The following is a statement from Biden-Harris Campaign Manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez on today's announcement of the historic joint endorsement by Human Rights Campaign PAC (HRC PAC), Equality PAC, and the National Center for Transgender Equality Action Fund (NCTE AF):
"Next year's election will determine whether LGBTQ+ Americans have more freedoms or less. Across the country, MAGA Republicans are hell-bent on taking away LGBTQ+ Americans' hard-fought freedoms and are using our fellow Americans' identities for political warfare. It's shameful and not who we are as a country. The stakes of this election could not be higher for LGBTQ+ Americans, and President Biden and Vice President Harris are committed to fighting for every American's fundamental freedoms. We are deeply honored to earn this historic, unified endorsement from the nation's leading LGBTQ+ groups. With their support, we will activate the more than 60 million equality voters nationwide to reelect President Biden and Vice President Harris, and equality legislators up and down the ballot."
Nation's leading LGBTQ+ groups endorse Biden-Harris 2024
WASHINGTON — Today, Equality PAC, Human Rights Campaign PAC (HRC PAC), and the National Center for Transgender Equality Action Fund (NCTE AF) endorsed Biden-Harris 2024 — the first time the groups have jointly endorsed a presidential ticket. This endorsement comes ahead of National Coming Out Day and amidst an unprecedented spike in anti-LGBTQ+ state legislation, with more than 550 bills introduced in 43 states, and more than 80 signed into law — more than doubling last year, which was previously the worst year on record. In their endorsement, leaders of these groups highlighted President Biden and Vice President Harris' actions to strengthen protections for LGTBQ+ Americans, and their steadfast commitment to passing additional federal legislation to strengthen LGBTQ+ rights.
"At a time when the forces of hatred seek to divide us by race, place and identity the choice in this election is clear," said Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson."LGBTQ+ Americans are living in a state of emergency and the leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration is needed now more than ever. In their first term, President Biden and Vice President Harris have worked closely with HRC and other advocates to secure historic, landmark victories for LGBTQ+ Americans — and we proudly endorse them and look forward to continuing that work together."
"The National Center for Transgender Equality Action Fund is proud to announce its endorsement of President Joe Biden for a second term," said Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, executive director of the NCTE Action Fund. "Since taking office, President Biden has surpassed the efforts of all preceding administrations in his dedication to advancing the protections & rights of the transgender community. Without question, the Biden Administration has been the strongest advocate for the needs of transgender Americans of any presidential administration in American history.
"Throughout his first term, President Biden has laid the groundwork for a new era of strengthened rights and improved well-being for transgender Americans. We anticipate and look forward to further momentum for the advancement of transgender rights that could be accomplished in a second term, and toward a future where collaborative initiatives continue to thrive," said Heng-Lehtinen. "The pursuit of equality remains an ongoing journey, and the Biden Administration's accomplishments of today lay a solid groundwork for an even more promising tomorrow."
"Equality PAC is proud to stand with the most pro-equality Administration in the history of the United States — and we will do everything we can to help re-elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris next year," said Equality PAC Co-Chairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA) and Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY). "Since taking office, President Biden and Vice President Harris have worked tirelessly to expand LGBTQ rights, protect our community, and advocate for passage of the Equality Act. The LGBTQ community is under seemingly constant attack from extremists that want to roll back history and take away the basic rights that we have fought for and won in recent years. It is critical that we elect strong allies into office at every level of our government, including the presidency and vice presidency — allies like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris that will stand up for our community and speak out against injustice and hate. Make no mistake, LGBTQ rights are on the ballot in 2024 — and Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the only candidates where we can put our faith, trust, and vote next year."
Combined, these groups represent more than 60 million Americans across the country. In their endorsements, the groups announced critical actions to activate and mobilize LGBTQ+ voters and their friends, families, and allies — including in critical battleground states. LGBTQ+ voters are one of the fastest growing voting blocs [ www.hrc.org/press-releases/new-report-lgbtq-voters-becoming-one-of-the-fastest-growing-voting-blocs-in-the-country-projected-to-represent-nearly-one-fifth-of-voters-by-2040-and-fundamentally-reshape-american-electoral-landscape ]in the nation, especially in battleground states, and are projected to represent nearly one-fifth of voters by 2040.
HRC PAC has committed to activating its three million members and grassroots supporters to mobilize 62 million Equality Voters [ assets2.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/EqualityVotersSnapshot_091919v2.pdf ] ] (voters for whom LGBTQ+ equality is a top priority), who stopped a Red Wave [ www.hrc.org/press-releases/new-post-election-poll-equality-voters-stopped-the-red-wave-rejecting-extremism-and-anti-lgbtq-attacks ] from materializing in the last election cycle and will have an outsized impact next November, nationwide and investing in direct voter engagement in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. HRC PAC will run a paid media campaign in battleground states targeting Equality Voters and will funnel significant and expanded investments into battleground states where HRC has already built up considerable infrastructure, including full-time staff and organizers who have remained on the ground since 2018 to help keep Equality Voters engaged and geared up for November. HRC PAC will prioritize outreach to the nearly 13.5 million Equality Voters in these states.
NCTE Action Fund has committed to a national voter registration effort focused on registering thousands with the goal of empowering transgender, non-binary, and intersex voters across the nation like never before. The NCTE Action Fund also looks forward to leading a comprehensive voter education campaign, designed to educate the public on the significance of Biden's candidacy for the future of transgender community.
As it has done in recent years, Equality PAC will once again lead an aggressive program for the 2024 elections that is focused on electing more LGBTQ persons and solid community allies to be part of Pro-Equality majorities in the House and Senate and will support President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris's work to ensure and expand LGBTQ rights and protections. These efforts are expected to include targeted paid media and voter registration and mobilization.
