🌈 Sen. Laphonza Butler made LGBTQ+ history

Hi there,

🏛️ California Democrat Laphonza Butler, the first Black lesbian senator, stepped down this week to allow Adam Schiff to assume the office. California Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed her last year to fill the remainder of the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s term. Butler didn't run for the seat in November. Schiff, a prominent Democrat and LGBTQ+ ally who represented a California district in the U.S. House for several years, won the Senate seat in November. Newsom approved Schiff’s early appointment to the Senate before he was sworn into his six-year term in January. Watch Butler's empowering final speech below at the link. ⬇️

🪖 Rep. Chris Pappas, an out gay co-chair of the LGBTQ+ Congressional Equality Caucus, was among the bipartisan group of 281 members of Congress who voted in favor of the $895.2 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Wednesday. The legislation includes provisions restricting gender-affirming care for minors. Pappas is the sole out LGBTQ+ member of Congress to back the legislation. More than 40 U.S. senators have signed on to a letter opposing the inclusion of anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-abortion provisions in must-pass spending bills.

🏈 Carl Nassib, the first out gay active player in the NFL, has joined the board of directors for The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. The announcement, made Friday, comes amid a challenging time for LGBTQ+ youth in the U.S.

Onward and upward,

Alex Cooper

Editor-in-chief, Advocate.com

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