Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus grows to 102 members
Bipartisan caucus aims to expand opportunity and defend LGBT rights from attack
The Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus has announced that its ranks have grown to 102 for the 115th Congress, which serves through January 2019.
The caucus, which is made up of members of the U.S. House of Representatives, is co-chaired by the six openly LGBT House members: Reps. Jared Polis (D-Colo.), David Cicilline (D-R.I.), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), and Mark Takano (D-Calif.).
The purpose of the caucus is to advocate for measures that will improve the lives of those in the LGBT community, and protect the community against harmful legislation that would condone discrimination.
“On behalf of the co-chairs, I thank my colleagues in both parties who have joined the LGBT Equality Caucus and pledged to stand for and with the LGBT community,” Sinema said in a statement. “While we’ve made significant progress in recent years, we still have more work to do and must protect the progress we’ve made. Our caucus continues to work to ensure every American has the fundamental freedom and opportunity to pursue the American Dream.”
Though the caucus membership is bipartisan, Democrats dominate by 100 to 2.
The caucus has also announced that 11 straight allies in Congress will serve as vice chairs of the group. Those vice chairs will include Reps. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Joseph Kennedy, III (D-Mass.), Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Alan Lowenthal (D-Calof.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
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