Supporting Our LGBTQ+ Community

Representing Los Angeles – which has one of the largest and most vibrant LGBTQ+ populations in the United States – Congressman Sherman has long stood in solidarity on issues important to LGBTQ+ Americans.

Sherman is a member of the Congressional Equality Caucus (formerly known as the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus) and has consistently earned a 100 percent rating from the Human Rights Campaign for his voting record in Congress on issues important to the LGBTQ+ community.

Below are some of Sherman's recent efforts to support our LGBTQ+ community across the nation.

Protecting Equal Rights Under the Trump Administration

Under the previous administration, there was significant progress in advancing LGBTQ+ rights, including when President Biden signed the bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act into law. But since January 2025, we’ve unfortunately seen a renewed interest in shredding LGBTQ+ rights.

That legislation, which Congressman Sherman helped pass through the House, codified protections for same-sex and interracial marriages into federal statute. But there is still more work to do.

This April, Sherman helped reintroduce the Equality Act, to finally provide full protections against discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in finance, education, employment, housing, and public accommodations under federal law.

The Trump Administration’s policies are trying to force transgender and nonbinary Americans to use a gender marker on their passport inconsistent with their gender identity. Sherman joined with his Equality Caucus colleagues in submitting a formal comment letter opposing this change as it flies in the face of common sense and minimizes the usefulness of passports in helping to identify the passport holder.

In another instance, Trump fired two Democratic appointees on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Without their advocacy, it will be easier for employers to discriminate in hiring and fire LGBTQ+ Americans on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Congressman Sherman joined with congressional colleagues in sending a letter urging the Trump Administration to stand down and reverse the firings. Sherman supports the ongoing litigation challenges to Trump’s actions.

In today’s context, it is more important than ever that Congress pass the Do No Harm Act, of which Sherman is a strong supporter, to clarify that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act does not allow religious beliefs to be used as an excuse to discriminate against protected classes, including LGBTQ+ Americans.

Championing Equality at Home and Abroad

The fight for equality is taking place on multiple fronts – in the states, at the federal level, and worldwide. As the House and Senate work toward negotiating spending bills for the fiscal year, Congressman Sherman continues to advocate for the highest possible funding for programs such as the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program that supports LGBTQ+-inclusive health centers and the Department of Homeland Security’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program that funds security enhancements to organizations like LGBTQ+ community centers.

As a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Sherman has consistently worked to utilize America’s prominence on the world stage to help the most vulnerable populations across the globe, including the LGBTQ+ community abroad.

Sherman helped reintroduce the Global Respect Act, which would sanction foreign persons responsible for human rights abuses against LGBTQ+ individuals, banning them from obtaining visas or admission into the U.S. That legislation passed the House several years ago, and Sherman will prioritize working to pass that legislation when there is a progressive majority in the House once again.

Sherman was dismayed to see the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) include a provision banning the coverage of gender-affirming care for the children of American servicemembers. Military families deserve high-quality health insurance coverage, and Sherman voted against this year’s NDAA for that reason.

Congressman Sherman cosponsored the Promoting Respect for Individuals’ Dignity and Equality (PRIDE) Act which revises the federal tax code so that references to marriage are gender-neutral and allows same-sex couples to retroactively claim benefits the couple would have otherwise been eligible for if not for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

Furthermore, Sherman has cosponsored the Pride in Mental Health Act in order to expand support for LGBTQ+ Americans, authorize new federal funding for developing LGBTQ+ mental health resources, training for caregivers, and school bullying prevention guidelines, in addition to commissioning a report on LGBTQ+ foster youth mental health.