14 years since the repeal of #DontAskDontTell, we're still fighting discrimination in our ranks because of Trump's trans troop ban. We must keep fighting for those who fight for us and not give up until EVERY servicemember is free to live & serve openly & authentically.

Today is HIV and Aids and Aging Awareness Day. Modern medicine means people living with HIV and AIDS can live long, fulfilling lives with proper access to treatment. Meanwhile, Trump and RFK Jr. continue to recklessly dismantle CDC programs and life-saving research and care.

The world is a scary place right now, especially for the trans community. Our members are fighting back against extremists' cruel attacks everyday, but we want to remind our trans siblings: You are not alone, you are seen, and you are loved.

Trump's reckless cuts to HIV & AIDS research, prevention, and treatment are putting lives at risk—including the 54% of people living with HIV who are age 50+. It's on all of us to fight back against these cuts and protecting older Americans living with HIV & AIDS! #HIVandAging

Over the last several months, Members of Congress have used increasingly derogatory anti-trans language, and now, 2 Members are calling for trans people to be institutionalized. Speaker Johnson & GOP leadership must reign in these extremist Members & put a stop to this rhetoric.

🎉GOOD NEWS🎉 Last week, a federal judge BLOCKED the DOJ from subpoenaing children's medical records as part of the Trump Admin's campaign to intimidate families children & medical professionals who provide healthcare for trans people—saying it was "motivated only by bad faith."

Last week, Co-Chairs Rep. Robert Garcia, @repjuliejohnson.bsky.social, & @mcbride.house.gov led 61 Members of Congress in demanding the State Department restore data on anti-LGBTQI+ violence in the annual Human Rights Reports. Enough censorship—Secretary Rubio must restore this data!

🎉GOOD NEWS🎉 On Wednesday, the Supreme Court REJECTED South Carolina's emergency petition to enforce their anti-trans bathroom ban—meaning that the state CANNOT enforce their ban while litigation proceeds. This fight isn't over, but this news is worth celebrating!

🚨BAD RIDERS MOVING🚨 Last night, House Republicans on the Appropriations Committee advanced the Commerce, Justice, & Science FY26 funding bill, which contains multiple egregious attacks on LGBTQI+ peoples' rights. It now heads to the House floor, where we'll keep fighting back.

This week, the House begins reviewing the NDAA—the spending plan for the Defense Department. We should be focused on passing a bipartisan bill that works for all Americans, but my Republican colleagues are too busy introducing over 15 amendments that discriminate against LGBTQ+ service members.

House Republicans tainted this year's NDAA with malicious riders that threaten our troops’ rights, their families’ stability, and our efforts to retain our servicemembers. We're going to keep fighting for those who fight for us by working to keep these riders from becoming law.

🚨BAD NDAA AMENDMENT ADOPTED🚨 House Republicans just adopted an amendment that would effectively ban the Pride flag from being displayed at Department of Defense workplaces, buildings, and institutions.

🚨BAD NDAA AMENDMENT ADOPTED🚨 House Republicans just adopted an amendment to institute a federal "bathroom ban" at military facilities, requiring all persons to use single-sex facilities (bathrooms, locker rooms, etc) based on their "reproductive system."

🚨BAD NDAA AMENDMENT ADOPTED🚨 The House just adopted an amendment that would ban the Department of Defense from collecting data on troops' & employees' gender identities—another attempt by Republicans to erase the existence of trans people.

🚨BAD NDAA AMENDMENT ADOPTED🚨 The House just adopted an amendment to ban trans cadets from participating in women's athletic programs at the service academies—a backdoor attempt to ban trans women from joining the academies in the future.

🚨BAD NDAA AMENDMENT ADOPTED🚨 The House just adopted an amendment to ban TRICARE from covering healthcare for trans troops & their dependents, including mental healthcare for trans kids, which will cause real harm & lead troops to leave the service.

🚨BAD AMENDMENT ADOPTED🚨 The House just adopted an amendment that attacks servicemembers' trans children's access to healthcare & prohibits requesting reassignment to duty stations that are safe for their trans child—both of which will hurt families & troop retention efforts.

