Recognizing Henry Berg-Brousseau

Floor Speech

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Mr. McGARVEY. Madam Speaker, I rise tonight to tell everybody about one of my former interns in the Kentucky State Senate, Henry Berg- Brousseau.

Henry was truly one of my favorite interns. He was one of those guys who was bright, curious, and had a smile that could light up the room.

In Kentucky, in the State senate, the Kentucky Capitol Annex is behind the capitol and we would make that walk across to the State capitol, just as we make the walk across here in Washington, D.C., from the House office buildings.

Henry was incessant, constantly peppering me with questions, asking me things: What are the policies we can do? What are the fights we can have? How do we make progress? How do we get things done in the seat of government?

Henry was brilliant. He was kind, ambitious, and really funny. Most importantly, Henry was a fighter. He had to be. Despite having two loving parents and a wonderful family, Henry's life wasn't easy. He was severely bullied as a kid and he battled with the trauma and the depression that went with it.

It wasn't coming from the kids either. Adults from all walks of life bullied and berated him incessantly until the end. Unfortunately, that end came way too soon.

Last December, on December 16, Henry died by suicide. He dedicated his life--his young life--to helping people like him. His work and legacy will continue to benefit youth all across this country. I can't help but think how much he would have given to this world if he had just been allowed the chance to exist and exist in peace.

Henry's mom, Karen, recently joined the President and First Lady on the South Lawn of the White House to celebrate Pride Month. That is not where she wanted to be. You never stop being a parent. She wants to be with her son.

Henry's story is truly tragic but, unfortunately, it is not unique. We can all agree that what I just described is a tragedy. It is a tragedy to lose a young person, a tragedy to lose somebody with so much potential, a tragedy for any parent to have to bury their baby.

Yet for some, when I tell you that Henry was trans, that tragedy goes away. His humanity is erased. Henry is erased. I can't accept that.

We can't bring Henry back, but we can continue his fight to end the suffering that he and way, way, way too many others have endured by people who refuse to acknowledge the humanity of trans people and try to criminalize their very existence.

More than 80 percent of transgender people have struggled with suicidal ideation, and nearly half have attempted suicide. The Trevor Project estimates that one LGBTQ+ child attempts suicide every 45 seconds in the United States. Every 45 seconds a child tries to kill themselves--a child.

What has our response to this tragedy been?

In the first 6 months of Congress, House Republicans have passed legislation that actually makes it worse, that further harms LGBTQ+ kids, from the so-called Parents Bill of Rights, which unfairly targets our most vulnerable youth, to the national bans that deny decisionmaking abilities of doctors, coaches, and parents.

We have tried to complicate these issues. I want to make it really clear and really simple: Stop being mean to kids. Our children are not pieces in a political game. These anti-LGBTQ+ bills have real-life consequences.

Instead of legislating with the kindness and compassion that our kids need, House Republicans' legislative priorities have been overreaching, callous, and cruel.

We are not alone in that blame. Unfortunately, Congress isn't the only institution passing these heinous, heartbreaking, and harmful laws. State legislators across the country are following suit and are trying to legislate LGBTQ youth out of existence.

In my home State of Kentucky, Republicans in the general assembly made things worse and overrode the Governor's veto of one of the most oppressive trans laws in the Nation at the eleventh hour.

Senate Bill 150 tramples the rights of children and parents with exclusionary bathroom policies. It overrules the judgment of teachers by barring the discussion of gender identity or sexual orientation, and it barricades doctors from their patients by banning gender-affirming care, which is often lifesaving care. It is cruel and it is not without consequence. It is hurting people across the Commonwealth of Kentucky and across our country right now.

Madam Speaker, I find it especially ironic that these overreaching policies come from the party of small government.

Last week, we kicked off the beginning of Pride Month. The impetus for pride goes back to Stonewall when the LGBTQ+ community transformed the fight for equality in the United States.

Pride Month is meant to be a joyous celebration of free expression, equality, inclusion, and resiliency. In just the time that I have been in public office, we have made huge strides, both big and small, at every level.

We have cemented marriage rights for everyone. In Kentucky, 24 cities have a fairness ordinance. Nationwide, 21 States have restricted conversion therapy. Also, 38 States allow trans people to update their name and gender identity on their drivers license, and 27 States allow the same for birth certificates.

Alongside members of the LGBTQ+ community and advocates, we have worked hard to move the needle toward a more loving, accepting, and inclusive world. What has been accomplished is important, but there is still so much to do. There is still so much more to fight for.

