From October 27, 2022 post
Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray held a “Conversations with Patty” event with LGBTQ+ voters and community members in Capitol Hill — the event was part of her continued Patty for WA campaign tour of campaign events, town halls, and GOTV events in the final weeks and days leading up to the midterm election. At the event, Murray spoke about her steadfast commitment to standing up for LGBTQ+ rights and protections and the ways she is fighting back against Republicans’ increasing attacks on LGBTQ+ kids and communities across the country.
Among many other things, Murray spoke about her work in the other Washington to pass the Equality Act, ban conversion therapy in the United States, and codify the right to same-sex marriage into federal law — all issues Tiffany Smiley has been notably silent about while on the campaign trail. At the Spokane debate this past Sunday, when Smiley was asked whether she would vote to codify same-sex marriage, she called the issue “merely a distraction” — before going onto say that she would only support such legislation if it “included strong religious freedom protections,” Smiley also has a history of uplifting and reposting hateful anti-LGBTQ rhetoric on her social media.
“I know that right now is a difficult time for many in the LGBTQ community. We’ve seen extreme politicians lash out at the LGBTQ community and show blatant disregard for the rights, dignity, and well-being of LGBTQ adults and kids alike — banning books, banning teachers from talking to students about LGBTQ issues, and even sending child services after trans kids to score political points. We just saw the Supreme Court overturn 50 years of precedent with the Dobbs decision, and I know that many of you might feel legitimately scared about what they might do next,” said Senator Murray. “I want every single LGBTQ individual in Washington state to know that I have your back, I am fighting for you, and I will stand up against anyone who tries to deny you the rights and the freedoms that you deserve, just like everyone else.”
Senator Murray is a leading cosponsor of — and fighting to pass — the Equality Act, which would expand federal civil rights laws to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination in employment, housing, credit, jury service, and federally funded programs. Murray is also the lead sponsor of legislation to ban conversion therapy in the United States, working to pass her Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act.
Under the Trump Administration, Murray repeatedly fought back against Trump’s attempts to roll back protections for LGBTQ+ Americans and stood up against judicial nominees who had troubling anti-LGBTQ+ records.
Murray also wrote and introduced the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act, legislation that would address bullying and harassment — including cyberbullying — at colleges and universities around the country. The legislation is named after a freshman at Rutgers University, who tragically lost his life to suicide in 2010 after his roommate and another student invaded his privacy and harassed him due to his sexual orientation.
Original source can be found here.
