Harris Accountability Tracker

66

Moves

ON LGBTQ Record

• 06.01.2024 Vice President Kamala Harris engaged with local LGBTQ leaders in Los Angeles at the start of Pride Month saying, “Thanks to the tireless work of LGBTQ+ organizers, our community has made enormous strides to equality, and thanks to President Biden, we haven’t just done undone the harm imposed by Trump, we’ve taken more action than ever to expand rights and freedoms for every single American.”
• 03.31.2024 On Transgender Day of Visibility Harris tweeted, “Every person in our nation must have the freedom to be their true self and to live free from hate. On Transgender Day of Visibility, I say to all trans and non-binary people: We see you. We love you. We will never stop fighting for you.”
• 02.14.2024 On Valentine’s Day, Vice President Harris talks with Brad and Ray, a gay couple she married twenty years ago, before marriage equality was legal nationwide.
• 01.31.2024 Outgoing policy advisor for Vice President Harris, Ike Irby, gives an exclusive interview to The Advocate: “Harris’s commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion was repeatedly brought up by Irby. He spoke about Harris’s long history of allyship with the LGBTQ+ community, mentioning that he helped lead some of her LGBTQ+ work. He said the role involved increasing visibility, ensuring policies were inclusive, and intentionally meeting people where they were. “It’s about making sure that we are building inclusive policies, not just because they are good policies, but because we want to be intentional about making sure our policies are meeting people where they are,” Irby said. “But it also impacts my policymaking beyond just the LGBTQ+ policies because when I am able to show up every day as my whole self and be who I am through and through, it allows me the freedom and opportunity to then give my full self to whatever issue I’m working on. And that ability to never once having had to think twice about talking about my husband [was integral.] “ Irby also recounted being on an overseas trip with the vice president on his one year wedding anniversary, and how the vice president FaceTimed his husband to wish them a happy anniversary.

2023

• 12.1.2023 White House officials commemorate World Aids Day. On X, the White House, President Biden, and Vice President Harris reaffirmed their commitment to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic. 
• 11.19.2023 Vice President Harris tweets on the one-year anniversary of the shooting at the Club Q LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado. “Doug and I join the Colorado Springs community and our nation in honoring those who lost their lives. Everyone should have the freedom to be who they are, love who they love, and live free from gun violence.” Hundreds of people gathered outside the club to honor the five people killed in the attack and to hear messages of support, including a letter written by Vice President Harris.
• 10.26.2023 Vice President Harris mentions discussions held with the Australian Prime Minister about LGBTQ rights. Delivering remarks at a luncheon in honor of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Harris emphasized her friendship with Albanese, and the similar beliefs they share on certain issues: “We have both talked about and fought for the benefit of workers, the LGBTQ+ community, the Indigenous People of our lands.”
• 10.24.2023 Vice President Harris celebrates LGBTQ History Month, tweeting to honor “the heroes who fought for equality and stand proudly with leaders in the Biden-Harris Administration and across the nation who continue the fight today.”
• 10.17.2023 Vice President Harris discusses LGBTQ rights and book bans at Fight for Our Freedoms stop at Northern Arizona University. Delivering remarks during a moderated conversation, Harris responded to a question posed by actor Jay Ellis who noted her efforts to protect and expand LGBTQ rights. While she touched upon some of the current issues facing the community, such as Florida’s “don’t say gay/trans” law, she also addressed the book bans that are plaguing schools and libraries nationwide: “Check out the book bans and — and how many of them are against either an LGBTQ+ author or have subject matter that is about LGBTQ+ subjects and people.… It is incumbent on us who believe in the strength of diversity and the importance of unity to build coalition. Because among the intents out there in terms of the attacks on fundamental freedoms, I believe is an intent to try to divide us as a nation and to distract us from the failure of so-called leaders who ain’t doing nothing that is about uplifting our country and creating progress and the expansion of rights. So, let’s not allow ourselves to be divided or distracted. And one of the best ways to fight against that is to build community, build coalition, including on the issue of what is happening in terms of attacks against trans folks, attacks against the LGBTQ community as a whole.”
