Rep. Pramila Jayapal wants transgender people in Congress

Earlier this year, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the landmark Equality Act, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes under existing federal civil rights laws. At the hearing, several Republicans tried to claim that they favored rights for gay, lesbian, and bisexual people but drew the line at trans rights.

Anti-trans activist Julia Beck, the Republican witness at the hearing, threw out a parade of alleged horribles that would transpire should trans people – particularly trans women – became protected under the law.

But midway through the hearing Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) revealed that her child had recently come out to her as non-binary. Through tears, she brought a personal and emotional appeal to debate over the bill before it was advanced out of the committee on a party line vote.

Jayapal is co-chair of the House Progressive Caucus and has taken a leadership role in pushing for progressive legislation like Medicare for All.

She sat down recently with LGBTQ Nation to talk about the current state of LGBTQ rights and the value of having queer people and allies in government.

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I really like this woman! She is some kind of awesome for so many things!