WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) issued the following statement in honor of LGBT Pride Month:

“I’m glad to join Americans across the country in celebrating the LGBT community,” Brown said. “As we commemorate LGBT Pride Month, we must honor the bravery of the countless lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals who continue to fight for full civil rights and for a more just and inclusive society. I oppose any form of discrimination and believe that all Americans deserve the equal protections guaranteed under the Constitution.”

Brown continues to support the LGBT community and its fight for equal rights under the law. Last month, Brown introduced a resolution condemning conversion therapy, noting the destructive effects it can have upon LGBT individuals.

In April, Brown met with Jim Obergefell, a Cincinnati resident and the lead plaintiff in Obergefell v. Hodges. The case, which is before the U.S. Supreme Court, will determine whether it is constitutional for a state to refuse to recognize a same-sex marriage license issued in another state. In May, Brown joined 43 of his Senate colleagues and 167 members of the House of Representatives in filing an amicus brief in the Supreme Court stating that all couples deserve the right to marry no matter the state that they live in. He is one of a handful of sitting senators who voted against the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996 – during his service as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

In August 2014, Brown gave remarks during the Opening Ceremony of the 2014 Gay Games in Cleveland.

###