Washington, DC – Today, Equality PAC Co-Chairs Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA) and Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI) welcomed five new Members to the Equality PAC Member Board. Those Members include Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY); Congresswoman Becca Balint (D-VT); Congressman Robert Garcia (D-CA); Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX); and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz (D-FL). They will replace founding Equality PAC Board Members Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY); Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI); and Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA) – who will now hold Board Emerita positions with Equality PAC.
“Before we welcome our new Board Members, we want to first extend our tremendous appreciation to Congresswoman Meng, Congresswoman Moore, and Chairwoman DelBene for their tried and true, steadfast support of the LGBTQ community and for their commitment to Equality PAC and its important mission from the very beginning,” said Equality PAC Co-Chairs Ranking Member Mark Takano and Congressman David Cicilline. “With their help and unwavering dedication, we made history in 2018, 2020, and 2022 – electing trailblazing LGBTQ persons to the House and repeatedly setting a new record for LGBTQ representation in federal office.”
“We are excited to continue building on those successes with the addition of Congressmen Torres and Garcia and Congresswomen Balint, Fletcher, and Wasserman Shultz to our Equality PAC Member Board. Each of these individuals share a deep commitment to advancing the lives and wellbeing of the LGBTQ community — and bring with them their own unique experiences and perspectives that will only better our ability to recruit and elect talented and diverse LGBTQ persons to Congress and fight for equal treatment under the law. They will help us to once again elect a record number of LGBTQ+ persons to Congress who will have a seat at the table, impact the debate, and humanize our community’s concerns.”
Torres, Garcia, Balint, Fletcher, and Wasserman Schultz will join current board members Congressman Dan Kildee (D-MI), Congressman Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Congressman Mark Pocan (D-WI), Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA), and Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM).
Equality PAC is the political arm of the Congressional LGBTQ Equality Caucus and is dedicated to the full legal and societal equality for LGBTQ Americans. All funds raised into Equality PAC are spent supporting and electing openly LGBTQ individuals and strong LGBTQ allies to the United States Congress who are committed to passing the Equality Act and to ensuring full civil rights and protections for all LGBTQ Americans.
