Governor Moore Delivers Keynote Address at the 2025 Human Rights Campaign National Dinner

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Governor Wes Moore yesterday delivered a keynote address during the 2025 Human Rights Campaign National Dinner in Washington D.C. The governor emphasized Maryland’s commitment to safeguarding LGBTQIA+ rights, and called for continued leadership to uplift and protect all identities.

Excerpts from Governor Moore’s speech as prepared:
“I stand before you as governor of a state that is proud and unapologetic about the fact that we are a safe haven for the LGBTQIA+ community. And I want to be clear, that is a reputation we intend to keep. It isn’t just a question of protecting our people, it’s a question of basic humanity.”

“I do not claim to have all the answers. But what I do know is this: It is going to take all of us. We don’t get to pick the times we live in, the times pick us. So the only question left is, when the moment comes, do we run, or do we lead?”
“I know the Human Rights Campaign. I know what you’re made of. You lead. You lead us toward greater equality, you lead us toward greater unity, you lead us toward greater hope, you lead us toward our greatest aspirations. This moment will be no different.”

During his first year in office, Governor Moore took executive action and signed legislation to protect and expand gender-affirming care and procedures. The administration has also doubled funding for hate crime protection, made it harder to ban LGBTQIA+ books in schools, and expanded contraceptive access and broader family planning services across the state. Additionally, the governor this year signed the Carlton R. Smith Act to repeal Maryland’s outdated HIV criminalization law, making Maryland the fifth state in the nation to take this critical step to advance public health and justice for LGBTQIA+ communities.