Nancy Pelosi's Record as a Passionate LGBTQ+ Ally
Nancy Pelosi’s announcement that she won’t seek a leadership position in the next session of the U.S. House of Representatives means one of the greatest LGBTQ+ allies ever is stepping down.Pelosi has been the House Democratic leader, either as speaker or minority leader, depending on whether the Dems held a majority, for 20 years.
The first and only woman to be speaker of the House, Pelosi has taken many pro-LGBTQ+ stances and actions that are now mainstream among Democrats, so her successor as leader of the House Dems will likely be a major ally, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that she was a pioneer.She has been a member of the House since 1987, when she won a special election to represent a San Francisco district.
In her first year in office, she joined in the March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.In a video from the march, a reporter observed that Pelosi was one of the few members of Congress participating.
She replied that she was there not only to show solidarity with the many San Franciscans who had traveled to D.C. for the event, but to demonstrate support for a gay civil rights bill and increased funding to address the AIDS crisis (her first speech to the House dealt with AIDS).
