Many families around the country are wondering what a Democratic majority in the U.S. Congress means for the LGBT community.

First and foremost, with Democrats in the majority and under the leadership of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, we will not be discussing or fighting off a marriage amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Second, the Democratic takeover of the House also means we will be able to pave the way for other legislation advancing equal rights for all Americans. I expect the Judiciary Committee, chaired by John Conyers (a Democrat from Michigan), one of our nation’s most eminent civil rights leaders, to begin hearings on a slew of legislative priorities important to the LGBT community. Chief among them is the Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act, which would give local law enforcement authorities the necessary resources to combat hate crimes based on sexual orientation. Since this Act, which includes language that would cover and protect the transgender community, has passed several times in the House over the last two years, I expect the House to take up this bill next year and work out a compromise with the Senate so we can send this legislation to the president’s desk.

Similarly, there is consensus among many Democrats that a transgender-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act is overdue. I also believe that the Armed Services Committee, under the leadership of one of our strongest allies in Congress, Congressman Martin Meehan (a Democrat from Massachusetts), will begin holding a series of hearings on the failed policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” I will be working with my colleagues and my leadership every step of the way to ensure that the Democratic Party honors our commitment to equality and justice for all Americans.

I look forward to the next session with great anticipation and realistic expectations that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Americans will move further into the mainstream of American life and politics.

Tammy Baldwin (a Democrat from Wisconsin) is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rainbow Rumpus founder and publisher Laura Matanah

Transforming Attitudes toward LGBT- Headed Families One Page at a Time

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