🚨BAD RIDERS ALERT🚨 The House GOP is marking up the FY26 Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations bill and are filling it with anti-LGBTQI+ riders. We urge the Committee to reject these extreme, cruel, and unnecessary riders:

🚨BAD RIDERS MOVING🚨 Late last night, the Republican-controlled Appropriations Committee advanced their Labor, Health, & Education FY26 funding bill out of committee—including 9 anti-LGBTQI+ riders. Our members will keep fighting to keep these riders from becoming law.

Tomorrow, the House will debate SIX Republican amendments to the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act that attack LGBTQI+ servicemembers, DoD employees, and their families. We urge the House to unite against these attacks on our servicemembers and REJECT these amendments!

🚨BAD RIDERS ALERT🚨 House Republicans have jammed their FY26 appropriations bill for the Depts of Labor, HHS, and Education FULL of anti-LGBTQI+ riders. We're calling on the Appropriations Committee to reject anti-equality extremism & these riders:

Last week, Chair @repmarktakano.bsky.social met with Andry José Hernández Romero, the gay makeup artist & asylum seeker disappeared by Trump to a foreign supermax prison. Rep. Takano is committed to the fight for justice for Andry & those whose rights were violated by this Administration.

House Republicans are planning to cut $2 billion in funding for HIV/AIDS. People will die. Just unbelievable cruelty. @repmarktakano.bsky.social and I met with Javier Muñoz and other advocates. We will do everything in our power to fight back!

🎉MORE GOOD NEWS🎉 Yesterday, an appeals court DENIED the Trump Admin's appeal to reinstate their anti-trans passport policy as litigation continues. This means trans & nonbinary Americans can still get passports with their correct gender markers. More info on how in our bio.

As kids across America return to school this fall amid an onslaught of attacks from anti-equality politicians, CEC Vice Chair @replsimon.bsky.social knows exactly what's at stake for LGBTQI+ students—and how to fight for them. Read her piece in Bay Area Reporter at the link in our bio.

🎉GOOD NEWS🎉 Earlier this year, when Trump erased health data & resources—including on HIV, LGBTQI+ people, & women’s health—several medical groups sued. This week, the Trump Admin settled & agreed to restore the censored resources, making this critical info accessible again!

House Republicans want to cut $1.7 BILLION from HIV prevention, treatment, research, & education programs—a move that experts warn will "reignite HIV in the United States." It's clear that Republicans care more about giving billionaires tax breaks than Americans' health.

🚨BAD BILL PASSED🚨 House Republicans just passed another bad FY26 appropriations bill with several anti-LGBTQI+ riders. We urge the Senate to quash this bill and for Republicans to stop hijacking the appropriations process to advance their unpopular anti-equality agenda.

🚨BAD RIDERS MOVING🚨 Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee just advanced another government funding bill that does more to attack the LGBTQI+ community than help Americans living paycheck-to-paycheck. We'll keep fighting to block these harmful attacks.

🚨BAD BILL ALERT🚨 The House has begun debating Republicans' Energy & Water appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2026, which contains several anti-LGBTQI+ provisions. We urge the House to reject this bill & for the Republican majority to stop these attacks. Here's why:

🚨BAD RIDERS ALERT🚨 House Republicans are marking up their Financial Services & General Government appropriations bill for FY26, and of course they're trying to attack the LGBTQI+ community with it. We urge the Appropriations Committee to reject these anti-equality riders:

Trump is threatening schools' funding over policies that allow trans students to exist openly & fully participate at school. This Admin is only interested in weaponizing Title IX to attack trans people, not using it to defend EVERY student's right to receive an education.

Once again, the Trump-Vance Admin is threatening funding for PEPFAR—a program that has saved +26 million lives—even after bipartisan backlash the last time they tried cutting this funding. Reckless cuts like these have already cost lives & will cost more if they aren't stopped.

Trump's Dept of Health is threatening funding for 46 states/territories' sex ed programs for referencing the existence of trans people. Republicans say they want the federal gov't out of education—then they turn around & do this. "Hypocritical" doesn't even begin to cover it.

