just to live. and yet, here we are. seeing the right of our community members diminish. their voices are silenced, they re very identities denied. our nation has made great strides with filling the fundamental promises of freedom and equality for lgbtq plus americans, but lately something has changed. the arc of progress is bending in ways we did not think possible just five years ago. unjust ways. so far this year, more than 520 anti lgbtq bills have been introduced in state legislatures. that is a record. more than 220 of those bills, specifically, targeted transgender and non-binary people. also a record. and an unprecedented 70 anti lgbtq laws have been enacted just this year. in the past, we have put together pride specials celebrating lgbtq+ individuals and their achievements, first in the white house and then on the stage and screen. achievements that deserve to be celebrated. but tonight, as that progress is threatened like never before, we are going to do something d
lgbtq laws have been enacted just this year. in the past, we have put together pride specials celebrating lgbtq+ individuals and their achievements, first in the white house and then on the stage and screen. achievements that deserve to be celebrated. but tonight, as that progress is threatened like never before, we are going to do something different i am jonathan capehart and welcome to msnbc s defending pride. for the next hour we are going to highlight the brave people fighting this hate, refusing to back down and make sure that their rights are guaranteed, no matter how hard the bigots try otherwise. i will speak with marty gold cummings, the drag star who is defending their art form from criminalization. state representatives embryonic to tone who are defending their voices in platforms in state legislatures.
i will speak with marty gold cummings, the drag star who is defending their art form from criminalization. state representatives embryonic to tone who are defending their voices in platforms in state legislatures. raven s ammonia and julianna to queer women of color defending lgbtq plus representation in the media and who just made history making the first out character on the disney channel. and kelly robinson, president of the human rights who is literally protecting the right of queer people to exist. but first, to the breaking news of the night, the supreme court has ruled in favor of a website designer who wanted to deny her services for same-sex weddings, despite no one asking her to provide such a service. in this 63 decision the disservice of conservative led court to refuse to serve members of a protected class based on religious beliefs, essentially legalizing discrimination against the lgbtq+ community. in her dissent, justice sonia sotomayor wrote, quote, today the