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Joe Biden's Pro-LGBTQ+ Queerest Hits
Maybe it's Joe Biden, maybe it's the times, or maybe it's a combination of both, but Biden has proved to be the most pro-LGBTQ+ president ever, surpassing even Barack Obama. More remains to be done, but with Biden announcing his bid for reelection Tuesday, we take a look at his actions on behalf of our community.
Executive Order Against Anti-LGBTQ+ Discrimination
On his first day in office, January 20, 2021, Biden signed an executive order assuring that the federal government will not engage in workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and that it is expected to stand against such discrimination in the private sector as well. The order builds on the U.S. Supreme Court's 2020 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, which held that the federal law banning sex discrimination also applied to bias based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Donald Trump's administration had largely ignored the ruling and had argued before the court for a different outcome.
Reversing Trump's Transgender Military Ban
Just a few days into his presidency, on January 25, 2021, Biden revoked the trans military ban, which Trump had announced via Twitter in 2017 and which went into effect in 2019. Biden's order lifting the ban read in part, "It shall be the policy of the United States to ensure that all transgender individuals who wish to serve in the United States military and can meet the appropriate standards shall be able to do so openly and free from discrimination."
Proclaiming Transgender Day of Visibility
On March 31, 2021, Biden became the first president to issue a White House proclamation recognizing Transgender Day of Visibility. It honored the "trailblazing work" of trans and nonbinary folks in fighting for equality in the arenas of education, sports, and the workplace. However, it also drew attention to the "high rates of violence, harassment, and discrimination" faced by this community.
"The crisis of violence against transgender women, especially transgender women of color, is a stain on our Nation's conscience," the proclamation declared, adding, "The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to fulfilling the promise of America for all Americans by stamping out discrimination and delivering freedom and equality for all."
He has recognized the day in 2022 and 2023 as well.
Recognizing Pride, Denouncing Anti-Trans Violence
Biden's proclamation for Pride Month in 2021 also recognized the epidemic of violence against trans Americans, especially women of color. Despite progress, his proclamation said, the U.S. "continues to face tragic levels of violence against transgender people, especially transgender women of color. And we are still haunted by tragedies such as the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando. Ending violence and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community demands our continued focus and diligence. As President, I am committed to defending the rights of all LGBTQ+ individuals."
The following year, his Pride statement noted, This Pride Month, the Administration will be focused on spotlighting the voice of LGBTQI+ people across America, especially our LGBTQI+ children and families.""
Condemning Anti-LGBTQ+ State Actions
Early in 2022, as conservative states ramped up their attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, Biden spoke out strongly. He tweeted that Florida's then-pending "don't say gay" bill (since signed into law) was "hateful" and assured LGBTQ+ Americans that "you are loved and accepted just as you are." He also blasted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's directive that parents who allow their trans children to receive gender-affirming care be investigated for child abuse.
Honoring Lesbian Soccer Star Megan Rapinoe
Last July, Biden bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the nation, on Megan Rapinoe, a star on the World Cup-winning U.S. Women's National Team. It was first time a soccer player has received the honor and the sixth time a female athlete has received it. Biden recognized not only Rapinoe's athletic accomplishments but also her activism for gender equality. "Megan did something really consequential," Biden said. "She helped lead the change for perhaps the most important victory for anyone on her soccer team, or any soccer team: equal pay for women."
Recognizing Elton John's AIDS Activism
Biden moved Elton John to tears when awarding him the National Humanities Medal last September to honor his music and HIV advocacy. The presentation was a surprise, and John said he was "flabbergasted." The citation recognized him as "an enduring icon and advocate with absolutely courage, who found purpose to challenge convention, shatter stigma, and advance the simple truth that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect." His Elton John AIDS Foundation has raised hundreds of millions of dollars to fight the disease.
Freeing Brittney Griner
Cherelle Griner and President Biden
Biden and his administration worked long and hard for the release of lesbian basketball star Brittney Griner, who was imprisoned in Russia for a minor drug offense last year. She was freed in December, and Biden celebrated with her wife, Cherelle Griner; administration officials had been a source of support to Cherelle throughout the ordeal. "Moments ago, standing together with her wife, Cherelle, in the Oval Office, I spoke with Brittney Griner," Biden said. "She's safe. She's on a plane. She's on her way home."
Biden continued, "After months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under intolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones, and she should have been there all along. This is a day we worked toward for a long time. We never stopped pushing for her release. It took painstaking and intense negotiations, and I want to thank all the hardworking public servants across my administration who worked tirelessly to secure her release."
Signing the Respect for Marriage Act
The Respect for Marriage Act is a signature achievement of Biden's presidency. The act, which Biden signed into law in December, assures that marriage equality for same-sex and interracial couples will remain the law of the land no matter what the U.S. Supreme Court does. Conservative justices have said they'd like to overturn the court's marriage equality ruling if a case gives them a chance, and they're emboldened now that they've overturned Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed abortion rights nationwide. "Love is love. Right is right. Justice is justice," Biden said at the signing ceremony. He notably came out for marriage equality as vice president in 2012, a few days ahead of President Obama, and they were easily reelected that year.
The State of the Union and More
Biden hadn't made his reelection campaign announcement when he delivered this year's State of the Union address in February, but the energy he brought to the speech and his calling out of Republicans indicated he was ready to run. The address focused on economic matters but included a pitch for the Equality Act — a sweeping LGBTQ+ rights measure — as well as mentions of trans youth and reproductive freedom.
Biden's tenure has been marked by many more pro-LGBTQ+ actions than those listed above. He has consistently spoken out for the rights of LGBTQ+ and intersex people, both in the U.S. and abroad. A recent executive order focuses on uplifting marginalized communities, including trans Americans. He has called attacks on trans people "close to sinful" and deemed trans rights the most pressing civil rights issue of our time. His administration includes numerous out officials, such as White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine. He's also appointed many pro-equality judges, including Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson; judicial appointments often have the most lasting impact of any presidential action.