• 10.12.2023 Vice President Harris discusses LGBTQ rights, transgender safety at Fight for Our Freedoms college tour stop in Las Vegas. During a moderated conversation, actress, singer, and dancer Annie Gonzalez asked Vice President Harris about what allies can do to advocate for transgender rights and safety. In response, Harris discussed some of the most pressing issues facing the LGBTQ community, later noting that “what that also presents is, ah, look at this opportunity to think about strengthening the coalition: bringing folks together who have been fighting for voting rights, bringing together folks who have been fighting for reproductive health rights, bringing together folks — who are fighting for LGBTQ+ rights. And building our coalition, remembering the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us.”
• 10.11.2023 Vice President Harris was recognized for efforts to protect LGBTQ rights at a stop on her Fight for Our Freedoms college tour at The College of Charleston in South Carolina. Actress and social media influencer Amelie Zilber noted: “I can’t help but think of the 556 anti-trans bills that have been introduced this year alone. Not to mention the 27, I believe, that have been introduced before Congress. And, you know, the LGBTQ+ community really is one of the primary targets of this crusade of hate. And you have not shied away from this throughout your career. You have shown up for the LGBTQ+ community.” In response, Harris reaffirmed her commitment to safeguard LGBTQ rights. Reassuring Zilber “we are all in this together,” she said: “When we’re talking about the fight for our freedoms, like — just to break it down for a moment, it’s the freedom to love who you love openly. It is the freedom to make decisions about your own body. It is the freedom to have access to the ballot box. It is the freedom and the right to have access to opportunity. And — but fundamentally, a lot of this fight for freedoms is about the right that people should have the freedom to just be — to just be, and be free from hate, free from attack, free from bullying, free from harm.” Addressing Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, she asked students to question the learning policies in their schools: “How will this affect a real person? So, here’s how I think about this issue. The young teachers in Florida are in their 20s. And if they are in a same-sex relationship, they are literally afraid to put a photograph of themselves and their partner up for fear they may lose their job, because they decided to take on one of the most noble professions anyone could engage in, which is to teach other people’s children.”
• 09.29.2023 Vice President Harris releases statement on passing of civil rights and LGBTQ advocate, Senator Dianne Feinstein. “As the first woman president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, the first woman to serve as mayor of San Francisco, and the longest-tenured woman to serve in the United States Senate, Dianne Feinstein broke barriers, inspired generations of women to run for office, and improved the lives of millions of Americans through her vision, courage, and leadership. From her work to help pass the Assault Weapons Ban in 1994, to her work to safeguard California’s public lands, and her longstanding advocacy for reproductive rights, marriage equality, and LGBTQ+ rights, Senator Feinstein helped build a better America.”
• 09.26.2023 Vice President Harris addresses LGBTQ rights at a stop on her Fight for Our Freedoms college tour at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Harris spoke about book bans, which frequently target LGBTQ authors and content, as well as books about race and racism. “And, again, this ‘Fight for Our Freedoms’ Tour is because we really are in a fight, including the fight for the freedom to be taught America’s full history. And, again, book bans, in this year of our Lord 2023. Where there are people who walk around with their fancy flag pins and they want to be leaders of our country and the world, and they dare to tell us that enslaved people benefited from slavery. They gaslight us as they try to insult us.” Later during the discussion, Harris discussed the attempt to erase LGBTQ voices in Florida: “You look at what’s happening with what they’re doing around — for example, in Florida, the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. Now, I — I proudly performed some of the first same-sex marriages in our country in 2004. Okay? So, next year — I’m dating myself — next year, that’s going [to] be 20 years from now — next year. I’m looking at the young teachers in Florida who are in their 20s who may be in a same-sex relationship who are afraid to put up a photograph of their family for fear they may be fired. That’s what’s happening in our country. What’s happening in our country is a full-on attack against people’s rights and the freedom to be — the freedom to be.”
• 09.07.2023 Vice President Harris embarks on a nationwide college tour to encourage students to fight for LGBTQ equality, reproductive rights, and gun safety reform. During the Fight for Our Freedoms College Tour, Harris will visit about a dozen schools in seven states. Her focus will include “key issues that disproportionately impact young people across the country,” including LGBTQ equality, reproductive and voting rights, book bans, and climate change. “This generation is critical to the urgent issues that are at stake right now for our future,” said Harris. “It is young leaders throughout America who know what the solutions look like and are organizing in their communities to make them a reality. My message to students is clear: We are counting on you, we need you, you are everything.”
