Presumptive nominee Kamala Harris is set to hold her first rally with her newly selected running mate on Tuesday, August 6, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This event will kick off a four-day tour through key battleground states, including Michigan and Arizona, according to her campaign team.
Each person on Vice President Harris’s shortlist for a running mate is vocally pro-LGBTQ.
The 2024 U.S. election will have significant implications for human rights, liberties, and the future of democracy both domestically and internationally. The outcome will have far-reaching consequences for LGBTQ people, queer people of color, all women and their partners’ access to reproductive health care, as well as transgender adults and youth.
GLAAD does not endorse or oppose political parties or candidates for elected office. GLAAD’s role as the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization is to ensure that candidates, the media, and voters have information to understand LGBTQ lives and issues and to report on them in a fair, accurate and inclusive way. The comparison of records for candidates for president can be found here.
The LGBTQ records of candidates in the veepstakes is below:
- Josh Shapiro, Governor of Pennsylvania, has a strong record of supporting LGBTQ rights. As Attorney General, he consistently defended LGBTQ rights, including taking legal action to support transgender students’ right to use bathrooms matching their gender identity. Shapiro opposed Trump administration policies that discriminated against LGBTQ people, called for an end to discriminatory blood donation restrictions for gay and bisexual men, and has committed to passing anti-discrimination bills and expanding hate crime laws in Pennsylvania. His transition team for the governor’s office included over a dozen LGBTQ members.
- Mark Kelly, U.S. Senator from Arizona, co-sponsored the Equality Act, which would provide comprehensive protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Kelly has also spoken out against discrimination and supported efforts to ensure equal treatment for LGBTQ people in healthcare, employment, and military service. He has consistently voted in favor of LGBTQ-inclusive policies and has expressed his commitment to fighting for equality for all Americans.
- Andy Beshear, Governor of Kentucky, has taken several pro-LGBTQ stances while leading a conservative state. He signed an executive order prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ state employees and has vocally opposed conversion therapy. Beshear has also supported efforts to ban discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity. He has consistently spoken out against anti-LGBTQ and specifically anti-transgender legislation.
- Tim Walz, Governor of Minnesota, signed an executive order banning conversion therapy for minors, making Minnesota one of the first states to do so through executive action. Walz has also supported legislation to protect LGBTQ youth in foster care and has been vocal about the need for comprehensive non-discrimination protections. He has consistently appointed LGBTQ people to key positions in his administration and has worked to make Minnesota a leader in LGBTQ rights and inclusivity.
- Pete Buttigieg, Transportation Secretary, made history as the first out gay cabinet member confirmed by the Senate. As a presidential candidate, he ran on a platform that included strong LGBTQ rights provisions. In his role as Transportation Secretary, Buttigieg has advocated for inclusive policies, such as adding an “X” gender marker option on passports. He has used his platform to speak out against anti-LGBTQ legislation across the country and has been a visible role model for LGBTQ youth. Buttigieg’s presence in the cabinet itself is seen as a significant step forward for LGBTQ representation in the highest levels of government.
Additional background:
- 7% of Americans are lesbian, gay, or bisexual, including 20% of GenZ, the youngest population cohort studied and most out generation in history.
- LGBTQ voters are poised to be the deciding difference in the 2024 election as they were in 2020.
- GLAAD’s poll of LGBTQ registered voters shows they are highly motivated to vote. 94% indicate they are definitely (83%) or probably (11%) voting this November.
- Donald Trump has amassed more than 210 attacks against LGBTQ Americans before, during and after his one-term, twice-impeached presidency, as documented in the GLAAD Trump Accountability Tracker.
- Kamala Harris has made 66 moves for LGBTQ Equality as Vice President and before, as documented in the Harris Accountability Tracker.
- Highlights from the LGBTQ records of Harris and Trump can be found here.
- The general election is November 5, 2024.