Dear Friends,

As we step into 2025, my heart is filled with pride in our community and hope for the future we can build together. Hope I see in every corner of our movement – young people stepping into their truth with unstoppable courage, families embracing their children with fierce love, teachers creating safe spaces in their classrooms, business leaders championing inclusion, and activists who wake up every day ready to push our movement forward. Your resilience isn't just personal strength – it's the power that moves history forward.

In countless ways, big and small, you prove that love still conquers hate, that dignity defeats discrimination, and that together we can build a future worthy of our dreams. This is what leadership looks like. This is what change looks like. This is what hope looks like in action. As your president, I've never been more certain of what we can achieve together.  Because when I look at our community, I don't just see the challenges we face – I see the power we hold. I see a movement that understands the hard work ahead and stands ready to do it, day after day, battle after battle.

This week has given us powerful cause for hope in the progress we're making: Sarah McBride made history as the first transgender woman sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives. Emily Randall became the first openly queer Latina in Congress, while Julie Johnson broke barriers as the first openly lesbian congresswoman from the South. They join over 1,200 out LGBTQ+ elected officials serving across America – each one a testament to our community's resilience and a beacon of hope for future generations.

Adding to these historic moments, President Biden honored two giants of our movement at the White House on January 2. Evan Wolfson, founder of Freedom to Marry, and Mary L. Bonauto of GLAD Law, who famously argued the Obergefell case before the Supreme Court of the United States, received the Presidential Citizens Medal — our nation's second-highest civilian honor — for their transformative work in achieving marriage equality. As the President noted, "Together, you embody the central truth: We're a great nation because we're a good people." Their recognition reminds us that progress is possible when we dare to imagine and fight for change.

The Advocate: Biden honors LGBTQ+ trailblazers for marriage equality contributions at Presidential Citizens Medal ceremony.

We face significant challenges ahead. The incoming administration has made their stance clear – they seek to roll back our hard-won progress. But we are not without hope, and we are certainly not without power. The Human Rights Campaign will be focused on shifting the momentum by connecting key battles across the country. We’ll be defending our progress and championing LGBTQ+ people in our schools and workplaces, in our communities and in political battles here in Washington and in the states.  By linking these strategic fights together, we will create a united force for progress that can't be ignored or divided. 

So What’s Next?

Taking Care of Our People In times of uncertainty, our first duty is to protect and support our community. We've created a comprehensive resource center at hrc.org/resources to help navigate these challenging times — from updating identity documents to accessing healthcare and practicing essential self-care. Our young people in schools need protection; our families across the country need defense, and our community needs tools to safeguard their fundamental freedoms. In the months ahead, we must choose community — stepping up to protect those who need us most and caring for each other with unwavering dedication.

Staying in The Fight This year demands our presence in every arena where our rights are at stake. We'll be there — in school board meetings and state houses, in corporate boardrooms and congressional halls — pushing back against anti-LGBTQ+ policies with unwavering determination. We'll leverage tools like our Corporate Equality Index to hold businesses accountable to their stated values. Where pro-equality champions lead, we'll advance policies that showcase what's possible. History has shown that when we show up united, we win. This year, we show up for every fight.

Creating a New Chapter in History Our greatest challenge extends beyond any single election cycle or policy fight — we must fundamentally change the American narrative. We need to tell a story that transforms "political talking points" into real people — family members, classmates, coworkers and friends. We must help people recognize their common humanity, fostering understanding through tough but necessary conversations around kitchen tables and at PTA meetings. 

This is about daring America to imagine something different, something better — a nation more expansive, more bold and more inclusive than anything previously conceived. And here is the good news. Our story is being written in community centers and courtrooms, in state houses and school boards, in the quiet courage of coming out and the bold vision of creating families in all their beautiful forms. This is not just about defending what we have — it's about imagining and building the future we deserve. This is the legacy we're creating for 2025 and beyond.

And speaking of family, I want to share some personal joy that deepens my commitment to this work. Over the holiday break, Becky and I announced that we're expecting! We shared our journey to parenthood in The Grio, adding our story to the beautiful tapestry of LGBTQ+ families across America. 

This year will bring challenges, yes. But when I think about the child we’re expecting and the  future we’re fighting for, I'm reminded of what's at stake – and what's possible. Like generations before us, we find our greatest strength in each other. Every parent's dream for their child is a world where they can thrive, freely and fully. Together, we'll build that world not just for our children, but for all who come after them.