42 Members of Congress—led by CEC Chair @repmarktakano.bsky.social, CEC Co-Chair & House Ag Dems RM @repangiecraig.bsky.social, Senator Fetterman, & Senator Brian Schatz—demanded USDA restore explicit protections for LGBTQI+ people in anti-hunger programs like SNAP & school lunches. More in our bio

Today, 187 Members of Congress—led by Equality Caucus Chair @repmarktakano.bsky.social & Vice Chair @reptedlieu.bsky.social & @merkley.senate.gov—filed a brief urging SCOTUS to protect young LGBTQI+ people and uphold Colorado's ban on so-called "conversion therapy." Link in bio for more info.

The Trump White House is banning coverage of transgender-related healthcare for federal employees. Moves like this cause real harm by both banning access to care federal workers and their families need & by making it harder to attract & retain talent in the federal workforce.

Last week, Republicans painted over a memorial for Pulse Nightclub victims in the middle of the night to appease Trump' & DeSantis's radical anti-LGBTQI+ agenda. The next morning, our community showed up to restore the memorial ourselves—because we won't stand for being erased.

It's no secret that the rights & safety of LGBTQI+ people are under attack around the world. That's why CEC Co-Chairs Rep. Robert Garcia, @repjuliejohnson.bsky.social, & @mcbride.house.gov lead the International LGBTQI+ Rights Task Force—to advocate for the human rights of LGBTQI+ people globally.

On #SeniorCitizensDay, we want to recognize our Vice Chair @repbonamici.bsky.social, who leads our LGBTQI+ Aging Issues Task Force to push for legislative & administrative action to protect the dignity & security of older LGBTQI+ people. We're so grateful to have an ally like Rep. Bonamici!

CEC Vice Chairs @jayapal.house.gov and @sarajacobs.house.gov lead our caucus's Transgender Equality Task Force, a core group of members who push for legislative action to ensure that trans people are treated equally & with dignity. We're so thankful to have them in our corner!

It's almost time for #BackToSchool! While the GOP is focusing on censoring LGBTQI+ content, dismantling the Dept of Education, and undermining Title IX, our members are fighting to ensure students can attend school free from discrimination, harassment, and censorship.

People are fooling themselves if they think the anti-equality movement’s recent emphasis on trans youth means they’re not coming for all the rights of LGBTQI+ people of all ages. We all have to fight back against the rise in anti-equality extremism—including anti-trans attacks.

A cisgender high schooler in Minnesota has shared that she was cornered in a restaurant's bathroom & forced by a server to prove she wasn't trans. Make no mistake: anti-trans bathroom policies & self-designated “bathroom gender police” harm all girls & women—both trans & cis.

Andry Hernández Romero, a gay man who came to the U.S. fleeing political & anti-gay violence in Venezuela, faced hell when the Trump Admin disappeared him to a foreign supermax prison just for simply having tattoos. You can read what Andry endured at the link in our bio.

Most of us in Chicago have heard of Lori Cannon. Our “AIDS Angel,” she made it her life’s mission to serve Chicago's LGBTQ+ community: leading protests during the AIDS epidemic, collecting food donations for those in need, and honoring the deceased through the AIDS Memorial Quilt. (1/2)

This is a tragic setback that will have a devastating impact for young trans people in Arkansas & other states that have banned medically-necessary care. The GOP will keep trying to rip healthcare away from trans people, but our members will keep fighting back—however we can.

Trump's State Department just released their annual Human Rights Reports—with no mentions of the criminalization or violence LGBTQI+ people around the world face. Censoring data on abuses LGBTQI+ people face globally proves AGAIN how little Trump cares about human rights.

Kim Davis—who illegally denied same-sex couples marriage licenses—asked SCOTUS to overturn marriage equality as she seeks to avoid paying damages to those whose rights she violated. The Justices should not take this case, because marriage equality should NOT be up for debate.

Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth are forcing all trans service members to resign. But the Air Force is also denying them their rightfully-earned retirement pay — solely based on their identity. This discrimination is illegal, unacceptable, and unAmerican.