Rebecca ParsonKonto zweryfikowane

I'm going to start tweeting my platform. Let's start with LGBTQIA+, since I'm queer. Raytheon may celebrate #Pride, but does that mean I should take money from them? No. Real Pride is about justice, not corporate rainbow-washing.

I’m proud not to take any corporate PAC money or lobbyist money, so I can fight for REAL LGBTQIA+ rights, not superficial, feel-good, do-nothing, corporate “fixes.” I grew up in the closet during a time when the majority of the American public did not support gay rights.

Because of the bravery of my LGBTQIA+ sisters and brothers who came before me, public opinion has been shifted, gay marriage is legal, and deaths from AIDS have dramatically decreased. But in the age of Trump, our rights are under attack.

Organizations like ALEC want to take away our right to marry, and the extremist Right demonizes and persecutes non-binary and trans people. We need more LGBTQIA+ people representing us, because the stakes have never been higher. In Congress, I will fight for:

Restoring the right of trans people to serve openly in the military. The Equality Act. Anti-LGBTQIA+ discrimination is legal on a federal level. We can be denied healthcare, housing, and basic services, leading to homelessness, worse health, and violence.

The Every Child Deserves a Family Act, so federally-funded child welfare agencies can’t discriminate against children, families, and individuals on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. And so more children in foster care can be raised in loving homes.

The Student Non-Discrimination Act, so public K-12 schools can’t discriminate against students on the basis of perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity. This will let students focus on what school is for: learning and making friends.