WORDS BY NICO DIALESANDRO AND JELINDA MONTES, UNCLOSETED MEDIA

On November 6, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced that she would be retiring after 38 years serving as the representative for the district that encompasses San Francisco.

Since she was first elected in 1987, Pelosi has been one of the most consistent voices in support of LGBTQIA+ rights, speaking out about the AIDS crisis and marching for gay rights during a period of heightened stigma and supporting gay marriage long before the majority of her party. In recent years, as increasing numbers of Democrats have stepped back or flipped their stances on trans rights, