Press Release: NCTE Mourns the Loss of Congressman Tom Lantos

Lantos was thought to have introduced the first pro-transgender effort in the U.S. Congress - the resolution he introduced would have condemned, “all violations of internationally recognized human rights norms based on the real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of an individual.”

The only survivor of the Nazi Holocaust ever elected to the U.S. Congress, Rep. Lantos was a strong supporter of human rights for all people. He was a co-sponsor in 2007 of both the federal hate crimes bill that passed the House of Representatives and of the unified and inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 2015) that was eventually abandoned this fall.

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of this brave leader.

For more about Lantos, do check the Mercury News article about him.