Marking the first week of Pride Month, the Justice Department convened its quarterly interagency meeting with LGBTQI+ community stakeholders. Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer addressed attendees, emphasizing the Department’s commitment to supporting LGBTQI+ communities through enforcement and grantmaking activities. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division and the division’s LGBTQI+ Working Group outlined several civil and criminal enforcement efforts.
“Protecting civil rights is at the core of the Justice Department’s mission. As we seek to advance equality for LGBTQI+ Americans, the Department remains committed to bringing all resources to bear in that fight,” said Mizer. “Our efforts span the entire Department and include our pursuit of litigation to protect access to gender-affirming healthcare for transgender adults and minors, and our grants to organizations as well as state and local agencies working to prevent hate crimes and provide trauma-informed support to survivors. While progress is not always easy, we will not let up in our fight to ensure equal justice for everyone, regardless of what they look like, how they worship, or who they love.”
“The Civil Rights Division’s efforts to protect the rights of the LGBTQI+ community are wide-ranging efforts to protect children subjected to bullying and harassment, expand opportunities in education and employment, ensure access to necessary health care, and prosecute those who commit unlawful hate-motivated violence,” said Clarke. “As we continue celebrating Pride Month, we stand ready to use every tool available to safeguard the dignity, safety and civil rights of the LGBTQI+ community to ensure the full protections and guarantees of the U.S. Constitution and federal laws.”
Representatives from various branches within the Justice Department—including the Civil Rights Division, FBI, Community Relations Service Office of Justice Programs, and Office on Violence Against Women—heard from attending organizations on topics such as student safety and well-being, health data privacy, anti-LGBTQI+ violence and hate crimes, HIV discrimination, grant funding concerns, and increasing intersex awareness. Representatives from other government agencies were also present.
This meeting reinforces the Justice Department’s commitment to protecting LGBTQI+ rights by building relationships with relevant organizations and stakeholders. Recent departmental actions include statements of interest and lawsuits challenging state bans on gender-affirming healthcare for transgender individuals in Indiana and Idaho. The department has also upheld LGBTQI+ rights under laws such as the Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act while prosecuting hate crimes based on LGBTQI+ status.
Further details about these initiatives can be found on the Civil Rights Division's website under its LGBTQI+ Working Group page.
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