Chavez-DeRemer has mixed record on LGBTQ+ issues

After campaigning for the state Legislature as a supporter of LGBTQ+ rights six years ago, U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer has a mixed record in Congress on these issues.

She introduced a bill to automatically reverse the dishonorable discharges given to gay members of the military because of their sexual orientation, and she voted against an amendment to an appropriation's bill that would have stopped the Department of Defense from acknowledging Pride Month.

But she also co-sponsored and voted for a "Parents' Bill of Rights" backed by anti-LGBTQ+ groups that requires schools to consult with parents before allowing students to use different names or pronouns at school - a provision some fear could put trans students in danger from parents who don't accept them. And she voted for bills to ban transgender girls from playing girls' sports and prohibit the Department of Veterans Affairs from providing hormone therapy or flying Pride flags.

Chavez-DeRemer's stances on LGBTQ rights - and abortion access - have drawn heightened interest in her reelection campaign against Democratic state Rep. Janelle Bynum. She represents Oregon's 5th Congressional District, which stretches from Portland to Bend and is among a few districts nationwide that could determine which party controls the House.

In 2023, LGBTQ+ students at Central Oregon Community College called on their school to revoke an invitation for Chavez-DeRemer to deliver the school's commencement address. The college's president apologized, saying she "misjudged the potential impacts of inviting a political person," but Chavez-DeRemer's speech went ahead as planned.

Chavez-DeRemer defended her record in a statement to the Capital Chronicle, saying she was proud to support the LGBTQ+ community and will continue working to promote equality in Congress.

"As a member of the Education and Workforce Committee, I tried to kill the amendment to the Parents Bill of Rights that would result in transgender students being outed to their parents," Chavez-DeRemer said in a statement. "I've also fought to right the wrongs of Don't Ask, Don't Tell by pushing for legislation that would ensure veterans who were dishonorably discharged due to their sexual orientation automatically have their status upgraded. To help more couples start or grow their families, I'm leading bipartisan legislation that would make IVF more affordable."

A mixed record

Throughout her unsuccessful 2016 and 2018 campaigns for state House, her victorious 2022 congressional campaign and her current bid for reelection, Chavez-DeRemer has cast herself as a moderate, though she has been criticized for flip-flopping on abortion rights, telling some voters she supported them and others she opposed them.

On her 2018 campaign website, she wrote that she "support(ed) equality for our LGBTQ communities, stronger environmental protections, and support(ed) a woman's right to choose." Her current campaign website doesn't mention any issues, while her 2022 campaign website highlighted her support for a parents' bill of rights and opposition to "divisive and politically charged issues" in the classroom, "critical race theory" and "multiculturalism."

Once elected, Chavez-DeRemer co-sponsored House Resolution 5, dubbed the Parents Bill of Rights Act, which passed the House with only Republican votes in March 2023. The measure allows parents to inspect all school library books and review curricula and requires schools to inform parents if their children seek to change their names or pronouns.

Republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.