The Biden-Harris administration announced new actions to focus on protecting the rights and safety of the LGBTQI+ community, supporting it and shielding it from book bans that threaten civil rights.
The Biden-Harris administration kicked off Pride month by announcing several new actions to protect and support the LGBTQI+ community.
The announcement comes after several states enacted anti-LGBTQI+ laws that the administration said “violate our most basic values and freedoms as Americans, and are cruel and callous to our kids, our neighbors, and those in our community,” according to a press release.
The new actions focus on protecting the rights and safety of the LGBTQI+ community, supporting it and shielding it from book bans that threaten civil rights, the release stated.
With LGBTQI+ events and individuals being at an increased risk of threats of violence, the administration announced the launch of the LGBTQI+ Community Safety Partnership. This partnership includes various government departments working together to provide safety resources and work to build trust between the community and federal law enforcement agencies, the release said.
This partnership will also work to protect healthcare workers that provide care to LGBTQI+ patients.
As part of the new action to support the LGBTQI+ community, steps will be taken to support the mental health of youth in the community through increased guidance on federal funding for mental health services, and a grant available to programs that prevent health and behavioral risks, such as suicide and homelessness, according to the release.
The final action discussed by the administration was addressing the book bans sweeping parts of the nation.
In just the first half of the 2022-2023 school year, PEN America reported there were 1,477 instances of individual books banned, with the majority of the books being by or about LGBTQI+ individuals or people of color.
To combat the threat to civil rights, a coordinator will be appointed that will provide training on how these bans may violate civil rights and create a hostile learning environment, the release said.
“Book banning erodes our democracy, removes vital resources for student learning, and can contribute to the stigma and isolation that LGBTQI+ people and other communities face,” the Biden-Harris administration said.
Along with the new protections, Neera Tanden, a policy advisor, said that the President and first lady will be hosting what she calls “largest Pride celebration in White House history,” according to a press release.
The celebration is said to show that LGBTQI+ individuals and their families belong in the White House, Tanden said.
