Well today on the show we are commemorating pride month and taking a closer look at pride. In the air Donald Trump gay lesbian transgender. And bisexual Americans this month are celebrating some. Pretty significant gains in rights and acceptance over the past few years but there are of course. Some still big hurdles ahead senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin joins us now from New York which is. It marking the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall riots senator great to see you thanks so much for joining us my plan are. Great to see here you are are something of a celebrity in in the gay rights community you are the first woman. Openly gay woman elected to congress into the senate. One of the ask you looking back on your six years in office there what is breaking that barrier meant how significant. Is that it has your presence in that chamber Ben Lee another. It makes a difference to have a seat at the table for so many different reasons first of all you bring your life experience to the job when you and it informs. The debates you choose the policies you try to shape and the vote to actually pass. But there isn't another whole angle to that and that is you have the opportunity whereas a bully pulpit like that to be a role model to. You show others who they see UN safe eyes she's like me or I like hurt. That there is almost limitless opportunities. Because there's still too many people in the LG BTQ community. I nationwide worldwide who. Feel like not every opportunity is open to them. And you know I think so much about pride month and especially. This really important. Fiftieth anniversary since the Stonewall riots where. People stood up against nightly acts of police suppression. And used their voices sometimes for the first time became visible for the first time and pushed back. And that's widely regarded as having kicked off the modern day. LG BTQ civil rights movement. And we can celebrate those heroes. We can also celebrate the progress we've made. But we're not done yet and we shouldn't confuse progress for victory and and the trump era. We're losing ground on some issues yes so it's really important that we act together. So I want to ask you about that dig in a little bit and as you say there's certainly some significant progress the past 510 years in fact today this is caught RI your home state Wisconsin Tony Evers. Raised a gay pride flag over the State Capitol for the first time how both houses that for a sign of progress. There it is going up over the capitol today. But what do you see is the biggest obstacle right now to continuing the progress is a president trump. Is it is it ignorance of transgender issues what is the biggest barriers you see it. Well I think there's a number of issues that we have to concern ourselves with. I would say both supporters about GBT rights algae BTQ people themselves as well as opponents. Kind of thought the battle was over after the Supreme Court ruled that Neil burger felt case that there was marriage equality. What remains the case is that people in over 29 states in the United States do not have comprehensive. Anti discrimination laws protecting what do I mean by that it means that. People on the onto BTQ community could be. Fired from a job. Could be evicted from their housing could be refused service in some sort of public setting. Or educational setting and that is very problematic because without these laws you have no way of fighting back. And you you you propose the the equality act which we know pass the house last month which is very significant as this remind everybody. What that does and we have a graphic that shows what that legislation would do to gets just to the point you were talking about this. Bill would prohibit discrimination based on sex sexual orientation and gender identity across the United States and every state. It would cover of course public facilities education federal funding employment. And the like and it would ensure access to restrooms locker room facilities in the basis of gender identity. Why doesn't have more support from Republicans right now. Cleaner you have to ask the Republican but I will say that there's and historic first. And that is that the bill is bipartisan. In both houses of congress that's a sign of progress also. And I'm hoping especially in this era where president trump and his administration. Are taking steps backwards in other policy areas by. Executive edict or order. That we will get more bipartisan support. Now you know when it comes down to it in the senate he needs sixty votes to pass a law. And so one of the things we're looking at is how many have signed current. But the other thing we're looking added if we could manage some way to convince Mitch McConnell to bring it to the floor of the senate for a vote. Do we have sixty votes do we have the requisite number of Republicans we have virtually all the Democrats. So that there task right now to have those conversations to open a dialogue to see. How we can build the support. Because those conversations. Are foundational to actually getting it over the Kennedy. Is there is there one Republican that you feel. Been able to hats effective conversations with you say is perhaps most open minded that you built a bridge too. I think that there are a number of Republican and senators who are open to those. Who are certainly willing to have conversations. I'm pretty. Private about conversations I have with other members that they have to trust when they. Our are talking candidly admitted I'm not gonna go cattle Kitchener. However having said that. I have such encouraging responses. Just found more general conversations. Where I feel like I might be opening people's eyes to the discrimination and it really does go on still today. And why this is so necessary in states sometimes like their own. That's so important to have your voice in the perspective of LG BT Americans inside the congress Tammy Baldwin senator of Wisconsin thank you so much for taking the time appreciate you. And we salute you this department thank you so much change gave them a page out of it.