Sen. Kerry, Rep. Lee Among Most LGBT-Supportive Congress Members

Democratic senators Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, John Kerry of Massachusetts, and Patty Murray of Washington and California Representative Barbara Lee are the most supportive Congress members when it comes to gay rights, according to Think Progress.

Sixteen pro-LGBT bills or resolutions have been proposed by the Senate during the current Congressional session, which began in 2011. Eleven senators have either cosponsored or sponsored at least ten of those measures, which include the Safe Schools Improvement Act, the Respect for Marriage Act, and the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act. In the House of Representatives, Lee led the pack by sponsoring or cosponsoring 23 out of 27 pro-LGBT bills. 

Think Progress identified the seven most antigay representatives on Capitol Hill, including Rep. Tim Huelskamp, a Kansas Republican who authored multiple antigay amendments and bills. He was also the author of his state's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Meanwhile, most Republican senators have been relatively quiet on introducing antigay legislation. Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma has been the only senator to introduce an antigay resolution, which was to discourage President Obama's directive to the Department of Justice to stop defending the so-called Defense of Marriage Act.