Joe Biden accuses MAGA Republicans of demonizing LGBTQ+ individuals

During the 2025 International LGBTQ+ Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C., elected LGBTQ+ leaders and candidates gathered to honor President Joe Biden's unwavering support for LGBTQ+ rights. This event also highlighted the growing challenges to the progress made in this area, as current political dynamics threaten to reverse those gains.

Bidens participation in the LGBTQ+ Victory Institutes event was a historic moment, as he became the first sitting or former president to speak at the gathering. Addressing a crowd of over 550 attendees, Biden accepted the Chris Abele Impact Award, the highest honor from the Institute, becoming only its third recipient.

In his speech, Biden emphasized the significance of continuing the fight for equality, particularly in the face of opposition. "This is no time to give up," he urged. "Its time to get up get up and fight back." He framed this struggle as essential for the preservation of American democracy, noting that LGBTQ+ Americans and their allies must stand firm against the current administrations policies, which he critiqued as undermining fundamental American values such as dignity and equality.

Since the beginning of Donald Trump's second term, Biden highlighted the administrations actions to reverse policies protecting LGBTQ+ individuals, especially transgender Americans. These moves, he argued, represented a broader attack on the American ideal of equality. "America is the only country founded on an idea," Biden stated. "We hold these truths to be self-evident... all are created equal, all deserve to be treated with dignity throughout their lives."

As he reflected on the current political climate, Biden warned that the GOP, led by "MAGA Republicans," is using LGBTQ+ issues to create division and fear. He accused them of turning LGBTQ+ rights into a political football, distorting the fight for equality to make it appear "scary" or "sinister." But, at its core, Biden stressed that equality simply means "making every American be treated with basic decency, dignity, and respect."

Bidens speech was both a celebration of progress and a call to action. He reminisced about his 2012 endorsement of marriage equality and reflected on the love and acceptance he had witnessed in LGBTQ+ families. He also shared a poignant memory from a private conversation with LGBTQ+ leaders, recounting how a man had asked him, "How do you feel about us?" Biden replied by referencing the love he saw in the eyes of a couples two young sons, reinforcing that true acceptance comes from understanding love, not fear.

He urged young LGBTQ+ people to stay strong in the face of adversity. "You are loved. You belong," he reassured them, emphasizing that they deserve to live their truth without fear. Biden also noted the damage done by the Trump administrations rhetoric, warning that LGBTQ+ equality was being misrepresented as something dangerous, rather than a basic human right.

The event marked a significant moment for LGBTQ+ political representation, with more than 700 LGBTQ+ leaders and advocates from around the world in attendance. The Victory Institutes mission is to empower LGBTQ+ individuals to run for office and lead, training them for roles that could change the political landscape. The Institute has been instrumental in promoting figures like Colorado Governor Jared Polis and U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin.

Bidens administration was credited for setting new standards in LGBTQ+ inclusion, with nearly 15 percent of his appointees identifying as LGBTQ+, surpassing any previous administration. Additionally, Bidens policies have expanded civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ people, including the reinstatement of transgender military service and strengthened anti-discrimination rules in employment and healthcare.

In closing, Biden expressed a sense of urgency and optimism. Quoting LGBTQ+ advocate Sarah McBride, he remarked, Hope is a conscious choice. You have to summon it. He encouraged the country to remain resilient in the face of challenges, declaring, "Were the United States of America, and there is nothing beyond our capacity when we act together."

Author: Jackson Miller