Dear Friend, Despite the dysfunction of this divided Congress, I am committed to making progress on our priorities. This month, I am sharing the work I am doing in Washington, D.C. to advance issues that are critical to Oregonians.  That includes protecting and strengthening LGBTQ+ rights.  Let me be clear: every single person—regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, or class— has the right to be their authentic selves.  Last year, Congress enacted the Respect for Marriage Act to codify same-sex and interracial marriage into law. This was a major victory that should be celebrated. But we cannot lose focus. Extremist state legislatures across the country are attacking transgender rights, criminalizing gender-affirming care, and banning books and drag performances. This is a deeply disturbing attempt to relegate LGBTQ+ individuals to a secondary status. Homophobia and transphobia has no place in our country. In Congress, I am working to advance the Equality Act to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation in employment, education, access to credit, jury service, federally funded housing, and public accommodations. I am also advocating for the Transgender Bill of Rights, a comprehensive framework to provide protections for transgender and nonbinary people which ensures that everyone can thrive regardless of their gender identity or expression. Common-sense protections like these should be the law of the land. I’m also pushing back against House Republicans’ attempt to roll back the progress we’ve made to make the military more inclusive and accepting. I voted against the National Defense Authorization Act, not just because of its bloated defense spending, but also because of its draconian attacks on LGBTQ+ service members. House Republicans refused to consider my amendment to strip provisions that limited the care that LGBTQ+ service members can receive.  At home, I am committed to ensuring that the contributions of legendary LGBTQ+ leaders like Darcelle (Walter Cole) are acknowledged and elevated. While Darcelle passed away earlier this year, his legacy lives on in his namesake Darcelle XV venue. Just weeks ago, the club hosted the world’s longest Drag-A-Thon show. In 2020, I proudly supported the Darcelle XV’s listing to the National Register of Historic Places. Everyone can be proud of this iconic landmark and what it stands for.  My pledge to you is to continue fighting on this and more—no matter how difficult it is, we must continue making progress.