Representative Adelita Grijalva pledges to ‘stand up for LGBTQ+ rights’ during swearing-in speech
US Representative Adelita Grijalva was sworn in on 12 November. (AUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
US Representative Adelita Grijalva was sworn in on 12 November. (AUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
Representative Adelita Grijalva spoke out for LGBTQ+ rights during her swearing-in speech.
The Arizona Democrat was sworn into office on Wednesday (12 November) by house speaker Mike Johnson, having waited a delayed 50 days after winning a special election on 23 September.
Grijalva won the election following the passing of her father, former representative Raúl Grijalva, who died in March during his 12th term in Congress.
After winning she pledged to sign a discharge petition to release government files about the high-profile clients of late child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking to her colleagues, she vowed to fight for LGBTQ+ rights, she said: “It’s past time for Congress to restore its role as a check and balance on this administration and fight for we the American people.
“We need to fight for our immigrant communities and our veterans. We need to stand up for our public schools, children, and educators. We need to respect tribal sovereignty and our environment. We need to stand up for LGBTQ+ rights because that’s what the American people expect us to do: fight for them.”
She continued: “Our Democracy only works when everyone has a voice.
“This includes the millions of people across the country who have experienced violence and exploitation.” She acknowledged two survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes, Liz Stein and Jessica Michaels, who were sitting in the congressional gallery.
Addressing Epstein’s crimes, she said: “Just this morning, House Democrats released more emails showing Trump knew more about Epstein’s abuses than he [has] previously acknowledged. That is why I will sign the discharge petition right now to release the Epstein files, because justice cannot wait another day.”
Trump claimed in July that he had never visited Epstein’s private island, where the billionaire entertained some of the world’s most-powerful figures. Prosecutors have said the Caribbean getaway was used to hide sex-trafficking and the abuse of underage girls.
In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor. He died in jail in 2019 awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. He was 66. His death was ruled a suicide although his lawyers have disputed that, leading to a number of conspiracy theories.
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