We are fighting for safety. We are fighting for equality. We are fighting for freedom. We just recently marked the seventh anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, where 49 people were killed just for being themselves.

Madam Speaker, on days like today when we talk about these issues, when it should be a celebration, I still can't help but think about some of the heartbreak. Today, I can't help but think about Henry. I think about the world that he was fighting for--a more compassionate, understanding, caring place for everyone.

These extremist Republican attacks against LGBTQ people are wrong. They are unacceptable. They are inhumane. Let me be perfectly clear: The words and acts coming from our colleagues are not harmless. They are not small. They are hurting innocent people and they are hurting children.

If we don't take a stand and change how we legislate, then we will see more kids like Henry--bright, energetic, enthusiastic, kind, caring, compassionate people who will struggle; who, despite the love from friends and family, will see no way out as these attacks become too painful to bear.

Madam Speaker, here in this Chamber, in this body, in life, our job is to fight for people. Our job is to fight for people in the margins. Our job is to fight for people like Henry and to fight to protect everyone's rights. It shouldn't matter who you are. It shouldn't matter who you love or where you come from. Everyone deserves to be treated equally.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Vermont (Ms. Balint) for her remarks.

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Mr. McGARVEY. Madam Speaker, I can't do better than the Congresswoman from Vermont, Congresswoman Becca Balint, who is not just an extraordinary person with incredible intellect, with incredible ability, with one of the biggest hearts I've ever seen, but as you have heard tonight, she is also so brave and so courageous. Do not let the little frame fool you. She is who you want in your foxhole.

I think her story shines a spotlight on something that is true in Vermont, it is true in Kentucky, and it is true across this country; that despite the incredible steps and strides we have taken and made, there is still so much left to do.

Congresswoman Balint, I know you have been called to public service. I know you have alleviated, not only in Vermont, people's suffering. You are going to do it here, and you are going to do it for every kid in the country. Thank you also for showing the way.

There are kids in this country tonight who see your speech and your example and know it is possible for them too, which is good. It is not good--it is great. It is a great thing because look at what we are talking about here.

We are talking about kindness and compassion, empathy, caring, inclusiveness, equality. Equality. When we don't talk about those things, it is the opposite. It is hatred. It is division. It is inequality.

I know in my State, in Kentucky, 24 cities have passed a fairness ordinance. What is a fairness ordinance?

It simply means you can't be discriminated against in your housing, your employment, or your accommodations. That is the fancy way of saying you get to live where you want to live. You get to work where you want to work. You get to eat where you want to eat.

We couldn't pass it on a State-wide level in the Kentucky General Assembly.

What does that tell people? It says, in fact, they want to allow that discrimination. Why? Why? Think about the real and practical implications that has.

I talked about Henry, my intern; so full of promise, so full of life. He died by suicide on December 16. It was a Friday. His mom called me as I was sitting in a coffee shop meeting with somebody. I went over to her house that night and gave her a hug.

I knew Henry before I ever knew his mom. His mom served with me in the State senate, she was my colleague.

We hugged, and she sobbed because she just lost her son. Not a statistic. Not a number. Not a trans kid. Her son. Her baby. Her Henry.

Her colleagues all reached out and expressed sympathy and then turned around and passed a truly awful overreaching and heinous bill that targets youth in the State of Kentucky.

An interesting person came to testify. One of our former colleagues, a Republican State rep who just retired and also learned that one of his grandchildren is trans. He admitted he didn't know how to handle it at first.

You know how you handle your kids or your grandkids? With love.

He testified that he is worried his kids and his grandchild will have to leave the State of Kentucky, where he served as a conservative lawmaker because of the overreaching effects of legislation like what they passed in Kentucky and like we have talked about passing and have, in fact, passed on the floor of this House.

If you don't know how to deal with these situations in your own family, and you decide the best way to deal with them is love, isn't that the best way to deal with it for every kid and every family in this country?

Madam Speaker, my colleagues and I have made it very clear tonight that we will not stand for these extremist attacks against the LGBTQ community.

We will not let the majority threaten to legislate LGBTQ people out of existence and let them know that their harmful, extremist bills have real-life consequences.

We must and we will do everything in our power to support our LGBTQ+ community. We will show understanding over ignorance, kindness over callousness, and inclusivity over exclusion. We will save lives. We will work toward that more perfect Union.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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