[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4419]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     SUPPORTING THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY

  (Mr. FARR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise for the 14th consecutive year in order 
to speak out on behalf of the LGBTQ youth community. It is unacceptable 
that, in 2016, young people are still experiencing discrimination 
across this country based on their sexual orientation or gender 
identity.
  Kaleb Lennon, a young transgender student in my district, sees this 
day as a chance to combat the bullying, the slurs, and the put-downs 
that these children face on a daily basis. I am proud to lend my voice 
to Kaleb's cause. It is our duty to speak out against the bigotry and 
hatred facing this community. We must celebrate the diversity in this 
country and reject all forms of discrimination.
  Mr. Speaker, this is my last year to take the floor and support these 
young people. I ask that, next year, my colleagues stand where I am and 
lend their voices to the support of the LGBTQ community.
  Today, as youth across the country take a vow of silence to protest 
the silent response they see to bigotry, I ask one last time that you 
remember that, while you are silent, we here in Congress should not be.

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