COLAGE Executive Director Jordan Budd issued the following statement in response to President Biden’s Pride Month Executive Orders protecting the LGBTQ+ community:

We would like to thank President Biden for yesterday’s Executive Orders Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality. We appreciate the acknowledgement of what we have always known – that ‘LGBTQI+ parents play a vital role in ensuring that every child in America has a loving home.’ As those children, it is heartening to see our families acknowledged in this way. We look forward to seeing the progress the Department of Health and Human Services makes in supporting LGBTQ+ parents who want to foster and supporting LGBTQ+ families who need access to federal programs and benefits.

In addition, we are delighted to hear that the Department of Education will create a Working Group to ensure that schools are safe and inclusive for COLAGErs and LGBTQ+ youth. School should be a safe space for all students, regardless of their family structure, sexual orientation or gender identity. Over 300 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in states over the last year, and while the national media narrative has largely erased queerspawn and our families, we are also directly impacted by these attacks. More attention needs to be paid to our experiences, especially as outright bigotry against our parents is again being normalized across the country. 

Lastly, we are grateful to see LGBTQ+ older adults included in this Executive Order. As our LGBTQ+ parents age, the COLAGE community is facing new forms of discrimination, including in long-term care settings. Now more than ever we need federal protections for our families and it is with deep gratitude that we celebrate this Executive Order, especially during Pride Month.

We still have a long way to go to ensure real security for people with LGBTQ+ parents and our families, including: the complete elimination of student loan debt for all, meaningful gun control measures, guaranteed access to abortion, a raise in the minimum wage and protections for unionizing workers, among other necessary protections like the Equality Act. We call on President Biden to fulfill his campaign promises and to deliver real progress in all aspects of our lives.

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Read a fact sheet describing President Biden’s full order, learn more about COLAGE and our work, and help support us as we continue to provide community and empowerment for people with LGBTQ+ parents/caregivers.