Human Rights Campaign president to address Democratic convention

Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Kelley Robinson will take to the stage Wednesday evening in Chicago to address the Democratic National Convention, highlighting the growing political power of the LGBTQ community and the path forward for equality.

“This convention is putting on display the future we deserve: one where we all have the freedom to love who we love, be who we are, and get the chance to shine,” Robinson said in a Wednesday statement. “Vice President Harris and Governor Walz have shown up for us their entire careers. It’s an honor to show up for them. And know this: when we show up, we win.”

Robinson, who is slated to speak at 6:45 p.m. EDT, will deliver remarks that amplify LGBTQ stories and link Vice President Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) to the fight for LGBTQ equality, the HRC said in a news release.

Major LGBTQ advocacy groups, including the HRC, have rallied around Harris’s historic bid for the White House, highlighting her positive record on LGBTQ rights over a decades-long career. Harris has, however, faced some criticism for her involvement in a 2015 case — when she was California’s attorney general — that sought to block a transgender woman in a state prison from receiving gender-affirming surgery, though she later apologized for her role in the case.

Most transgender Americans in a recent survey by FOLX Health, a digital LGBTQ health care service, said they are more enthusiastic about the upcoming presidential election with Harris in the race instead of President Biden.

Other LGBTQ speakers at Wednesday’s convention include Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D), the first openly gay man elected governor in the U.S., the group said. Both speakers will argue that sending former President Trump back to the White House in November will threaten LGBTQ equality.

A Democratic National Convention spokesperson declined to comment whether Wednesday evening’s lineup includes Buttigieg and Polis.