Congressman Lowenthal Named Vice-Chair Of House LGBT Equality Caucus

WASHINGTON, D.C. - February 26, 2015 – Congressman Alan Lowenthal, in recognition of his commitment and dedication to equality and LGBT issues, has been named as a vice-chair of the U.S. House of Representatives LGBT Equality Caucus.

  "I am honored to serve in a leadership position on the LGBT Equality Caucus. For my entire adult life, I have fought to defend the basic human rights of equality and equal treatment for all people. While we still have a long journey ahead, in a short space of time, we have made tremendous strides towards full equality and acceptance of the LGBT community,” Congressman Lowenthal said.

  “At the same time, however, many places in the world remain a dangerous and even deadly place for LGBT people. The only way to combat this global issue is for the U.S. to shine as a beacon of equality to the world, while at the same time defending and advancing the progress we have made at home. This is one of the reasons I recently joined with Sen. Ed Markey in successfully calling on Secretary of State John Kerry to appoint a special envoy on global LGBT issues within the State Department. As a member of the Equality Caucus, I look forward to working with the recently appointed special envoy, Randy Berry."

The LGBT Equality Caucus was created in 2008 by Co-Chairs Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Barney Frank (D-MA), along with more than 90 members of Congress who were strongly committed to achieving the full enjoyment of human rights for LGBT people in the United States and around the world. The Caucus serves as a resource for Members of Congress and their staff and works toward the extension of equal rights, the repeal of discriminatory laws, the elimination of hate-motivated violence, and the improved health and well-being for all regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression.

Congressman Lowenthal joined the Caucus in 2013 after his election to Congress.

As a member of the caucus leadership, Congressman Lowenthal will also serve as a co-chair of one of the caucus' newly-formed Equality Caucus Task Forces, which are being created to focus caucus leadership expertise to address specific needs of the LGBT community. The membership of the individual task forces will be announced by the caucus in the near future.  

Congressman Alan Lowenthal represents the cities of Long Beach, Lakewood, Signal Hill, Avalon, Los Alamitos, Rossmoor, Cypress, Westminster, Garden Grove, Buena Park, Anaheim, Midway City and Stanton in California’s 47th Congressional District. He can be followed on Facebook, Twitter, or his website.