Issue Position: Equality

Issue Position

Mike Quigley has always been committed to doing what is fair, what is right, and what is just.As vice chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, he has been a leader in the fight for full equality under the law and has used his platform to give voice to the voiceless.

One of Mike's first actions upon arriving in Congress was to support legislation repealing the military's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy. Mike consistently supported the repeal of this discriminatory policy and was honored to be present when President Obama signed legislation repealing it in late 2010. He marked the occasion by visiting the grave of Leonard Matlovich, an early gay rights advocate. Matlovich's gravestone reads: "When I was in the military they gave me a medal for killing two men, and a discharge for loving one." Throughout his time on Capitol Hill, Mike consistently opposed the Defense of Marriage Act and advocated for its eventual repeal.

Mike is leading the fight against the FDA blood ban deferral policy, which unfairly excludes men who have sex with men from donating blood. Having worked on this issue with then Senator John Kerry, and now partnering with Senators Tammy Baldwin and Elizabeth Warren, Mike has continued to push the FDA to change this policy.

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