Dear Friend,   At a time when state legislatures across the country are attacking transgender rights, limiting gender-affirming care and drag performances, and instituting senseless book bans, it is more important than ever to protect and uplift the members of the LGBTQ+ community. Every person has the right to be their authentic selves.  Last year, Congress enacted the Respect for Marriage Act, which codified same-sex and interracial marriage into law. But extremists in communities across the country have weaponized inclusivity and authenticity in a cynical attempt to turn the clock backwards.   This Pride month, we must recommit to building an inclusive society that celebrates our diversity instead of punishing differences. We must do more to combat the alarming increase in anti-transgender legislation being introduced in Congress and across the country. That is why I support establishing the Transgender Bill of Rights (H.Res. 269) , a comprehensive policy framework to protect transgender and nonbinary people. I also cosponsored the Pride in Mental Health Act (H.R. 3850) to create a new program at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to improve LGBTQ+ youth mental health by enhancing program capacity and improving support services delivery.   This month is also a time to celebrate the incredible resilience, strength, and history of Oregon’s LGBTQ+ community.  Oregon lost a pillar of the community, Darcelle XV (Walter Cole), earlier this year. Darcelle was not just an artist, small business owner, and crowned the world’s oldest drag queen, but a fierce advocate for the rights of LGBTQ+ people everywhere. Darcelle helped push drag out of the underground and into the mainstream, educating the world through art. I was honored to support the addition of their Portland club and showplace to the National Register of Historic Places in 2020.   As we recommit ourselves to building a more inclusive, loving society, we should take a page out of Darcelle’s book. I know I am.