With Major Victories for LGBT Rights this Week, Congress and States Must Join March Toward Equal Rights for All Americans

Statement

Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and author of the Respect for Marriage Act to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), applauded the numerous victories for LGBT Americans across the nation on Tuesday -- including the election of Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin to the U.S. Senate and the success of marriage equality initiatives in Maine, Maryland and Washington -- and challenged legislators and leaders across the country to help their communities move toward full equality for LGBT Americans. Nadler released the following statement:

"This week's progress in advancing the rights of LGBT Americans is undeniable. With victory for marriage equality initiatives in three states, the election of my friend Tammy Baldwin as the first openly gay U.S. Senator, the election of a record number of openly LGBT Members of the House, and the reelection of a President who supports the freedom of all Americans to legally marry whichever person they choose, we have made significant strides toward equality. I am elated by this progress and I look forward to returning to Congress with the knowledge that our nation is truly changing.

"I also would like to take this profound moment in our national history to challenge my colleagues in Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, governors and state legislators across the country, and people in positions of power everywhere to join our movement now. Now is the time for courageous leadership that will guide Americans toward a not-so-distant future when ALL Americans are truly equal. I urge you to join us now or you will become increasingly irrelevant, isolated, and ignored amidst an unmistakable reality. So, let us pass the Respect for Marriage Act to repeal DOMA, let us achieve marriage equality in each state, and let us declare that LGBT Americans have the same rights to love, happiness, family, and equality as all Americans -- and let us do it NOW."

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