The Huffington Post: The Challenges of Being a Gay Member of Congress
With more LGBT members of Congress than ever before, now is the time to define LGBT leadership as a cadre of policymakers willing to strain a political system resistant to LGBT-affirming laws and shape public opinion on behalf of all LGBT Americans. These seven LGBT lawmakers are part of a community that, until recently, has been invisible on the national stage. With few of their peers willing to advance LGBT-affirming legislation, the onus is on them make our presence not only heard but integral to political debate.
The White House has made it overwhelmingly clear that it would rather defer to Congress than take executive action. President Obama has yet to issue an executive order that would prohibit federal contractors from discriminating against LGBT employees, and he did not play a role in convincing senators of his own party to support marriage equality. This puts LGBT representatives in a challenging position. They must navigate the wishes of their constituents while serving as the main advocates for a community that is so diverse that it permeates every sector of society. Placing LGBT interests within complex district and national frameworks is no easy task.
I called Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) to ask how he reconciles supporting LGBT-affirming legislation while representing his constituency. He said, "The onus is not fully on me, but I do feel a special responsibility. I think it is important for someone like me to not run away from who I am but embrace it. LGBT people across the country need to know they have a friend in Congress."