Human Rights Campaign declares national state of emergency for LGBTQ+ community

Pride flag: AP Photo/Morry Gash

The Human Rights Campaign, the largest organization advocating for the civil rights of LGBTQ+ individuals in the United States, has announced a national state of emergency for the LGBTQ+ community. This marks the first instance of such an emergency declaration in the organization's forty-year history.

"LGBTQ+ Americans are living in a state of emergency. The multiplying threats facing millions in our community are not just perceived – they are real, tangible and dangerous," the group's president, Kelley Robinson, stated

"In many cases they are resulting in violence against LGBTQ+ people, forcing families to uproot their lives and flee their homes in search of safer states, and triggering a tidal wave of increased homophobia and transphobia that puts the safety of each and every one of us at risk," Robinson added. 

As part of the emergency declaration, the organization will publish a digital handbook that encompasses various resources related to health, safety, state-specific legislation, "know your rights" details, as well as support materials tailored for LGBTQ+ travelers and individuals residing in states with an "unfriendly environment," the Human Rights Campaign stated, as reported by CNN.

The Human Rights Campaign reported that this significant declaration, made at the onset of Pride Month, is a response to "an unprecedented wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in 2023."

The NAACP just last month issued a travel notice for Florida, outlining six bills recently passed there, many already signed by GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican contender for president.

"Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals," the statement reads. "Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color."