As President Donald Trump prepares to deliver his first joint address to Congress since returning to office, LGBTQ+ members of Congress are making it clear that they will not let his administration’s policies go unchallenged. It will be the first time that Trump will address the body since he inspired his supporters to engage in the 2021 Capitol insurrection, where a violent mob attacked police officers before vandalizing the seat of government. While some lawmakers are bringing guests who represent those impacted by the administration’s sweeping changes, Vermont Democratic U.S. Rep. Becca Balint has announced that she will not attend the speech at all.
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Balint skips Trump’s address: ‘I won’t sit and watch him lie’
Balint, Vermont’s sole House representative and the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to Congress from the state issued a forceful statement explaining her decision to boycott the speech.
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“I watched as the President swore an oath to uphold and protect the Constitution. I won’t sit and watch him lie to the American people again,” Balint said. “I attended the inauguration because I believe in the peaceful transfer of power, but Trump spewed lies, stoked division and fear, and made no effort to unify our country. There is no doubt tonight’s presidential address will be more of the same.”
Instead of sitting in the House chamber, Balint will participate in a virtual event called “Calling BS: Live-chat and Prebuttal to Trump’s Address,” hosted by MoveOn. The event begins at 8:15 p.m. ET and features real-time fact-checking and reaction to Trump’s speech. Balint will join Democratic Senators Chris Murphy, Brian Schatz, Ed Markey, Angela Alsobrooks, Delaware Governor Matt Meyer, and Michigan Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II.
“My conversation tonight will be the best way I can use my voice for Vermonters,” Balint added. “They are sick of the lies and Trump’s complete and utter disregard for our Constitution.”
Garcia, McBride, and Torres bring guests to spotlight impacted communities
While Balint’s absence will be notable, other LGBTQ+ lawmakers are using the event to highlight the real-world consequences of the Trump administration’s policies.
Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the first LGBTQ+ immigrant elected to the House and the new Democratic caucus leadership representative, has invited Yvonne Wheeler, president of the L.A. County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, a prominent labor leader representing hundreds of thousands of workers. A fierce advocate for union protections, Garcia condemned the administration’s labor rights actions in a scathing statement ahead of the speech.
“Yvonne Wheeler is a tireless champion for working people, and I’m proud to have her join me to represent the resilience of Long Beach families and workers nationwide,” Garcia said. “Since day one, co-Presidents Donald Trump and Elon Musk have attacked our workforce by gutting union protections, ripping away healthcare and benefits for employees, and pushing DOGE cuts that crush the middle class. Workers’ rights are under fire, but we will always stand with labor to fight back and win.”
Delaware U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride, the first transgender member of Congress, has invited Nelson Hill, president of the Delaware State AFL-CIO and UFCW Local 27, to underscore the administration’s efforts to weaken unions and undermine collective bargaining rights.
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“This administration has sought to erode unions and workers’ collective bargaining power,” McBride said. “We’ve also witnessed the violation of federal workers’ rights, with thousands unjustly fired from their positions. I’m proud that Nelson will be coming to Washington to stand with me against this administration’s ongoing effort to undermine workers’ rights.”
The first LGBTQ+ Afro Latino elected to the house, New York U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres, who appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe on Tuesday morning, is bringing Nancy Bolan, a former USAID senior health advisor fired in January under Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. Bolan spent more than 25 years working to save the lives of mothers and newborns before being abruptly terminated in a wave of federal layoffs.
Torres criticized the Trump administration's treatment of federal employees.
“Donald Trump has been flooding the zone with executive orders, but what we’re witnessing is a senseless and cruel assault on the federal workforce,” Torres said. “USAID has been on the front lines of combating disease and poverty and starvation and terrorism and violence. And even though it’s done an enormous amount of good for an enormous number of people, you have Elon Musk demonizing the whole organization as a ‘criminal organization.’ He’s treating federal workers like Nancy Bolan, not as human beings, but as objects to be discarded.”
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Bolan warned that the firings have already resulted in dire global health consequences, with 18 million additional cases of malaria, 200,000 new polio cases annually, and a million cases of severe malnutrition among children now projected due to the cuts.
“Our understanding is that [these cuts] have not been reversed,” Bolan said, contradicting Musk’s claims that the administration had quickly fixed any mistakes related to USAID funding.
