Then-President Joe Biden speaks on the National Mall on World AIDS Day 2024 with AIDS Memorial Quilt panels in the background. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
The LGBTQ+ Victory Institute on Dec. 5 will honor former President Joe Biden at its annual International LGBTQ+ Leaders Conference in D.C.
Biden will receive the Chris Abele Impact Award in recognition of what the Victory Institute described as “his historic role in championing LGBTQ+ rights and for his leadership in achieving the most LGBTQ+ inclusive administration in U.S. history.” He will be the third recipient of the award in the Institute’s history.
The conference will take place Dec. 4-6 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Downtown Washington, where more than 700 elected LGBTQ+ political leaders and human rights advocates will come together to build public service skills, better represent their communities, and support the LGBTQ+ community.
Notable speakers slated to appear include Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey; Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez; Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes; and Mayors Gina Ortiz Jones and Todd Gloria.
LGBTQ+ representation and policy progress reached historic levels under the Biden-Harris administration, due in part to support from the Victory Institute’s David Mixner Political Appointments Program and LGBTQ+ Excellence Program.
Approximately 15 percent of President Biden’s appointees identify as LGBTQ+, far surpassing any previous administration. This includes several groundbreaking firsts: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the first openly LGBTQ+ Senate-confirmed Cabinet member; Admiral Rachel Levine, the first openly transgender Senate-confirmed official and four-star officer; Chantale Wong, the first out LGBTQ+ woman and person of color to serve at the ambassador level; and Karine Jean-Pierre, the first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve as White House press secretary.
Beyond representation, the Biden-Harris administration reinstated and expanded federal civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ people, strengthened anti-discrimination rules in employment and healthcare, reversed prior restrictions on transgender military service, and advanced protections for LGBTQ+ youth and families across federal agencies. These actions reflect a comprehensive approach to addressing systemic inequities and ensuring the dignity of LGBTQ+ people is recognized, valued, and protected.
This is a stark contrast to how the current administration is handling LGBTQ+ affairs. The Trump-Vance administration has taken a hardline anti-trans stance in terms of policy and rhetoric. Dozens of high-profile lawsuits have been filed against the Trump administration for discriminatory bans on locker rooms and bathrooms, on gender-affirming healthcare, on military ability, and on sports teams.
“President Biden has shown unwavering commitment to ensuring LGBTQ+ people can participate fully and openly in our democracy,” said Victory Institute President Evan Low in a press release. “From appointing a record number of LGBTQ+ leaders to reversing harmful policies and expanding civil rights protections, his administration set a new and necessary standard for what inclusive governance looks like.”
The National LGBT Media Association represents 13 legacy publications in major markets across the country with a collective readership of more than 400K in print and more than 1 million + online. Learn more here: NationalLGBTMediaAssociation.com.
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