Washington, DC—As the nation marks the beginning of Pride Month to celebrate and affirm the LGBTQ+ community, People For the American Way President Ben Jealous released the following statement:

“People For the American Way is excited to celebrate Pride Month and affirm our members, family, friends, and loved ones in the LGBTQ+ community. We are proud to fight against inflammatory, hateful and violent bigotry at every turn. In the more than 50 years since Stonewall, LGBTQ+ equality in America has seen monumental progress, but this month also serves as a reminder of the work that still needs to be done. State legislatures across the country are attempting to pass discriminatory, anti-LGBTQ legislation under the false flag of “fairness” in school sports. Our courts remain stacked with far right judges who could at any moment rule against measures of equality we’ve worked so hard to achieve and uphold. And members of Congress remain opposed to passing vital, federal civil rights legislation to ensure nationwide protections for LGBTQ+ Americans. We will not tolerate the biases that compound the deep social and economic inequities that LGBTQ+ people suffer everyday. We urge the U.S. Senate to pass the Equality Act to affirm the right to live free from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”

About People For the American Way

People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. Learn more: https://www.pfaw.org.