• 08.28.2023 Vice President Harris discusses the continued fight for civil rights, including LGBTQ equality, in a statement commemorating the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington. Calling the march “a call to action for our nation,” Harris said, “It was neither the beginning nor the end of the movement for civil rights. The fight continued in the years after the passage of the Voting Rights Act, and the fight for civil rights continues today. Today, as extremist so-called leaders attempt to erase our history and roll back progress on voting rights, reproductive freedom, and LGBTQ+ equality, Americans are fighting for justice and equity.”
• 08.25.2023 Vice President Harris commends Las Vegas Aces for advocacy efforts, including the fight for LGBTQ rights: “In addition to pay equity, members of this team are also leaders in the fight for broader rights and freedoms. Not only is A’ja a leader on the WNBA Social Justice Council, she, along with her teammates and players across the league, advocate to protect the right to vote. They advocate in defense of LGBTQ+ rights and families. And they fight to expand access to education.”
• 08.16.2023 Vice President Harris addresses the “Don’t Say Gay/Trans” law and its effect on education at campaign reception in Washington: “So, in Florida, ‘Don’t Say Gay’ policy means that some young teachers who are in their 20s are going to be afraid — they are afraid to put up a photograph in their classroom of themselves and their loved one for fear they might lose their job — their job doing some of the most noble work any one human being could do, which is to teach our children. And, by the way, we don’t pay them enough as it is. What’s happening in our country — and Doug mentioned it — the idea that there would be laws that are being passed and rules that are being promulgated saying we’re going to say that enslaved people benefited from slavery. Are you kidding me? Did you see recently, they’re also going to – they’re proposing banning some Shakespeare? Talk about much ado about nothing. But it’s — again, it’s kind of — you know, what could otherwise be a comedy is a tragedy, right? This is what’s happening in our country, and we have to be clear-eyed about it. And we have to understand this is a very critical moment. They’re banning books. All the while, they refuse to pass reasonable gun safety laws.”
• 08.13.2023 Vice President Harris addresses the “Don’t Say Gay” law at campaign receptions in Massachusetts, reminding audiences that she performed one of California’s first same-sex marriages: “So, we will congratulate and be thankful for the work that happened in 2020 to have historic turnout. But that scared a lot of people. And so what you saw is, almost immediately thereafter, these extremists passing laws restricting ballot boxes, drop boxes; shortening the time people could vote early; passing a law that makes it illegal to give people food and water while they stand in line to vote. What happened to ‘love thy neighbor’? The hypocrisy abounds. Passing laws. ‘Don’t Say Gay.’ Now, you all know, I, as District Attorney of San Francisco, was proud to perform some of the first same-sex marriages in 2004. So, that was almost 20 years ago, next year. Now you look at these laws in Florida, ‘Don’t Say Gay,’ where these teachers, many of the young ones are in their 20s — okay, think about this in terms of the trajectory of history — in their 20s, and if they are in a same-sex relationship, are afraid to put up a photograph of their family for fear they may lose their job. Extremist so-called leaders banning books in this year of our Lord 2023. I just was — as — as I was leaving D.C. this morning — I was working out, and I was watching and they were talking about how they’re even starting to restrict Shakespeare.”
• 08.11.2023 Vice President Harris addresses LGBTQ, other civil rights issues at Chicago gun safety conference. Speaking about the connection between LGBTQ, reproductive and voting rights, and gun safety, Harris said: “You can tell so much if you just look at where the intersections are. So we’ve — I’ve prepared and I’ve asked my team to prepare a Venn diagram on from where are we seeing the attacks on voting rights, on people’s access and right to reproductive health care, on LGBTQ rights. And then you can put this circle on it and those who refuse to propose and fight for reasonable gun safety laws. And you will see an extraordinary intersection. And here’s — here’s what that also tells you, and this is the beauty of organizing in all movements: incredible opportunity for coalition building — incredible opportunity for coalition building.” 
