Media outlets officially declared Nov. 7 that former Vice President Joe Biden defeated current President Donald Trump in the presidential race.
LGBTQA+ organizations and individuals (local and national) immediately responded to the news:
—Lambda Legal CEO Kevin Jennings: "The results of the election are clear, with clear majorities in both the popular vote and the Electoral College for the Biden-Harris ticket. The people of this country came out in record numbers for this election and the results are unequivocal. We urge President Trump and his supporters to follow the example set more than 200 years ago, when President Washington set the standard of a peaceful transition, as has every president since, all of whom have accepted and honored the will of the people, even those who sought but were denied a second term."
—Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Alphonso David: "The election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris proves once again that equality is a winning issue. The Biden/Harris ticket is the most pro-equality ticket in history. President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris are not just willing to be our allies, but they are true advocates for equality."
—National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Executive Director Imani Rupert-Gordon: "By all accounts, this has been a historic election. Our democracy rests on the foundation that our leaders are elected by the people of this country and despite calls to do the contrary, we made the simple but powerful demand that we count every vote. They were counted. And the people have spoken.
"But that is not the only significance of this historic election. President-Elect Joe Biden has long been a champion of our community and he has promised the most LGBTQ-inclusive administration that has ever been in the White House. … And additionally noteworthy, Kamala Harris not only represents the first woman ever with the title Vice President-Elect, but also the first Black woman and South Asian woman to hold the position, which will provide a perspective that we have never had in that role before.
"And yet we still have much work to do. From reversing Trump's baseless and immoral transgender military ban and restoring protections for LGBTQ students, to protecting LGBTQ families and asylum seekers and providing relief to the millions of people who are struggling to pay rent, buy food, and keep their families afloat — our communities have a number of priorities we are excited to immediately begin working on with this administration. President-Elect Biden has committed to passing the Equality Act, and we look forward to working closely with him to make that a reality."
—Equality Illinois CEO Brian C. Johnson: "We congratulate President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President- elect Kamala Harris for winning the election. President-elect Biden has worked tirelessly to advance LGBTQ equality, from the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' to his historic declaration in support of marriage equality.
"Today's election decision is an important step forward; however, our work is not finished. Our nation, at every level, needs to address the racism that perpetuates discrimination and violence against Black people—and all people of color, including those who are LGBTQ. Until our laws remedy systemic racism and inequality, and our culture catches up to those laws, our movement's pursuit of LGBTQ equality is far from done."
—GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis: "President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris have promised to fight for America as a place where we all can belong and succeed, where truth and kindness matter. In the early days of their administration, they must prioritize protecting LGBTQ people equally under the law in a country where we can live without fear. We must all also confront the racism and bias that fueled the division of the last four years, and resolve to come together for justice and equality for all. We are eager to act on this historic vote for progress and get our country back on track."
—Pride at Work CEO Jerame Davis: "President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris will unite our country and fix the unprecedented disaster of the past four years. Our members will be with them the entire way.
"President-Elect Biden's LGBTQ platform is the most progressive and comprehensive of any president in history and—just like we worked every day to elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris—we will work every day during the next four years to ensure those promises are kept."
—Trevor Project CEO/Executive Director Amit Paley: ""Across our 24/7 phone, chat, and text crisis services, LGBTQ youth have been reaching out to The Trevor Project and expressing a wide range of emotions in response to the election. We know that for LGBTQ youth, politics can be extremely personal, and we want them to know that there is no one way to process everything that is going on in the world right now. No matter what, The Trevor Project's trained crisis counselors will continue to be here 24/7 for the more than 1.8 million LGBTQ youth who seriously consider suicide each year in the U.S."
—Equality Federation Executive Director Rebecca Isaacs: "The will of the people is clear: voters have chosen Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to move us forward together towards a better future. This has been a long, difficult election unlike any we have witnessed before. But the story of the election is this: Despite all of the obstacles, we voted in enormous numbers for democracy, for justice, for equality and for each other."
—Jennifer Welch, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Illinois Action (PPIA): "Illinois voters' voices were heard loud and clear, and together, we elected a new president who is fully committed to protecting access to sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion. We are grateful to see these leaders elected to the two highest offices in this country.
"We are also grateful to all of our Illinois supporters who voted. You helped make these wins possible."
—SAGE CEO Michael Adams: "SAGE pledges to partner with the Biden-Harris administration to ensure that our communities are seen and heard, and to push energetically for the changes our communities need.
"At the top of our agenda is working with the Biden-Harris administration to turn the historic pro-LGBT legislative mandate that we won last spring—the LGBT-inclusive reauthorization of the Older Americans Act—into action that makes a real difference in the lives of our elders."
—Modern Military Association of America (MMAA) Interim Executive Director and Air Force veteran Jennifer Dane: ""It's critical for our national security that Donald Trump's unconscionable decision recklessly singling out transgender military members for discrimination be overturned. Thankfully, President-elect Biden has pledged to quickly take action and reverse Trump's unconstitutional transgender military ban. Every qualified American patriot—regardless of their gender identity—should be able to serve."
—National LGBT Chamber of Commerce co-founders Justin Nelson and Chance Mitchell: "Today we celebrate a victory for America's diverse business communities, American voters and American democracy. The election process has done what it needed to do, and we have elected Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris as a result.
"On behalf of America's vibrant and diverse LGBT business community, we look forward to working with the new Administration and their stated commitments to beat COVID-19, restart our economy, combat racism, and ensure equality and equity for every American."
—Equality California Executive Director Rick Chavez Zbur: "This election is not the end of our battle, but the beginning. We are in the middle of a devastating pandemic that has hit our LGBTQ+ community particularly hard. Hundreds of children ripped from their parents' arms at the border have not yet been reunited. Transgender women of color face an epidemic of violence, and we have yet to fully reckon with centuries of racial injustice in America. And this election has laid bare deep divisions in our nation and cracks in the fundamental institutions of our democracy in desperate need of repair."
—Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership (CSPL) Executive Director Michael Okincyzc-Cruz: "After four years of witnessing and experiencing the dehumanizing policies that led to inordinate amounts of deportations, death and injustice at the hands of the Trump administration, CSPL is deeply relieved that his reign of white supremacy no longer holds the power of the presidency.
"We must absolutely honor the tireless labor of organizers, allies and community leaders across the country who made this possible. For those who fought endlessly for Black lives, Indigenous rights, immigration and refugee rights, environmental justice, gender equality, workers' rights - all throughout a catastrophic pandemic and an immense economic recession, this significant stride forward belongs to you."
