Appearing virtually at an LGBT
conference on Friday, President-elect Joe Biden promised that he and
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris “are committed to being the most
pro-equality administration in history.”
Biden made his comments at the
International LGBTQ Leaders Conference, which is hosted by the LGBTQ
Victory Institute.
Biden is the first president-elect to
address the annual conference, which was held virtually this year due
to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“A stark number of LGBTQ people ran
for office this year and they won, many of them,” Biden
said. “It’s an honor to be an ally, and have been in the
battle with all of you. Vice President-elect Harris and I are
committed to being the most pro-equality administration in history.
But we can’t do it without you.”
During its convention, the Victory
Institute honored House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from
California, with its LGBTQ History Maker Award for her efforts ten
years ago in passing legislation that repealed “Don't Ask, Don't
Tell,” the military policy that prohibited openly gay military
service.
Pelosi was interviewed by MSNBC's
Jonathan Capehart. Lawmakers and prominent LGBT leaders – including
former Rep. Barney Frank, former presidential candidate Pete
Buttigieg, Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.), and Jim Obergefell –
praised Pelosi for her work on LGBT issues.
Pelosi reiterated her call for passage
of the Equality Act, a federal LGBT protections law that cleared the
House earlier this year but stalled in the Republican-controlled
Senate. President Donald Trump has signaled his opposition to the
bill, while Biden has promised to make it a priority.
“We have more to do,” Pelosi said.
“We have to pass the Equality Act to end discrimination in every
place. We have so much more to do, but we feel confident and proud
because of the courage of so many people to repeal ‘Don’t Ask
Don’t Tell.’”