• 08.03.2023 Vice President Harris highlights violence against and efforts to silence LGBTQ community. While delivering remarks at a campaign reception, Harris discussed the gun violence epidemic, noting that it is part of a larger campaign to silence certain groups of people: “There is a national agenda afoot. And every issue that we have just mentioned — from choice to the need for reasonable gun safety laws, not to mention the attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, not what we — not to mention what we are saying in terms of the vilification of whole communities of people.”
• 07.29.2023 Vice President Harris discusses LGBTQ rights at NAACP convention. Speaking at a moderated conversation in Boston, the Vice President was asked what issues conference participants should be considering, aside from voting rights. Answered Harris: “There is a national agenda afoot to attack voting rights, to attack the freedom of people to make — and for women to make decisions about their own body. And you mentioned that earlier. And I just want to emphasize: The highest court in our land, the court of Thurgood just took a constitutional right from the women of America. A right that had been recognized. And on this point, I think it’s so important to acknowledge and agree: One does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government should not be telling her what to do with her body. She can choose to make that decision with her pastor, her priest, her rabbi, but the government should not be telling her what to do. You look at what’s happening on — it’s the attack on LGBTQ folks. You look what’s happening in book bans. You look at this ridiculous thing that is happening in Florida where they dare to suggest that enslaved people benefited from slavery.”
• 07.28.2023 Vice President Harris discusses correlation between reproductive health care, voting rights and LGBTQ rights. Speaking at a moderated discussion about reproductive health at Drake University, Harris addressed Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law and how it ties-in with attacks on other key rights: “I do believe that we are witnessing a national agenda that is about a full-on attack against hard-won, hard-fought freedoms and rights. Consider this issue and then think about what is happening around a full-on attack on the right and the freedom to vote, where laws are being passed banning drop boxes, reducing the amount of early voting time. A law that was passed that would make it illegal to give people food and water if they are standing in line for hours. What happened to ‘Love thy neighbor’? You look at what’s happening in states like Florida, with ‘Don’t Say Gay,’ where you have — you know, I think about it this way. I was very proud when I was District Attorney of San Francisco to perform some of the first same-sex marriages in our country in 2004 — in 2004. So next year will be, obviously, 20 years. I think about what’s happening. But I think about what’s happening in Florida through this context. And again, I think it is so important that when people are trying to engage in this kind of political rhetoric that we always ask, ‘What does this mean to a real person?’ So, on the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ piece, I’m thinking, okay, almost 20 years ago, that’s — same-sex marriages were performed. You’ve got young teachers, then, in Florida in their twenties who are afraid to put up a photograph of themselves with their life partner, with their spouse for fear that if they do, they might be fired from a job they love, which is one of the most noble professions: to teach other people’s children.” Continuing, Harris recounted the results of a Venn diagram exploring which states faced attacks on the three aforementioned rights: “You would not be surprised to see that there was a significant overlap. And I think it’s very important to see this in that context but to also see, then, the opportunity presented in this moment of crisis, which is the opportunity to re-dedicate ourselves to coalition building, to bringing people together — right? — bringing people together. And by the way, the theme on all this is about, again, a very essential point: the freedom to just be oneself. Let people be. At the heart of it, isn’t that the point also? They’re not harming anyone else. Let people be. Let them exercise their rights — that are the attributes of a democracy, by the way.”
• 07.21.2023 Vice President Harris includes Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law while addressing racist curriculum updates by the Florida State Board of Education. Said Harris, “When I think about what is happening, then, here in Florida, I am deeply concerned. Because let’s be clear: I do believe this is not only about the state of Florida; there is a national agenda afoot. And what is happening here in Florida? Extremist so-called leaders for months have dared to ban books. Book bans in this year of our Lord 2023. Extremists here in Florida passed a law, “Don’t Say Gay,” trying to instill fear in our teachers that they should not live their full life and love who they love. And now, on top of all of that, they want to replace history with lies. Middle school students in Florida to be told that enslaved people benefited from slavery.”
• 07.16.2023 Vice President Harris recognizes Rev. Jesse Jackson’s civil rights and social justice work. Speaking at a convention held by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the human and civil rights organization Jackson founded more than 50 years ago (originally as two separate nonprofit entities), and from which he recently retired, Harris praised the emphasis he placed on diversity and social justice. “He has and continues to bring together people of all backgrounds: Black Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans, farmers, LGBTQ+ Americans, Native Americans, women, labor union members, people with disabilities, our young leaders, and people around the world.” 
