SEIU Local 121RN

“Labor unions need to step up and work with legislatures to protect LGBTQIA+ people in their workplaces. We have to step up and protect ourselves and our community,” said Michelle Horn, PACU RN at Kaiser Permanente Moreno Valley Medical Center.”

Two months ago, Horn helped organize SEIU 121RNs Lavendar Caucus, which shares information and education on LGBTQIA+ issues and helps facilitate communication between the LGBTQIA+ community and the labor movement.

From Stephen Blair’s fight for workers and q***r rights at the National Union of Marine Cooks and Stewards in the 1930s, to Harvey Milk and the Teamsters fight against discrimination and union busting against Coors in the 1970s, to Starbucks Workers United fight for respect and visibility, labor unions have always fought for the dignity of all workers.

“Right now my community is under attack, and trans people are facing more political repression and violence than they have in decades. The right of same s*x couples to marry—despite being overwhelmingly popular—may be taken away. I think the labor movement will play an important role in defending our human rights and our civil rights,” Horn said.

The SEIU 121RN Lavendar Caucus, Horn said, is open to all people.