U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said Wednesday
the country is in the middle of a “national awakening” on LGBT rights
following decades of oppression against the LGBT community.
Lynch
made the remarks at Lambda Legal’s annual reception in D.C. in the same
month the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision on whether
same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry across the
nation.
“After
decades of untold struggle, unyielding advocacy and unfathomable
bravery, it is clear that we are in the midst of a national awakening,”
Lynch said. “Tonight’s
celebration is a commemoration of historic change that has already
arrived and that will shape our country for years to come. And it is a
tribute to the indomitable determination you displayed by standing up
for yourselves and your community in the face of concerted opposition
and immense challenge.”
Noting
that 30 years ago the LGBT community faced a setback when the U.S.
Supreme Court upheld state sodomy bans in the decision of Bowers v.
Hardick — a decision that was later overturned — Lynch said now LGBT
people “have the enthusiastic partnership of the Department of Justice
and the full and unwavering support of the President of the United
States.”
“We
will never stop working to spread a broader recognition of the support,
consideration and compassion that all Americans should receive,” Lynch
said. “And we will continue to ensure that this nation lives up to a
pledge made to young people the world over: that they can look forward
to new days filled with hope, with possibility, with tranquility and
with joy, because over time and with the help of friends and allies
growing more numerous by the day, it will get better.”
Lynch
was well-received by event attendees, who were comprised mostly of
young D.C. professionals wearing suits and ties. The audience offered
her a standing applause both before and after she took to the podium.
Despite
progress, Lynch said more work remains and battles must be fought,
making a veiled reference to religious freedom bills pending in state
legislatures by saying, “We have already seen some of the legislative
strategies that opponents will use to undermine marriage equality.”
“Difficult
legal issues, from adoption to immigration, remain unresolved,” Lynch
added. “And even today, in some states, LGBT individuals can be fired
from their jobs for simply being who they are.”
Lynch
didn’t made any news on policy initiatives during her speech, but
recalled the Obama administration’s support passing of a trans-inclusive
ENDA, saying, “I renew that call today.”
Saying
transgender people are “facing new and difficult legal issues that
extend far beyond marriage,” Lynch noted the Justice Department filed a
legal brief on behalf of a transgender inmate in Georgia who was
deprived of hormone therapy. Lynch also noted — to the applause of the
audience — the Justice Department nows interprets the gender protections
in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act to cover anti-trans
discrimination.
“Put
simply, we understand that this nation’s ongoing fight for equality has
many fronts, and we cannot afford to grow complacent when there is so
much left to do,” Lynch said. “We must – and we will – keep working to
bring about the more equal society, the more just future and the more
perfect Union to which we must always aspire. You all know the
challenges we face, but you also know what it takes to surmount them and
to create positive, lasting change in this country – because you’ve
done it, time and again, for more than four decades. And you have seen
the amazing results.”
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