Kamala Harris defends LGBTQ+ teachers & condemns book bans at teacher labor union conference

Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, was in Texas for the second time this month on Thursday, where she delivered a speech at the American Federation of Teachers national convention in Houston. The AFT is the second-largest labor union for teachers in the country.

In the speech, she reiterated her unwavering support for LGBTQ+ rights, condemned Republican book bans, and called for an assault weapons ban.

Harris spoke passionately about the recent surge in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in red states, particularly the “don’t say gay” laws that have proliferated across the country. She recounted her early advocacy for marriage equality, sharing, “In 2004, on Valentine’s Day weekend, I was one of the first elected officials in the country to perform same-sex marriages.” Harris has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to LGBTQ+ rights.

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“It pains me so to think that, 20 years later, there are young teachers in their twenties who are afraid to put up a photograph of themselves and their partner for fear they could lose their job,” Harris said. She promised to fight to protect teachers and students from discrimination, affirming, “Every American should be free from bigotry and hate.”

Harris also condemned the wave of Republican-led book bans that have targeted educational materials dealing with LGBTQ+ issues and racial history. She called out the hypocrisy of those who seek to restrict academic freedom while claiming to champion free speech.

The American Library Association reported that 4,240 unique book titles were censored in 2023 — up from about 2,000 in 2022.

“While you teach students about our nation’s past, these extremists attack the freedom to learn and acknowledge our nation’s true and full history,” she said. “We want to ban assault weapons, and they want to ban books. Can you imagine?”

Turning to the issue of gun violence, Harris reiterated her commitment to passing an assault weapons ban. She criticized the idea of arming teachers as a solution to school shootings, a proposal often floated by gun rights advocates. “They have the nerve to tell teachers to strap on a gun in the classroom while they refuse to pass common sense gun safety laws,” she said.

Related: Kamala Harris: Our One-on-One With the Vice President

Harris promised that she and President Joe Biden, who announced that he would not stand for reelection and endorsed Harris on Sunday, would continue to push for sensible gun control measures. “We who believe in the freedom to live safe from gun violence will pass an assault weapons ban,” she declared, urging the audience to join the fight for safer schools and communities.

Harris’s speech concluded with a fervent call to action, urging AFT members to remain steadfast in their advocacy for a better future.

“We face a choice between two very different visions for our nation. One focused on the future, and the other on the past. And we are for the future,” she said.

Watch Vice President Kamala Harris speak to teachers at the AFT convention.

Vice President Harris Delivers the Keynote Speech at the American Federation of Teachers Conventionyoutu.be