• 07.13.2023 Vice President Harris highlights recent Supreme Court decisions that impede on LGBTQ and other civil rights. Speaking at a campaign reception, Harris said: “We’re at a point where we are dealing again with a Supreme Court that not only rendered the Dobbs decision, but then, just in the last couple of weeks, came down with decisions that were about denying access to opportunity, denying history; came down with decisions that essentially say that it is legal to discriminate against people based on their status, be them LGBTQ+ or we know this opens up the door for pretty much anything else. We look at a situation where we’ve got extremist so-called leaders who are part of what I believe is a national agenda to attack full on and unapologetically so many of the hard-fought and hard-won freedoms that we have achieved over the course of the progress — I said not ‘over the course of time’; I said ‘over the course of progress’ — that our country has made. But again, we are not and will not be deterred. We rise to these moments of challenge, and that’s what we will continue to do.”
• 07.01.2023 Vice President Harris addresses LGBTQ protections at New Orleans’ Essence Fest. Responding to a question about the intersection of reproductive rights and social justice, Harris said: “I said, ‘Let’s do a Venn diagram. From which states are we seeing attacks on voting rights, women’s reproductive health rights, and LGBTQ rights?’ You would not be surprised of the intersection. It was so apparent and clear. And so, thinking about, then, the opportunity that exists always in moments of crisis and, on this point, the importance, then, of the coalition and building the coalition and creating spaces and opportunities for the folks who have been fighting for voting rights to be in the same room with those who have been fighting for maternal healthcare and reproductive healthcare, those who have been fighting for LGBTQ rights, and to bring folks together, understanding that if we step back and look clearly at what’s happening, there is a full-on attack at play that I believe is part of the national plan to attack hard-fought and hard-won freedoms. And an attack on anyone’s freedom is (an) attack on all of our freedoms.”
• 06.30.2023 Vice President Harris releases a statement on anti-LGBTQ Supreme Court ruling. The 6-3 decision in 303 Creative v. Elenis favored a web designer who wished to deny her services to same-sex couples despite not having been asked to do so. Vice President Harris’s statement promises to fight for the LGBTQ community: “All people deserve to live free from discrimination. When you walk into a restaurant, a hotel, or any business open to the public, you are entitled to be served free from discrimination. For years, our nation’s civil rights laws have helped to make that ideal more real. The Supreme Court’s ruling in 303 Creative v. Elenis departs from decades of jurisprudence by creating an exception to protections against discrimination in public accommodations. On the last day of Pride Month, the Supreme Court has paved the way for businesses across our nation to discriminate in the name of ‘free expression’—against the LGBTQI+ community, racial and religious minorities, the disability community, and women.”
• 06.30.2023 Vice President Harris honors LGBTQ community. Taking to Twitter, Harris said: “During Pride Month, we celebrate the LGBTQI+ community, the promise of our country, and the heroes upon whose shoulders we stand as we continue the fight for equality.”
• 06.28.2023 Vice President Harris and Second Gentleman Emhoff host Pride Month reception with GLAAD to fight for LGBTQ acceptance and equality. The event was emceed by RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 winner and trangender advocate Sasha Colby. Speakers included Vice President Harris, Second Gentleman Emhoff and GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. The program featured a performance from Tony award-winning nonbinary actor Alex Newell who sang Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” More than 32 states and territories were represented among attendees including state and national LGBTQ leaders across government, politics, entertainment, the private sector, non-profit and advocacy, and other celebrities and social media talent. Vice President Harris said: “Pride Month is about celebrating those whose shoulders we stand on for their work to advance civil rights, and an opportunity to recommit ourselves to the fight for equal rights. The LGBTQ+ movement is an expression of our love of our country and is rooted in an unwavering belief in the promise of freedom, equality, and justice. As Pride Month comes to a close, let us remember that pride is, and has always been, patriotic. And, as we confront the attacks on LGBTQ+ rights across the country, let us remember that we are in this together.”
• 06.28.2023 Vice President Harris reflects on marriage equality. Sharing a video on Instagram, Harris said: “As Attorney General of California, I pronounced Kris and Sandy spouses for life after their lawsuit struck down California’s ban on marriage equality. 10 years later, our nation is a more joyful place because LGBTQI+ people have the right to marry the person they love.”
