North Cook News

EVANSTON - On June 28, U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), a Chief Deputy Whip and Ranking Member of the Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement commemorating Pride Month:

“Pride Month is, as every month should be, a time to reflect on the beauty of the LGBTQIA+ community and appreciate its growth and vital contributions to society.  As a proud grandmother to a young trans man and a 2015 inductee to the Chicago LGBTQ Hall of Fame, I hold the LGBTQIA+ community very close to my heart. I also represent one of the most diverse districts in the country, and it is my belief that nobody should be discriminated against due to their gender identity, expression, or sexual orientation.  

“While the month of June should be a time focused on celebration, I am enraged, saddened, and disgusted by the circumstances surrounding this year’s Pride Month. Countering inhumane and illegal attacks from right-wing extremists in too many places around the county, we have found ourselves in a battle to not only protect the LGBTQIA+ community, but also to defend the values at the core of our nation’s identity: freedom of expression, individuality, and equal rights. Fueled by hatred and masked by conservativism and religion, selfish attempts to restrict and erase the LGBTQIA+ community must be halted immediately.  

“Both physical and legal attacks on trans people, especially trans youth, have skyrocketed and endangered countless lives. We owe it to our children to support whoever they want to be and stand up to bigotry. The best and only way to help children is to love and support them – it is as simple as that. Additionally, the recent aggression aimed at drag shows is a repulsively miserable attempt by right-wing conservatives at controlling a culture which they know nothing about. Drag performances are beautiful, fierce, and powerful. We must get people to the polls to ensure the protection of this art form and community.  

“Now more than ever, I am standing proudly by my commitment to support and uplift the LGBTQIA+ community. Just this month, I led 19 of my colleagues in a letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia Fudge expressing our worries concerning the discrimination and inequities that LGBTQIA+ seniors face before and during their time in senior housing.

“We cannot let hateful forces of evil discourage us from fighting for what is right. If we have hope and perseverance, I am positive we will be able to protect and sustain the beauty, diversity, and strength of the LGBTQIA+ community. I will continue to fight for the LGBTQIA+ community, and I am confident that love and kindness will prevail.”

Issues: LGBTQ Equality

Original source can be found here.