Talking Points: PRIDE
TOPLINE MESSAGE: Pride is a celebration of generations of LGBTQ+ people who have fought bravely to live openly and authentically—and a reminder of the work still needed to deliver the full promise of America for every American: to live a life with equity, dignity, protection, and freedom. President Biden, Senator Baldwin, and Governor Evers are fighting for freedom, respect, and dignity for every American no matter who they are or who they love. See also: FREEDOM
Pride is a celebration, but it’s also a reminder of all that is at stake for the LGBTQ+ community this year.
LGBTQ+ Wisconsinites deserve leaders who will fight for their rights and their freedoms. All of that is on the line this November. This Pride, we’re celebrating the progress we’ve made and recommitting to the fight to foster a culture in which everyone is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.
Democrats from President Biden and Vice President Harris to Senator Baldwin and Governor Evers are fighting for freedom, respect, and dignity for every American no matter who they are or who they love. Donald Trump, Eric Hovde, and extremist Republicans are running to rip Americans’ freedoms away and openly attacking LGBTQ+ individuals and families.
Donald Trump’s allies and MAGA Republicans nationwide are plotting an even more extreme anti-LGBTQ+ agenda that targets same-sex marriage, restricts surrogacy and IVF access, and attacks LGBTQ+ individuals and families.
The contrast is clear:
President Biden is the most pro-LGBTQ+ president in American history. He undid Trump’s hateful executive actions that targeted LGBTQ+ Americans, expanded legal protections for LGBTQ+ Americans, and is pushing for Congress to pass the Equality Act to make discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation illegal.
In office, Trump attacked LGBTQ+ rights. He gutted Obama-Biden anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ Americans, appointed judges who oppose same-sex marriage, and banned transgender soldiers from serving.
As the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to the United States Senate and the first openly gay woman elected to Congress, this issue is personal for Senator Baldwin. She led a bipartisan coalition of Senators in gathering support for the Respect for Marriage Act to ensure that all Americans have the right to marry and love whomever they choose.
Thanks to Senator Baldwin’s leadership, President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law in 2022.
Meanwhile Eric Hovde believes “marriage is between one man and one woman,” has gone after single parents for lacking “morals and ethics,” and attacked Tammy for securing funding to address LGBTQ+ youth homelessness.
In Wisconsin, Governor Evers has championed LGBTQ+ rights while working to build a safe and equitable future for all. On his first day in office, Gov. Evers signed an executive order prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ people within state government, and in 2021, Gov. Evers signed an executive order banning the use of state and federal funds for conversion therapy.
Republicans in the State Legislature overturned Gov. Evers’ rule banning conversion therapy, passed bills that would have banned transgender kids from playing school sports, ban basic health care for trans kids, and force schools to inform parents of the names and pronouns their children use while at school, putting vulnerable LGBTQ+ children in potentially unsafe situations.