Lgbtq+ Servicemembers Deserve Access to Lifesaving Healthcare and Services

Floor Speech

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Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the heinous attack on LGBTQ+ servicemembers and veterans, including in the fiscal year Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies appropriations bill.

While it is no surprise that Republicans continue their consistent attempts to dehumanize, discriminate, and devalue LGBTQ+ people, it is shameful that they have chosen to carry this distasteful political attack into this body's appropriations process. Why?

This is a voluntary military, Mr. Speaker. There are 1 million gay and lesbian veterans, and more than 130,000 of them identify as transgender. On top of that, 65,000 Active Duty members currently serving in our military identify as LGBTQ+.

In their bill, which we will debate later on this week, Republicans argue that we should turn our backs on these volunteers who have dedicated their lives to serving our country. Saying that they do not deserve access to lifesaving healthcare services based on their identity is ridiculous.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to stick with our LGBTQ+ veterans.

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