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“They’re going to try and do things in committees to tack on horrible riders to target our community, and we are planning to meet these attacks with strength and strategy,” he said.
Gay California U.S. Rep. Mark Takano has been named chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus for the 119th Congress, taking the reins as Republican lawmakers double down on anti-LGBTQ+ measures. The caucus, which advocates for equality regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, faces heightened challenges under a Republican-controlled Congress and the incoming second administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
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Takano’s appointment, announced Friday, makes him the first out LGBTQ+ person of color and the first out LGBTQ+ Asian American to lead the caucus. He replaces gay Wisconsin U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan.
In an interview with The Advocate, Takano outlined the Equality Caucus’s priorities, including combating the first anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced by House Republicans.
Among these is a bill targeting transgenderathletes, which redefines Title IX to limit participation in women’s sports based on sex assigned at birth. This provision was included in the GOP’s rules package for the 119th Congress, meaning that it will go straight to the floor for a vote, bypassing the committee process, Takano explained.
Related: Speaker Mike Johnson quietly enacts ‘cruel’ anti-transgender bathroom ban in U.S. House of Representatives
“This is our very first major challenge as a caucus,” Takano said. “In the last Congress, I led the opposition to similar bills, and not a single Democrat voted for them. We’re working hard to ensure Democrats and Equality Caucus members stand strong against these culture war tactics.”
Takano also addressed Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson’s new policy banning transgender people from using gender-appropriate bathrooms in Capitol-controlled spaces. Johnson unilaterally initiated a ban on transgender people using unisex facilities not in line with their gender assigned at birth. He did so after South Carolina U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican, made a spectacle of who could use which bathroom on Capitol Hill a week after the country’s first transgender member of Congress was elected.
Takano praised Delaware U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride, the first out transgender member of Congress, for her poise amid these attacks. McBride has said that she would follow any rules set by the speaker, even if she disagreed with them, because she was there to represent her constituents.
“Sarah has already performed brilliantly. She’s made it clear that she’s here to represent her constituents—focusing on better healthcare, lowering costs, and delivering for Delaware,” Takano said. “She’s taking the air out of what Nancy Mace and others are trying to do.”
Despite setbacks, Takano vowed the Equality Caucus would meet these attacks with “strength and strategy,” including roundtable discussions and efforts to counter harmful amendments Republicans are likely to attach to appropriations and defense spending bills.
Takano emphasized the importance of maintaining visibility for LGBTQ+ voices in congressional proceedings. “As the minority party, we only get one witness to their three. But we’ve always prioritized diverse voices—LGBTQ+, African American, Latino, women—when inviting witnesses to testify,” he said. “I don’t expect the same outreach from the Republican majority, but you can count on Democrats to stand up for LGBTQ+ communities.”
The Equality Caucus, founded in 2008, has been a cornerstone of LGBTQ+ advocacy in Congress, promoting key legislation such as the Equality Act. Takano reaffirmed his commitment to reintroducing the Equality Act, which prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, education, and more.
