“A Tireless Champion for LGBTQ+ Equality”: HRC Thanks Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi for Her Decades of Commitment to Our Community & Country

WASHINGTON - Today, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi announced that she will not be running for reelection, which will bring an end to a history-making career in civil service. Throughout her time in politics, Emerita Pelosi has been a steadfast ally for the LGBTQ+ community and has helped to progress critical equality initiatives, including the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act.

"There will never be another Nancy Pelosi -- she is one of one," said Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson. "Throughout her career, Speaker Emerita Pelosi has remained a tireless champion for LGBTQ+ equality and worked alongside LGBTQ+ advocates to pass historic legislation that expanded access to health care, protected marriage equality, honored Matthew Shepard with federal hate crimes protections and ended 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' Her steel spine, allyship and keen insight have served as powerful tools in our shared fight for progress and we are grateful for her unwavering commitment to our community."

"As Americans navigate a critical moment in our nation's history - facing an administration that is shamelessly working to strip away our hard-fought rights - groundbreakers like Speaker Emerita Pelosi remind us that when we stand tall against injustice, equality will prevail. We take this lesson forward as we continue this fight. Thank you Speaker Emerita Pelosi for your unwavering support and congratulations on your well-earned retirement."

Pelosi earned a lifetime score of nearly 100% on HRC's Congressional Scorecard. During her tenures as Speaker of the House, from 2007-2011 and 2019-2023, the LGBTQ+ community saw more legislative progress than under any previous Speaker. In 2021, the Pelosi-led House passed the Respect for Marriage Act, which codified federal marriage equality by guaranteeing the federal rights, benefits and obligations of marriages in the federal code; repealing the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and affirming that public acts, records and proceedings should be recognized by all states. Additionally, Pelosi led the fight for the landmark Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

Among these legislative achievements, Pelosi has also been a long-time advocate of LGBTQ+ healthcare equality. Her first speech on the House floor in 1987, then-freshman Congresswoman Pelosi called for action from President Reagan to mitigate the ongoing HIV & AIDS epidemic and helped secure the permits for the AIDS Memorial Quilt to appear at the National Mall for the first time.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation's largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, with 3.6 million members and supporters. The HRC Foundation (a 501(c)(3)) works to ensure LGBTQ+ people are safe, seen and supported where it matters most: at school, at work and in every community across the country. From the courtroom to the classroom, from Congress to corporate America, HRC and the HRC Foundation build power through partnerships, storytelling, and action-working to create a future rooted in equity, freedom and belonging for all LGBTQ+ people.