“The entire Human Rights Campaign family is saddened by the passing of Dale Kildee, a man who dedicated his career to serving the people of Flint,” said Michigan State Director Amritha Venkataraman. “Throughout his tenure in Congress, he was a steadfast partner to the LGBTQ+ community, pulling the country towards full equality for LGBTQ+ individuals under the law during times when the community had few friends in the halls of Congress. In the early 1990s, he voted for domestic partnership benefits in the District of Columbia and voted against ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ and then voting for its repeal seventeen years later. We are grateful for his life’s work in the U.S. House as a champion for LGBTQ+ people. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this time.”