Where does Kamala Harris stand on LGBTQ+ rights?

• LGBTQ+ groups came out in support of Kamala Harris
• Vice President praised for record on LGBTQ+ rights
• Harris expected to become Democratic presidential nominee

LONDON - As U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to officially become the Democratic Party's presidential nominee, more than 1,100 prominent LGBTQ+ advocates threw their weight behind her this week in an open letter of support.

Advocacy groups, including the Human Rights Campaign and the National LGBTQ Task Force, have praised the former senator's track record of progressing rights for the community.

Here's what you need to know:

What is Harris' record on LGBTQ+ rights?

Harris' history of supporting LGBTQ+ rights goes back at least 20 years to her time as San Francisco's district attorney between 2004 and 2011.

While in the role, she officiated some of the country's first same-sex weddings, although these marriages were later nullified by the California Supreme Court. 

Harris also created a specialised hate crime unit to address anti-LGBTQ+ violence in schools. 

After becoming Attorney General of California, in 2014, Harris spearheaded a state ban on "gay panic" or "trans panic" legal defences, where an accused person says they acted violently due to the shock of finding out someone is gay or transgender. 

In 2015, she was criticised for rejecting a request from a trans female inmate to undergo gender-affirming surgery, a decision she later said she took "full responsibility" for but which she said contradicted her own beliefs. 

In 2018, she also drew criticism for supporting laws which sought to nationally curb sex work, leading to the removal of websites that rights groups said were vital to ensuring trans sex workers could operate safely. 

As senator and vice president, Harris has supported the Equality Act, which seeks to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination nationwide. The bill has stalled since its first introduction in 2021. 

She also backed the Respect for Marriage Act, passed in 2022 to ensure all states recognize same-sex marriages. 

The Biden government also launched a series of pro LGBTQ+ policies and initiatives, such as enabling the use of non-binary markers in passports and improving mental health services for trans youth.  

How could Harris' LGBTQ+ policies differ to Republican frontrunner Donald Trump's?

The Biden-Harris administration has been described as being the "most pro-LGBTQ+ administration in history" by the LGBTQ+ advocacy group, Washington-based Human Rights Campaign. 

Harris' record as vice president could be an indication she will aim to broaden these rights.

Former President Trump has said he will undo many of the policy changes made to expand LGBTQ+ rights since his last term. 

As vice president, Harris has repeatedly spoken out against anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the U.S., such as bans on gender-affirming care for young people and "don't say gay" laws, which ban discussions about sexuality or gender identity in schools.

In contrast, Trump in March said he would cut funding to schools that promote "transgender insanity" and "any other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children". 

He has also spoken out against gender-affirming care for minors, calling it "child abuse", and said healthcare providers who provide such treatments, such as puberty blockers, won't be permitted to work under the Medicare programme. 

Trump's running mate, J.D. Vance, has opposed marriage equality and previously voted against the right to in vitro fertilization, a medical procedure often used by same-sex couples wanting to become parents. 

How have LGBTQ+ groups reacted?

This week, more than 1,100 LGBTQ+ advocates signed an open letter in support of Harris' candidacy for president, describing her as a "champion for LGBTQ+ equality".  

Signatories included LGBTQ+ actors George Takei, Sophia Bush and Billy Eichner, as well as Jim Obergefell, whose Supreme Court case led to the nationwide legalisation of same-sex marriage.

New York-based rights group Advocates for Transgender Equality also put their support behind Harris, attesting to her record on trans rights.

"A Harris Administration would not only uphold but also expand upon the protections for transgender Americans established by the Biden Administration," said Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, director of Advocates for Transgender Equality.      

(Reporting by Lucy Middleton; Editing by Sadiya Ansari.)