Fighting for Equal Rights and LGBTQ+
No one should be discriminated against for who they love or choose to marry. Throughout his career, Chris has been a passionate advocate for LGBTQ+ equality.
As Co-Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, Chris introduced legislation to finally guarantee full equality under the law for LGBTQ+ individuals in areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, and more. He introduced the SERVE Act to restore and protect VA benefits for LGBTQ+ veterans discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and he is fighting back against the Trump Administration to restore the LGBTQ+ subline of the 988 crisis support hotline.
Chris is leading the fight to put an end to the discriminatory “panic” defenses based on sexual orientation or gender identity in federal courts. As more fundamental rights came under threat, Chris helped introduce and fought to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, which was signed into law in 2022 to ensure federal protections for marriage equality, even if the Supreme Court reverses the precedent set by United States v. Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges.
In 2018 Chris made history as the first out gay person to represent New Hampshire in Congress. In 2026 he’s ready to make history again as the first out gay man to serve in the United States Senate.