On 6 November, former US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced her upcoming retirement, capping a remarkable 38-year career representing San Francisco—a city long at the heart of LGBTQ+ activism. Since her election in 1987, Pelosi has remained one of the most vocal and unwavering allies of the LGBTQ+ community in American politics.
From speaking out during the height of the AIDS crisis to challenging discriminatory laws and championing marriage equality, Pelosi’s LGBTQ+ advocacy has spanned decades and left a lasting impact.
Early Advocacy in Congress (1987–2002)
Pelosi’s commitment to LGBTQ+ rights was clear from the outset. After defeating gay activist Harry Britt in a 1987 special election, she used her very first speech on the House floor to address the AIDS crisis.
She later helped secure permits for the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt to be displayed on the National Mall and marched in the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights that same year.
Pelosi also cosponsored the 1990 Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program and testified for increased HIV/AIDS funding alongside Elizabeth Taylor.
Despite a few controversial votes, such as supporting the 1994 Defence Authorisation Act that included “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT), she remained publicly opposed to discriminatory policies, voting against the Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996 and helping establish the AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco as a national landmark.
Democratic House Leader (2002–2007)
As House Minority Leader, Pelosi oversaw bipartisan support for the creation of PEPFAR, a landmark HIV/AIDS funding program. She also voted against constitutional amendments that sought to restrict marriage to heterosexual couples.
Speaker of the House (2007–2011)
Pelosi’s leadership during this time brought key advances for LGBTQ+ rights. She supported the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), though faced criticism for backing a version that excluded gender identity protections.
Notably, she endorsed California’s legalisation of same-sex marriage, helped secure passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and played a major role in removing the U.S. entry ban for people living with HIV.
Under her leadership, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed, filling healthcare gaps for LGBTQ+ Americans. Most significantly, Pelosi was pivotal in repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” calling it a policy that “contravenes our American values.”
House Leader Again (2011–2019)
In this period, Pelosi’s support extended to trans rights, endorsing transgender military service and opposing Trump-era bans. She celebrated the Supreme Court’s ruling in favour of same-sex marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges and condemned attempts to restrict gender-affirming care for trans troops.
She also helped block attempts to eliminate transgender healthcare access and was honoured for her AIDS advocacy by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
Speaker of the House (2019–2023)
Pelosi led the passage of numerous pro-LGBTQ+ bills in the House, including the Equality Act, the PRIDE Act, and the Respect for Marriage Act—which repealed DOMA and protected same-sex and interracial marriages. Many of these efforts were stalled or killed in the Senate under Republican leadership.
She condemned Trump’s transgender military ban as “bigoted,” passed a resolution urging the Department of Defense to reverse it, and continued to voice support on national platforms, including two appearances on RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Final Years in Office (2023–Present)
Though she stepped down from party leadership, Pelosi continued to defend LGBTQ+ rights. She condemned the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in 303 Creative v. Elenis as discriminatory and reflected on the toll of the AIDS crisis at the Library of Congress’s “Collecting Memories” exhibition.
In February 2025, she revealed in an interview that her trans grandniece lives in fear under the Trump administration.
“They want to strip trans individuals and their families of essential services,” she warned, adding, “The message has to be: We are with you. You are not alone.”
