Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) will lead the Congressional Equality Caucus — formerly known as the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus — in the 118th Congress, the group announced Monday. He will succeed outgoing Chairman Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), who will continue to serve as one of the caucus’s six openly LGBTQ co-chairs.
Pocan, who as chairman of the Equality Caucus is responsible for setting the group’s agenda for the next two years, wrote in a statement on Monday that one of the caucus’s top priorities will be combating anti-LGBTQ policies and rhetoric that have perpetuated a cycle of violence against LGBTQ people.
“We are witnessing a dangerous increase in anti-LGBTQI+ hate, legislation, and violence that we must forcibly push back against and defeat,” he said. “The Equality Caucus will do everything in our power to defeat anti-LGBTQI+ bills and amendments proposed by extremist anti-LGBTQI+ politicians this Congress, especially those targeting our transgender and nonbinary community members.”
At least three pieces of federal legislation filed last year by GOP House members sought to restrict the rights of transgender Americans.
In August, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) introduced a bill that would make providing gender-affirming health care to transgender youth under 19 years old a felony punishable by a maximum $250,000 fine and up to 25 years in prison.
Rep. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) in September proposed a measure to withhold federal funding from schools with transgender support policies that do not require faculty or staff to obtain parental consent before changing a student’s name or pronouns on school records, accusing educators of indoctrinating children through “radical and secretive” gender policies.
In October, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) unveiled legislation to similarly slash funding to programs that make “sexually oriented materials” — including “any topic” related to sexual orientation and gender identity — available to children younger than 10.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who clinched the Speakership early Saturday on a historic 15th ballot, pledged ahead of November’s midterm elections to bar transgender women and girls from participating on female sports teams should Republicans retake control of the House.
But 2022 saw progress for LGBTQ equality, too. President Biden in December signed federal marriage equality legislation into law, enshrining protections for same-sex and interracial marriages. Dozens of House Democrats have also backed a bill to establish a national LGBTQ history museum, introduced by Pocan in September.
Pocan on Monday said the House Equality Caucus this Congress plans to build on last year’s progress and, in addition to combating anti-LGBTQ hate, will prioritize efforts to uplift the community.
“As we push back on these attacks, we will also continue to push forward a positive vision for full inclusivity and equality of LGBTQI+ people in this country,” he said.