• 06.28.2023 Vice President Harris shares video from her visit to the Stonewall Inn: “We are all in this together. We are fighting for the ideals of our country. We believe in its promise of equality and freedom. We are not going to be deterred. We’re not going to tire. We’re not going to throw up our hands, we’re going to roll up our sleeves.” Kurt Kelly, co-owner of the Stonewall Inn, noted that “Stonewall means strength in numbers. Every time you put a rock on that wall, we become stronger and stronger and stronger. And you put your rock here today.” President Biden tweeted: “54 years ago, brave Americans rose up at the Stonewall Inn to protest discrimination against the LGBTQI+ community. Their courage sparked a movement and changed our nation. My Administration will always stand with them in the enduring struggle for equality.”
• 06.26.2023 Vice President Harris visits the Stonewall Inn ahead of the June 28 anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riots, Harris stated: “I’m here because I also understand not only what we celebrate in terms of those fighters who fought for freedom, but understanding that this fight is not over.” At a later campaign reception for the Biden Victory Fund and the LGBTQ Leadership Council, Harris said: “As we reflect on how we felt and where we were eight years ago today, let us always remember that in celebrating the progress, that progress is not inevitable. It does not just happen. It takes steadfast determination and dedication — the kind of determination and dedication possessed by people like Jim Obergefell. In a series of tweets, Harris called on activists and the LGBTQ community to “fight with pride,” expressing the need to expand LGBTQ rights: “Eight years after Obergefell and a decade after Windsor and Perry, there are extremists who want to take us back. But we’re not going back. We’re going forward – to the Equality Act, full LGBTQI+ rights, and an America where every person can be who they are and love who they love.”
• 06.22.2023 Vice President Harris tweets a message urging Congress to pass the Equality Act: “Yesterday, the Equality Act was reintroduced in Congress. The House and Senate must pass this long overdue legislation to guarantee every LGBTQI+ American the right to live freely and openly.”
• 06.21.2023 Vice President Harris, in an exclusive one-on-one with The Advocate: “Having surrounded herself with LGBTQ+ people on her staff for more than 20 years and in her circle of friends, Harris says it pained her to watch people she knew attend weddings at a time when those were out of reach for LGBTQ+ couples. As San Francisco’s district attorney in 2004, Harris officiated some of the country’s first same-sex marriages. Nearly two decades later, she can’t believe teachers in this country are now in a position of choosing the closet over job security. “I’m looking at some 20-something-year-old teacher in Florida who has dedicated [themselves] to one of the most noble professions, which is teaching our children their God-given capacity,” she says. “And that teacher who is in a loving relationship or marriage is afraid to put up a photograph of their family for fear that if the student in their classroom asks, ‘Who is that?’ [that] it will raise a conversation about a same-sex relationship, and they could lose their job. Outrageous!”
• 06.20.2023 In Dallas, Vice President Harris draws attention to ongoing efforts to restrict the rights of LGBTQ Americans. Addressing book bans and anti-LGBTQ laws such as Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, she said, in part: “I’m looking at these young teachers in Florida, who are in their 20s, who are afraid to have a photograph up of themselves with their partner for fear they will be fired, will be separated from, I think, what is a calling, which is anybody who decides to dedicate their life to teaching our children.”
• 06.12.2023 Vice President Harris condemns acts of violence against the LGBTQ community and posts image highlighting new protections: “Across our nation, we are seeing attacks on LGBTQI+ communities. We will not let this stand. @POTUS and I will always fight to protect the rights and safety of all people.”
• 06.12.2023 Honoring the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting Vice President Harris tweeted: “During Pride Month, what should be a time of celebration, we once again pause to reflect on the deadliest attack on the LGBTQI+ community in our nation’s history. Seven years ago, 49 innocent people were murdered at Pulse nightclub in a mass shooting carried out with a weapon of war. Today, we continue to grieve and remember alongside their families, their friends, and the entire LGBTQI+ community. We must also meet this anniversary with more than words. We must act to save lives. Congress must pass common sense gun safety reform. And President Biden will sign it into law.” 
