Allies are key to winning LGBT rights

A little more than a decade ago, Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act, defining marriage, at the federal level, as a union between a man and a woman.

The following year, Ellen Degeneres came out as a lesbian and lost her television show.

And one year after that, Matthew Shepard was murdered because he was gay.

Looking back a decade, it’s hard to believe how much progress we’ve made in such a short time. We have so much to be proud of.

Today, we have marriage equality in five states and Washington, DC, and civil unions in nearly a dozen more. Trans-inclusive employment nondiscrimination policies are in effect in 13 states. Hate crimes laws exist at the federal level and in 36 states to protect people like Matthew.

We’ve come so far because of people like you—committed LGBT folks who make incredible sacrifices in order to advance equality.

But we haven’t made this progress alone. Straight allies have been beside us every step of the way, courageously standing up for their LGBT friends, co-workers, and neighbors and showing the world that fairness is a value we should all work for.

Despite all the incredible strides we’ve made in the direction of equality, LGBT people are not treated with the respect, dignity, and fairness we deserve, and our fight continues.

But we can’t fight it alone. Moving forward, we’re going to need straight allies more than ever before.

That’s why I’m incredibly proud that Senators Mark Udall and Michael Bennet represent me in Washington.

Just last week, Senator Mark Udall sent a “Happy Pride” message to One Colorado supporters, and as I watched the video, I remembered his incredible leadership in the fight to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT). Despite political delays and pressure, Senator Udall never wavered in his commitment to repealing the discriminatory policy, and he kept working with his colleagues in the Senate until the job was done and the policy was history.

When you thank Senator Udall for his amazing work to end DADT, he simply says, “We were able to undo an injustice,” and then he begins to list all the others that need attention. One item on his list is immigration equality. Senator Udall has courageously sponsored a bill that would allow a US citizen to sponsor their same-sex partner for immigration purposes. If passed, the bill would help end the tearing apart of LGBT families across the country—an issue that’s incredibly important to thousands of Denver PrideFest attendees who signed our petition calling for passage of the Uniting American Families Act.

Like Senator Udall, Senator Michael Bennet celebrated Pride in Denver, joining our staff and volunteers as we marched down Colfax Avenue. As he stood with us, I was struck by exactly what his presence symbolized: his commitment to equality for LGBT Coloradans.

Just a few days before Pride, Senator Bennet announced that he would co-sponsor the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill to repeal the unconstitutional Defense of Marriage Act. If passed, legally married LGBT couples would have access to critical protections and responsibilities provided to married couples at the federal level.

When you ask Senator Bennet why he signed on as a co-sponsor of the bill, he answers, “Same-sex couples deserve the same federal marriage benefits that my wife and I enjoy.” LGBT Coloradans agree—and consider this issue one of critical importance, according to our survey of 4,600 LGBT folks in the state.

From marriage to safe schools, immigration equality to employment nondiscrimination, we have a lot of work ahead of us. But I’m honored to be in the struggle for equality alongside leaders like Senator Udall and Senator Bennet. I could ask for no stronger allies to represent the unique needs of the LGBT community in Congress.

Together, I believe we can continue to make incredible progress—so that a decade from now, when we reflect back, we’re all looking at a completely different picture.