic change in the attitude of the federal government towards the LGBTQ community.
Alongside Vice President Kamala Harris, the nation’s first Black, Asian, and female vice president and a staunch LGBTQ ally, Biden has committed to reversing the Trump administration’s dozens of attacks on LGBTQ rights and enacting pro-LGBTQ legislation.
In addition, Biden has nominated multiple LGBTQ people to his cabinet and wider administration, including the first openly gay and transgender Senate-confirmed cabinet appointees.
The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ rights organization, celebrated the start of what is expected to be “the most pro-equality presidency in history.”
“A new day has begun in our nation. The pro-equality future so many of us fought for for decades is closer than ever before,” HRC President Alphonso David said in a statement.
“Yesterday, we remembered what it was like to have a President who empathized with our struggles as we remembered those lost to COVID-19,” David continued. “Today, we remember what it is like to have a President and Vice President who truly have our back – who can take that empathy and apply it to policy that will radically improve our day-to-day lives and finally begin to heal our divides.”
David touted Biden’s “history-making personnel decisions” alongside the pro-LGBTQ policies he has committed to enacting during his first 100 days.
“President Biden has made clear he plans on delivering for LGBTQ people and all Americans on Day One,” David said. “But hard work remains. In the coming months and years, the Human Rights Campaign will continue to hold this President and his administration accountable to their promises. We will continue to fight to ensure our transgender and gender non-conforming siblings are protected and the epidemic of violence they face, disproportionately impacting Black and Brown transgender women, earns a federal response.
“We will continue to work to achieve the vision we know President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris hold in their hearts: a vision where every individual is healthy, loved, protected and has an equal opportunity to achieve the American Dream.”
HRC is hosting a special “The Power of Equality” inauguration event tonight, Jan. 20, celebrating President Biden and Vice President Harris and their commitment to LGBTQ equality.
The virtual event will feature Biden, Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, as well as celebrity guests including Billy Porter, Melissa Etheridge, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
HRC’s event, which is supported by Marriott, is open to the public and pre-registration for the livestream is free.
However, HRC is also offering access to an Online Reception, with tickets starting $35, which includes access to the reception and a name listing on the website on the day of the livestream
Other tiers include commemorative tickets, winter hats, coffee mugs, and champagne flutes, and peak at a ceremonial pen set with a special commemorative box including all other benefits — exclusive to the flagship $400 tier.
“Our nation is navigating one of the most critical and defining moments in our history,” David said. “We will join together to not only celebrate the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris but also to support one another as we continue to process last week’s violent insurrection, the ongoing and systemic racial injustice, the COVID-19 pandemic, and economic insecurity.
“We cannot let the past four years of hate and division define us. Rather, we must use this moment to define a new era of true inclusion for all.”
Get all the details and register for the Power of Equality event here.
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