• 06.04.2023 Vice President Harris tweets recognition of advancement of LGBTQ rights: “This Pride Month, we celebrate the tremendous progress we have made in the fight for equality – and we rededicate ourselves to the work ahead.” The post was accompanied by a graphic quoting Harris: “We will not rest until everyone, no matter who they are or who they love, is treated equally and with dignity.”
• 06.01.2023 Vice President Harris: “This month, we recommit ourselves to leading with love and fighting for a nation in which every person is free to be who they are and live with pride.”
• 05.21.2023 Vice President Harris and Second Gentleman Emhoff visit Britney Griner and her wife Cherelle at Britney’s first professional basketball game after being released from detention in Russia in December. VP Harris and Emhoff then visit Griner’s team, the Phoenix Mercury, and host team, the LA Sparks. Tweets: “Great time at the game tonight cheering on the @LASparks and @PhoenixMercury as we celebrated @BrittneyGriner‘s return to the court. Her grace, courage, and determination are an inspiration to all.”
• 05.16.2023 Vice President Harris holds small business roundtable with more than three dozen Black and Hispanic small business owners and entrepreneurs: “At this table, we have entrepreneurs, small-business owners who are working in the area of space, technology, addressing the climate crisis and understanding the — the opportunities that exist there in terms of growing a clean energy economy and growing a workforce that has the skills and the ability to lead, where we can be unburdened by where we have been. The leaders at this table have shown grit and creativity in terms of pulling together their resources to grow an idea into something that actually benefits communities and all of society. And the work that, then, we are going to do coming out of this meeting is to continue to then grow our administration’s focus on what we can do to support you.” Brandon Blackwood, a fashion designer and member of the LGBTQ community who was in attendance, noted, “I learned about so many resources I didn’t know about before.”
• 02.26.2023 Vice President Harris discusses climate change with the daughter of two moms who are content creators. Harris invited Olivia Nunez, daughter of Ebony and Denise Nunez (Team2Moms) to interview her. Asked Nunez, “What are adults doing to help stop climate change because my future depends on it?” In response, Harris noted that the Biden-Harris Administration set aside $370 million to address climate change and emphasized the need to invest in electric vehicles to lessen the country’s dependence on fossil fuels.

2022

• 12.13.2022 On the occasion of President Biden signing the Respect for Marriage Act into law on the South Lawn, Vice President Harris said: “I often reflect on the week of Valentine’s Day 2004, when I had the honor to stand in San Francisco City Hall and perform some of our country’s first marriages of same-sex couples. I saw tears of joy that day as people celebrated basic human rights: the right to be recognized as a family; the right to be with the person you love, whether at a military graduation, a hospital bedside, or a naturalization ceremony…For millions of LGBTQI+ Americans and interracial couples, this is a victory. And it is part of a larger fight. The Dobbs decision reminds us that fundamental rights are interconnected, including the right to marry who you love, the right to access contraception, and the right to make decisions about your own body… as the great Harvey Milk once said, I quote, “Rights are won only by those who make their voices heard.” And because you made your voices heard, marriages are more secure and Joe Biden is our President. A President who elevated LGBTQI+ leaders to every level of our administration, who fights for the safety and freedom and dignity of all people every single day.”
• 06.24.2022 Vice President Harris addresses Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Said Harris, in part: “For nearly 50 years, we have talked about what Roe v. Wade protects. Today, as of right now, as of this minute, we can only talk about what Roe v. Wade protected. Past tense. This is a healthcare crisis, because understand: Millions of women in America will go to bed tonight without access to the healthcare and reproductive care that they had this morning; without access to the same healthcare or reproductive healthcare that their mothers and grandmothers had for 50 years. This is the first time in the history of our nation that a constitutional right has been taken from the people of America. And what is that right? — some might ask. It’s the right to privacy.” Harris warned of the far-reaching implications that could accompany the end to the constitutional right to abortion, from “decisions about the right to start a family” to being able to “marry the person you love,” guaranteed by Obergefell v. Hodges and Loving v. Virginia.
