Standing on a stage decorated with rainbows and speaking to a crowd that included survivors of gay nightclub shootings and transgender rights advocates, President Joe Biden on Saturday said his administration would work to counter a recent series of Republican-led bills and laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community. The President said that his administration had taken steps to protect the civil rights of LGBTQ+ Americans, including appointing an official within the Department of Education who will monitor and address the growing number of local bans on books with references to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. President Biden also assailed laws that have allowed business owners to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people based on their religious or personal beliefs. He said, "These bills and laws attack the most basic values and freedoms we have as Americans. The right to be yourself. The right to make your own health decisions. The right to raise your children. I recognize, for a lot of folks across this country, maybe it’s not you, your kid, or your family members going through whatever a transgender child and family is going through. But we all agree: If it were you, you’d want the space to figure it out with your family and doctor." #LGBTQ+ Civil Rights