June is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender/Transexual, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual/Allies+ (LGBTQIA+) Pride Month!

The rainbow is used a symbol of LGBTQIA+ pride and LGBTQIA+ social movements, as its many colors reflect the beautiful diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community. 

What is the League’s position on LGBTQIA+ rights? 

The League of Women Voters believes the government has the responsibility to provide equality of opportunity for education, employment, and housing for all persons in the United States, regardless of their sex, gender, or sexual orientation. We support policies and laws that protect the civil and human rights of LGBTQIA+ people and oppose discrimination in employment, housing, health care, education, and public accommodations. Every person deserves dignity, respect, and equal protection under the law. 

Why  should LGBTQIA+ rights matter  to everyone, not just those directly affected? 

When any group’s rights are restricted, it opens the door for the rights of others to be limited too. Many of the same legislative strategies used against the LGBTQIA+ community are also being used to restrict access to reproductive health care, censor public education, and weaken civil rights protections. 

Attacks on anyone’s personal autonomy, privacy, and freedom of expression affect everyone, regardless of identity. Democracy depends on equal protection under the law and the right to live authentically without government interference. Protecting LGBTQIA+ rights is not a separate issue from protecting democracy; it is central to it. 

How do these attacks connect to democracy and civic participation? 

Democracy depends on everyone having a voice and a place in public life. When LGBTQIA+ people face discrimination or exclusion, they are less likely to feel safe voting, seeking public office, or participating in civic spaces. Harassment and misinformation can discourage civic engagement and weaken trust in public institutions. 

Defending LGBTQIA+ rights is part of defending democracy. Equal protection under the law ensures that every person can live, work, and participate in community life without fear.

Democracy includes everyone, and that's exactly what Pride is all about.