Quigley to Transgender Community: You #WontBeErased
WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), who serves as Vice Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucusand a founding Member of the Transgender Equality Task Force, delivered the following video message in support of the transgender community and in response to the Trump Administration's proposal to narrow the definition of gender. Rep. Quigley was proud to join the National Center for Transgender Equality to film a video message reassuring transgender Americans that Democrats in Congress will continue to fight for their rights.
Click here for the video or see full transcript below.
Hello, I'm Congressman Mike Quigley from Chicago, Illinois, and I have a message for the roughly 1.4 million transgender people living across the United States.
Despite recent efforts by the Trump Administration to erase Trans people and endorse hateful and bigoted discrimination, you should know I value you, respect you, support you, and I will do everything in my power to prevent these despicable proposals from ever taking effect.
Trans people are our friends, our family, our co-workers, and are incredibly important members of our communities.
To try and deny them equal access to health care, housing, education and fair treatment under the law is wrong, shameful, and un-American.
At times like this it may feel like the world is against you – that you are alone without any allies, but I want and need you to know that you are not alone.
While there are, unfortunately, many who want to weaken your rights, there are many, many more who are advocating for you and championing equality for all, including many Members here in Congress.
With a new Democratic majority in the House for the 116th Congress, know that we will not stop fighting for you and your right to live your truth.
I know the future seems uncertain right now, but I am confident that as a community—and as a country—we will overcome this institutionalized bigotry together and not only maintain, but advance, the progress made over decades.
Until then, I will continue to speak out on your behalf, because no government, and certainly no president, gets to decide who you are.
You will not be abandoned. You will not be erased. We stand with you.