Op-Ed: A Vote for Biden Is a Vote for the LGBTQ+ Community
State Rep. Jason Morgan on why Trump isn't getting his vote
As a proud LGBTQ+ Michigander, I know there’s only one choice this November to protect our community’s rights and freedoms — and that’s a vote for President Biden and Vice President Harris.
I am all too familiar with the hate that still exists among MAGA extremists. You only have to look at their constant attempts to rip away our freedom to simply exist — in classrooms, at nightclubs and even at work.
When extremist MAGA Republicans demonize and spread hate about our community, it has very real consequences: nearly half of all LGBTQ+ kids in Michigan have considered suicide.
I don’t have to tell the LGBTQ+ community our rights are under constant attack by extreme MAGA Republicans. We know.
We watched as a majority of Republicans voted against LGBTQ+ protections in our civil rights bill in Michigan. We witnessed state legislators across the country introduce a record number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills last year. And we still feel the civil rights ‘whiplash’ of four years ago, when former president Donald Trump threatened and reversed hard-earned LGBTQ+ rights and protections.
As president, Trump gutted President Obama and Vice President Biden’s anti-discrimination protections, appointed judges who oppose same-sex marriage, and played a key role in the military’s transgender ban. If reelected, he’ll punish doctors who treat transgender youth and repeal the Affordable Care Act, which helps the LGBTQ+ community access the care they need without discrimination.
It’s a stark contrast to President Biden and Vice President Harris – two champions for the LGBTQ+ community. They believe everyone should be treated with respect and dignity and deserve to live without fear no matter who they are or who they love and have made it a priority starting on day one to protect our freedom to show up as our authentic selves.
From championing The Respect for Marriage Act, a law that protects same-sex couples to issuing an executive order focused on ensuring transgender Americans can serve their country like everyone else, President Biden and Vice President Harris are fighting back against MAGA Republican hate and moving us forward.
These aren’t just symbolic actions. President Biden is making a real difference in the lives of LGBTQ+ children.
He’s strengthening mental health resources for LGBTQ+ youth, addressing book bans within the Department of Education, and tackling other issues LGBTQ+ children face, including homelessness and foster care.
President Biden and Vice President Harris have also strengthened the Affordable Care Act for the LGBTQ+ community and fought to ensure everyone can receive the best possible health care, including gender-affirming care.
It’s simple: A vote for Biden is a vote for progress and safety of the LGBTQ+ community and a vote for Donald Trump is a vote against it.
Trump is pushing hateful culture wars. He wants to drag us back into the past and enact hateful laws that would rip away our freedoms and reverse the progress we’ve made under President Biden.
We are at a crossroads in this country, and we can’t afford to return to a White House that hates our existence.
This November, I’m proudly OUT for Biden — someone who has fought for our protections and civil liberties time and time again. We owe it to our LGBTQ+ community across our state and country to mobilize, organize and show up at the ballot box to re-elect President Biden, the only candidate fighting for our existence, our rights and our freedoms.
State Rep. Jason Morgan is serving his first term representing the 23rd House District. Over the last 15 years, Rep. Morgan has worked in various leadership positions in Michigan and Washington, D.C., including serving for six years as a Washtenaw County commissioner and was elected as the county’s first-ever LGBTQ-identified person to serve as chair of the Board of Commissioners. His passions include addressing economic and social inequality, LGBTQ+ rights, transportation and infrastructure, access to quality public education and protecting the health of our environment.
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