Luminary Leadership Award: Congresswoman Sara Jacobs

Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (she/her) is a true advocate for our community, choosing action over silence, passionately defending LGBTQ+ rights in Congress, supporting transgender service members, fighting against discrimination, and embodying courage. As Vice Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus and Co-Chair of the Transgender Equality Task Force, she used her powerful influence to advocate for our community and continues to ignite hope in our fight for equality.

“I am incredibly proud to be the sister of a trans brother and a gender non-conforming sibling. It has been so amazing to watch them grow more comfortable and confident in their own skin thanks to getting the care, support, and respect they need. I have also seen the very real mental health consequences to them and our family when they were not able to live as their true authentic self. That is why I feel it is my responsibility in Congress to be a vocal ally for the LGBTQ+ community as the Vice Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus and the Co-Chair of the Transgender Equality Task Force. 

“It is pretty obvious that many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle can be ignorant or maybe unaware of the harm their words and policies are causing. That is why I take the time to share about my family and explain things that are normal to the LGBTQ+ community but may be unfamiliar to cis people or people without LGBTQ+ loved ones – like how people identify themselves or the sexuality spectrum. I even introduce my colleagues to my trans brother so they can never say they have not met a trans person before. I also regularly call out my colleagues when they are intentionally being hateful toward the LGBTQ+ community and I make sure to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community because we should not only talk about the queer community when their rights are being attacked.

“I am incredibly honored to receive the Luminary Leadership Award. For decades, The Center has been at the forefront of the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, refusing to let silence, stigma, or discrimination define the LGBTQ+ community. I am so proud to call them a partner in this important work. 

“The fight for LGBTQ+ rights really boils down to equality and justice and that is why this is a movement that includes, represents, and fights for everyone, no matter their identity.”