A new day has begun in our nation. The pro-equality future — which so many of us have worked toward for decades — is closer than ever before.

In President Biden, we have a leader who truly cares about people, about principles and advancing equality for all. In Vice President Harris, we have a brilliant and passionate public servant who is a proud champion of LGBTQ equality, and who continues to break down barriers as she leads our nation toward greater justice. For the first time in four years, we have compassionate, competent and clear-eyed leaders governing our country. And we owe their election to each and every one of you.

This pro-equality White House will have the support of pro-equality majorities in both the House and the Senate to advance much-needed progress for our entire nation. It bears repeating — we owe the election of these pro-equality majorities to each and every one of you.

The new administration has already hit the ground running to deliver the change our communities need. On day one, President Biden issued the most substantive, wide-ranging LGBTQ executive order in our nation’s history. The next week, the Biden administration repealed the discriminatory and unpatriotic ban on transgender troops serving in our military. And in the days and weeks since, the Biden administration has taken swift steps to address pressing problems facing our communities, our country and the world.

President Biden is also committed to building an administration that represents the great diversity of our nation, and he has already appointed the most diverse Cabinet in our nation’s history. The administration that President Biden and Vice President Harris are putting together better reflects the communities that they serve, which better serves our entire democracy.

This is a time for celebration, for reflection and commemoration. Thank you to all who joined us at our virtual “Power of Equality” event, as we came together as an HRC family to acknowledge this transformational time. Wherever you tuned in from, I hope you found community, inspiration, hope and healing.

As we look to what comes next, we know that there is important work ahead to meet the crises that we face. As President Biden said, we are in the middle of a dark winter, with more than 500,000 lost to COVID-19, and an entire nation in mourning. White supremacy has rotted our institutions to their very core, with armed insurrection at the Capitol making visible to all the danger to our democracy so many of us have known for too long. The epidemic of violence against the trans community, disproportionately impacting Black and Brown transgender women, continues its dangerous acceleration. And already in new state legislative sessions, we are seeing lawmakers tragically and opportunistically target the rights and welfare of our communities. We need real and concrete change — and we need it urgently.

Because of all of the pro-equality champions you helped elect up and down the ballot, so much change is now possible. But it will require us to continue to take action, in coalition, in collaboration, and with an intention to transform our systems so that they truly serve all of us.

I know it will not be easy. But neither was the election. And yet, we did it. We summoned our resolve individually, through this organization and in coalition to lay the foundation for great progress ahead.

Now, it is on each of us to make sure this progress is realized. In this new day for our democracy which we achieved together, let us recommit ourselves to being the light our communities, our country and our world needs.

In Unity,