Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., answers questions while debating Republican candidate Kari Lake during the Arizona Clean Election Commission debate at BitFire Studios in Phoenix on Oct. 9, 2024. Photo: Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is largely expected to win his race for Arizona’s U.S. Senate seat. He has a consistent track record of supporting equality and opposing discrimination, making himself a prominent advocate for LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S. Congress.
As vice-chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and an opponent of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, he has positioned himself as a key ally for the LGBTQ+ community.
Ruben Gallego at a glance
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Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Race/Ethnicity: Colombian/Mexican-American
Gender Identity: Male
Orientation: Heterosexual
Pronouns: He/him/his
LGBTQ+ Ally: Yes
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Ruben Gallego’s stance on LGBTQ+ issues
Throughout his political career, Gallego has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to LGBTQ+ rights. In addition to his vice-chairmanship of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, he has a perfect 100 score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional Scorecard, which measures legislators’ support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Same-sex marriage
Gallego has been a vocal supporter of same-sex marriage rights. He voted in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act, which provides federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages. Prior to his time in Congress, Gallego actively opposed anti-same-sex marriage initiatives: He worked as a campaign manager for the effort to defeat Arizona’s anti-same-sex marriage ballot measure Proposition 107.
In 2015, Rep. Gallego signed on as an original co-sponsor of the Equality Act, a comprehensive federal anti-discrimination bill that, among other things, would allow people to use bathrooms, locker rooms, and other facilities matching their gender identity.
On February 22, 2022, Gallego co-signed a letter from the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus opposing Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” law, also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The legislation forbids LGBTQ+ instruction in the state’s public schools.
The letter pointed out that “the American Psychological Association and the National Association of School Psychologists recommend that K-12 schools acknowledge sexual and gender diversity and ‘create policies that directly improve, affirm, and support the health and wellbeing of gender and sexual diverse children and adolescents of all ages.’”
“LGBTQ+ kids must not be a pawn exploited in today’s political discourse – not in Florida, nor any other state in our nation,” the letter added. “We ask that you consider the harmful toll this legislation would have on LGBTQ+ children’s mental health and individual liberties in education.”
Discrimination protections
In 2015, Rep. Gallego signed on as an original co-sponsor of the Equality Act, a comprehensive anti-discrimination bill that would add sexual orientation and gender identity to pre-existing federal civil rights laws covering housing, work, jury service, credit, education, federal funding, and public accommodations.
“In 31 states across the nation, LGBT Americans don’t have protections from discrimination – meaning that they can be fired from their jobs, kicked out of their homes and even denied a loan because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity,” Ruben said in July 2015. “This is unacceptable, no person should suffer from discrimination because of who they are or who they love.”
“The Equality Act will provide LGBT Americans with the safety that all Americans in our nation enjoy, and it will bring stability to the lives of many by eliminating our current patchwork of laws,” he added. “It is time for full LGBT equality and protections under the law.”
In 2014, while serving in the Arizona House of Represenatatives, Gallego also spoke out against Arizona’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a bill that would allow individuals to cite religious beliefs as a defense against discrimination lawsuits. Gallego and other opponents of the bill said it would allow widespread discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals.
“The message [of the bill] that’s interpreted is, ‘We want you to work here, but we are not going to go out of our way to protect you, to protect your rights, to protect your family,’” Gallego said at the time. “God forbid should someone come to the Super Bowl and come to a restaurant that is not going to allow them in.”
Other LGBTQ+ issues
While serving as a Marine, Gallego was a member of Voices of Honor, a group of military members that spoke out against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT), the national ban on out gay and bisexual military service members.
In an interview, Gallego said that DADT put a “shadow … across the whole military, adding, “Men and women had to lie to themselves, to their country, to their local team members and that’s never a good environment to put anybody in.”
Having gays in the military [and] … allowing gays to be more honest with themselves … only improves the force,” he said. “You’re able to tap into a new population of people to bring all their brain power to the battlefield. And that creates a stronger military.”
Gallego supports ensuring that LGBTQ+ veterans who were discharged because of their sexual orientation or gender identity receive full veteran benefits for their service.
Many of them had no problem purging Marines through Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. But please talk more about “a political purge” https://t.co/sH3m4n74E6
Gallego has also supported legislation that would protect national access to in vitro fertilization (IVF), a method of child conception often used by LGBTQ+ people.
“I understand a bit of the pain, frustration, and sadness that comes with the struggles trying to grow your family, and I can’t imagine facing these struggles and not having an option like IVF available,” Gallego said.
Gallego’s career
Graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations in 2004
Enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served in Iraq from 2005 to 2006
Worked as a public affairs consultant after returning from military service
Elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2010, served until 2014
Became Assistant Minority Leader in the Arizona House of Representatives in 2012
Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014, representing Arizona’s 7th congressional district
Serves on the House Armed Services Committee and Natural Resources Committee
Became Chairman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States
Appointed as an Assistant Whip for the Democratic Caucus
Serves as First Vice Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Serves as Vice Chair and Tribal Liaison of the Congressional Progressive Caucus
Serves as Vice Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus
Introduced the Teachers LEAD Act in 2022 to support teachers and improve retention
Announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in 2023, running for the seat currently held by Kyrsten Sinema
Shaping a more inclusive future
Rep. Gallego’s support for comprehensive legislation like the Equality Act and his opposition to discriminatory policies demonstrate a deep understanding of the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community.
His commitment to LGBTQ+ rights is summed up in his statement, “Discrimination has no place in our society and [I am] unwaveringly committed to fostering a future where everyone can live authentically and without fear.”
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