Photo by Adam SchultzSubscribe nowSenator Biden(The Morning News)Sept. 25, 1973Joe Biden is sworn into office at age 30 as the third youngest Senator of all time. When asked about gay rights by an activist, he responds, My gut reaction is that they are security risks.Biden and Helms (Office of Senator Joe Biden)Oct. 14, 1987Biden joins a majority of 94 to 2 to approve an amendment written by Senator Jesse Helms to prohibit the use of sexually explicit materials to promote AIDS education.(CSPAN)Nov. 17, 1993Biden votes with a majority of 77 to 22 to uphold an effective ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. The ban remains in effect until President Obama signs its repeal in 2010.Uncloseted Media is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Sept. 10, 1996Bidenvoteswith a majority of 85 to 14 to pass the Defense of Marriage Act proposed by President Clinton, which defines marriage as only between a man and a woman and specifies that states do not have to recognize same-sex marriages from other states.June 5, 2006Biden defends the Defense of Marriage Act in a TV interview, stating that marriage is between a man and a woman.Vice President Biden(CBS News)Oct. 2, 2008At the vice presidential debate against Sarah Palin, Biden reaffirms that he and Obama do not support redefining, from a civil side, what constitutes marriage, including recognizing gay marriage. However, he does voice support for civil rights for unmarried gay couples.(CNN)Nov. 19, 2010Biden says he and President Obama are pushing as hard as [they] can for a repeal of Dont Ask, Dont Tell, which forbids non-heterosexuals from revealing their orientation while serving in the armed forces. This is a reversal of the position he took in 1993.(NBC News)May 6, 2012Biden becomes the first member of the Obama administration to reverse his stance on gay marriage, voicing support for it on live television. Many viewed this as Biden putting pressure on President Obama, who followed his vice presidents lead three days later.Biden FoundationScreenshot via Scripps NewsFeb. 1, 2017BidenlaunchesThe Biden Foundation, a nonprofit that supports progressive political goals, including LGBTQ rights. Biden and his wife Jill say the foundation will work to ensure that everyoneno matter their income level, race, gender, age or sexualityis treated with dignity and gets a fair shot at achieving the American Dream.(The Biden Foundation)President Biden(LA Times)Jan. 20, 2021On his first day in office, Biden signs an executive order outlawing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. A few days later, he overturns Trumps ban on transgender people serving in the military.(NBC News)Feb. 2021Biden appoints Pete Buttigieg as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation and Dr. Rachel Levine as the Assistant Health Secretary, making them the first openly gay cabinet member and first openly transgender senate-confirmed official, respectively. He later chooses Karine Jean-Pierre as the first openly gay press secretary.(PBS NewsHour)March 1, 2022At his second State of the Union Address, Biden tells trans children, Ill always have your back.(USA Today)June 15, 2022Bidensignsan executive order that tasks the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with writing model legislation to counteract the anti-LGBTQ bills moving through legislatures across the country. The order also directs HHS to determine whether federally funded programs can be required to stop performing conversion therapy.(CSPAN)Dec. 2022Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act, overturning the Defense of Marriage Act he voted for 26 years earlier. As he signs the repeal, Biden declares, Marriage is a simple proposition: Who do you love?April 6, 2023Bidens Department of Education proposes a Title IX rule change that would block blanket bans on transgender athletes. However, the proposal contains exceptions that do not protect transgender athletes from being banned in many cases. These loopholes attract criticism from trans activists, who argue Bidens decision betrayed the trans community. The rule would later be delayed.(NBC News)May 11, 2023Bidens Food and Drug Administration ends a 38-year ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood. GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis praises the new policy as the beginning of the end of a dark and discriminatory past rooted in fear and homophobia.Jan. 10, 2024Bidens HHS overturns a Trump-era rule that allowed doctors to discriminate against LGBTQ patients. HHS Director Xavier Becerra calls the new policy another promise delivered by President Biden.(CBS News Texas)April 19, 2024Biden passes a Title IX rule change, expanding protections for LGBTQ students from discrimination in school. Advocates for Trans Equality call the changes a huge step forward and say they were desperately needed. Unlike the previous Title IX proposal, this change does not address student athletics.July 2, 2024In a statement to The 19th News, a White House spokesperson says that gender-affirming surgeries should be limited to adults but that they continue to support other forms of gender-affirming care for minors, including Hormone Replacement Therapy and prepubertal blockers.Sept. 18, 2024Biden sits down with Christopher Kane of the Washington Blade, an LGBTQ news outlet based in D.C. Biden is the first sitting president to be interviewed by an LGBTQ news organization, and he praises the community for the gains it has made since the Stonewall riots.Subscribe nowDec. 4, 2024Biden awards a grant to a first-of-its-kind program for LGBTQ people with eating disorders.Dec. 24, 2024Biden signs a nearly $900 billion defense bill that contains provisions restricting gender-affirming care for transgender children of service members. Biden signed the bill while saying he strongly opposes the restrictions within.Jan. 14, 2025In Bidens final week in office, a Gallup poll finds that LGBTQ rights were the only issue where most Americans said they believed more progress had been made than lost under the four years of his administration.Additional reporting by Nico DiAlesandroIf objective, nonpartisan, rigorous, LGBTQ-focused journalism is important to you, please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor, Resource Impact, by clicking this button:Donate to Uncloseted Media