I am a passionate supporter of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community. I firmly believe our LGBT friends and neighbors deserve the right to visit their partners in hospitals, the right to spousal benefits, the right to serve openly in our nation’s Armed Forces and the right to marry.

I am honored to be the Vice Chair in the LGBT Equality Caucus here on Capitol Hill. In partnership with this Caucus, and through my own work in Congress, I have advocated extensively on behalf of the LGBT community.

For example, I have worked to support resources for community health centers to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the minority populations they serve, acknowledge the LGBT community in the Census, commemorate the National Day of Silence, and to eradicate the discrimination towards the LGBT community in Iraq.

I am thrilled the House has already passed the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act (H.R. 1913), which provides assistance to state and local law enforcement agencies and amends federal law to facilitate the investigation and prosecution of violent, bias-motivated crimes. HR 1913 is a bipartisan bill supported by over 300 civil rights, education, religious, and civic organizations, and virtually every major law enforcement organization in the country. This legislation is currently pending action in the Senate.

I am a strong supporter of the Military Readiness Act (H.R. 1283), which would repeal the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy currently used in our nation’s Armed Forces. It is time to allow the military to recruit and retain all qualified individuals who wish to serve our country, regardless of sexual orientation.

I also support the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act (H.R. 2517), which Extends employee benefit programs to cover the domestic partners of federal employees to the same extent as those benefits cover spouses of federal employees.

While we have clearly gotten off to a great start, I am very pleased the 111th Congress is poised to make many more improvements in the lives of LGBT Americans.