Lawmakers are sharing messages of support in honor of National Coming Out Day, while warning of increasing numbers of anti-LGBTQ measures being introduced nationwide.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) was one of nearly a dozen Democratic lawmakers to mark the annual LGBTQ awareness day Wednesday.
“When I first came out in college, I couldn’t imagine someone like me running for office, let alone winning,” the 61-year-old senator wrote on her campaign account on X, formerly known as Twitter, along with a throwback photo.
“Today, I’m proud to serve as the first openly gay Senator in our nation’s history,” Baldwin said.
But Baldwin warned of a “record number of anti-LGBTQ+ measures” being “introduced across the country.”
“We need to stand up to those who are hellbent on rolling back our progress,” she said.
Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.) acknowledged in his National Coming Out Day message that it’s currently “hard to be out and proud around the world.”
“Especially in the face of bigotry and hardship, I am committed to being an ally to all LGBTQI+ people,” he said.
“To all our LGBTQ+ neighbors in Florida and across the country, you are loved, you are appreciated and you deserve safety & equality to love freely,” Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) wrote.
“I will always be by your side fighting against anti-LGBTQ+ extremism,” she said.
At least 525 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced this year in 41 states, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
“We celebrate #NationalComingOutDay because everyone should feel safe to live as their authentic selves,” Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) wrote.
Last year, Norcross said his daughter and her wife were “two of the estimated 26 million Americans whose freedom to marry” would be protected by passage of the Respect for Marriage Act.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) called National Coming Out Day “a day to celebrate who you are, who you love, and who you hope to become.”
“To the millions who have come out,” she said, “thank you for your continued courage and example of living authentically.”