President

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Biden on Thursday denounced a wave of brutal and brutal state laws that curtail the rights, visibility and access to health care of LGBTQ+ people, especially children, leaving them feeling attacked

like never before

and the White House with limited ability to intervene.

These are our children. These are our neighbours. It is cruel and heartless, Biden said at a White House press conference with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. It matters a lot how we treat everyone in this country.

Biden responded hours after the White House postponed a large celebration of Pride month with thousands of guests on the South Lawn on Thursday night due to poor air quality from dangerous air pouring in from Canadian wildfires.

The president took note of the steps he has taken to help protect the rights of non-heterosexual people, but said our fight is far from over because we have some hysterical and I assume prejudiced people involved in everything you see happen. through the whole country.

Anti-LGBTQ+ laws are putting the US in a state of emergency, says Human Rights Campaign

He said what is happening in some states is an unwarranted and ugly call for fear and called on lawmakers to pass legislation, which has stalled in Congress, that would protect the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals .

Congress needs to pass the Equality Act and send it to my desk, Biden said of a legislative measure he listed as a top priority during his 2020 campaign.

The president then spoke directly to LGBTQ+ Americans, especially children: You are loved, you are heard and this administration has your back and I mean it. We don’t give in for a second to make sure they’re protected.”

Biden also described new initiatives the government announced earlier Thursday to protect LGBTQ+ communities from attacks, help youth in foster care, those suffering from mental health or homelessness, and counter book bans, though the effects may be limited.

Thousands of guests from all over the country were invited to an evening of food, games and other activities on the South Lawn. Queen HD the DJ provided the music and singer Betty Who was on tap to perform.

What Does Pride Mean When LGBTQ+ Americans Are Attacked?

But the nation’s capital was under a code purple air quality alert late Thursday morning, the fifth-highest on the U.S.’s six-level air quality index, with authorities recommending that everyone reduce their exposure to the dangerous smoke coming into Canada from Canada. the south blows, limited. Schools in the District of Columbia canceled all outdoor activities for a second day on Thursday, and the National Zoo also closed.

The White House initially resisted changing plans for the celebration, even as air quality along the East Coast steadily deteriorated on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer advocacy group, marked June’s Pride Month by declaring a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people in the United States and releasing a guidebook containing laws it deems discriminatory in each state.

The campaign said it was acting in response to an unprecedented and dangerous spike in discriminatory laws sweeping state homes this year, with more than 525 anti-LGBTQ+ bills filed and more than 70 signed into law so far more than double last year.

Kelley Robinson, the president of the campaign, called for a swift and strong response from those in power, including government, business and education.

LA school officials redouble their support for LGBTQ+ after protests

“This is a full-blown crisis for our communities that requires a coordinated response,” she said in an interview with

T

he Associated Press. I think this is sort of a national call to action and a call to arms to stand up and fight back.

Biden, a Democrat, announced that the Department of Homeland Security, in conjunction with the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services, will work with LGBTQ+ community organizations to provide security resources and training to help prevent violent attacks.

Separately, HHS and the Department of Housing and Urban Development will provide resources to help LGBTQ+ youth with mental health needs, foster care support, and homelessness.

To deal with a spike in book bans, the Department of Education’s Civil Rights Office will appoint a new coordinator to work with schools to address that threat. The White House said banning books undermines democracy, deprives students of learning materials and could contribute to the stigma and isolation LGBTQ+ youth feel because books about them are often banned.

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Biden has many LGBTQ+ people in prominent positions in the administration, such as Karine Jean-Pierre, the first openly gay White House press secretary. He signed legislation to protect marriage equality and lifted a ban on transgender people serving in the military.

Polls show that public support for the rights of people who are gay and lesbian has surged over the past two decades, with about 7 in 10 American adults in Gallup polls saying that same-sex marriages should be legal and that relationships between gays and lesbians are morally acceptable.

But attitudes toward trans people are complex: In 2022 polls conducted by KFF and the Washington Post and by the Pew Research Center, majorities said they support laws banning discrimination against trans people in areas such as housing, jobs and schools.

At the same time, both polls showed that a majority of Americans believe that whether someone is a man or a woman is determined by the sex assigned at birth. Many also support restrictive policies targeting people who are transgender, such as preventing transgender women and girls from participating in sports teams that match their gender identity, along with restrictions on access to certain medical treatments.

Associated Press writers Emily Swanson in Washington and Hannah Schoenbaum in Raleigh, NC contributed to this report.