Joe Biden tells trans youth: ‘Your president has your back’
Biden's shout-out during Congress speech follows wave of state-level anti-trans bills
Words: Jamie Tabberer; picture: Wiki
US President Joe Biden spoke out in support of trans youth during a speech to Congress yesterday night.
Addressing both the Senate and the House of Representatives for the first time, the US President said of “all” trans Americans but “especially” young people: “Your President has your back.”
Biden’s comments follow a wave of anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ state-level legislation in the likes of Arkansas and Alabama.
“Especially the young people who are so brave”
Flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 78-year-old Biden said in Capitol Hill, Washington DC: “To all the transgender Americans watching at home – especially the young people who are so brave – I want you to know that your president has your back.”
Democrat Biden also touched on police reform and the American Jobs Plan during his speech, adding: “I also hope Congress can get to my desk the Equality Act to protect the rights of all LGBTQ Americans.”
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The Equality Act, if passed, will amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodation and other key areas of life.
The Equality Act was introduced in the House of Representatives on 18 February; it was passed on 25 February with a bipartisan vote of 224-206. The bill then moved to the Senate for consideration.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, eight bills targeting LGBTQs have been signed into law in 2021 already, with eight more sitting on governors’ desks.
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