• 11.29.2022 Vice President Harris issues statement after Respect for Marriage Act Senate votes: Today, thanks to the hard work of Majority Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, and bipartisan colleagues, the Respect for Marriage Act is finally on its way to becoming law. I had the honor to perform some of our nation’s first same sex marriages at San Francisco City Hall in 2004, where couples celebrated not only a joyful union, but the protection and respect of fundamental human rights. The right to start a family and raise children. The right to be who you are, openly and proudly. The right to support the person you love, whether at a hospital bedside, a military deployment ceremony, or applying for citizenship. Our Administration stands for the fundamental right to marry the person you love and live free from discrimination. The Respect for Marriage Act ultimately stands for a simple principle: all Americans are equal and their government should treat them that way. Today, we are one step closer to achieving that ideal with pride.
• 09.15.2022 LGBTQ and gun safety advocate Brandon Wolf introduces Vice President Harris at the White House’s “United We Stand” summit. Wolf is a survivor of the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando in 2016, which killed 49 people, most of whom were LGBTQ and Latinx. Vice President Harris told Wolf: “Your courage, born out of such a violent tragedy, has been consistent and enduring. Long after the cameras left the scene of that horrific crime, you have used your voice to represent the voices of so many. Consistently you have been doing this work. You inspire so many of us, and I thank you for your leadership.” Since 2020, hate crimes in the United States have increased to their highest rate in over a decade. FBI statistics for the year show that 20 percent of hate crimes nationally were motivated by sexual orientation. Crimes motivated by gender identity were at 2.7 percent, up from 0.5 percent in previous years.
• 07.19.2022 Vice President Harris tweets warning about the overturning of Roe v. Wade. “The Dobbs decision puts other Constitutional rights at risk: marriage equality, access to contraception, and the right to privacy. We must build coalitions with leaders in every state and on every level to fight back.”
• 06.01.2022 The White House released a Proclamation on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, And Intersex Pride Month signed by President Joe Biden. Vice President Kamala Harris tweeted that Pride Month serves as “a reminder that the fight for full LGBTQI+ rights continues.”

2021

• 10.21.2021 Out White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wears purple for GLAAD Spirit Day to support LGBTQ youth, and appears at the White House press briefing to say the disproportionate rate of bullying of LGBTQ youths “reinforces the need” for Congress to pass the Equality Act, which would ban discrimination against LGBTQ people, then relayed a personal story of Spirit Day’s impact: “A younger staffer recently told me that in high school he noticed how many people wore purple on Spirit Day and how much that meant to him as a young closeted teen. I could only hope that young people who might be watching or see clips of this briefing will know that they are supported and represented in the highest levels of government today. So today I join people around the world in wearing purple to show solidarity with victims of domestic violence and with lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, queer, and intersex youth. Our administration stands with you, we support you, and we love you.” The White House press team and the White House Office of Public Engagement also wore purple for Spirit Day, as did Vice President Harris.
• 06.07.2021 Vice President Harris, in her first overseas trip in office, meets with LGBTQ advocates in Guatemala. Vice President Harris acknowledged vulnerable communities they work with in her remarks before the roundtable meeting: “When we met last time, I was so moved to hear about the work that you have been doing, the work that has been about helping women and children, indigenous, LGBTQ, Afro-descendants, people who have long been overlooked or neglected.” Visibles of Guatemala tweeted: “Today we participated in a meeting with the vice president of the United States to talk about development opportunities for Guatemala and the search for inclusive justice. We, as an organization, spoke about the importance of addressing discrimination and acts of violence towards LGBTIQ+ people.”
• 04.26.2021 Vice President Harris acknowledges violence against LGBTQ people as a root cause of migration to the U.S., in meeting with President Alejandro Giammattei of Guatemala. VP Harris said: “[T]he people of Guatemala have been suffering greatly because of the recent hurricanes, the persistent drought, and, of course, the damage from COVID-19. And as we have discussed, these are the acute factors that, in many ways, are causing people to leave their homes despite the fact that they would probably prefer to stay. There are also longstanding issues that are often called the “root causes” of immigration. We are looking at the issue of poverty and the lack, therefore, of economic opportunities; the issue of extreme weather conditions and the lack of climate adaptation; as well as corruption and the lack of good governance; and violence against women, Indigenous people, LGBTQ people, and Afro-descendants. And we want to work with you to address both the acute causes as well as the root causes in a way that will bring hope to the people of Guatemala that there will be an opportunity for them if they stay at home.“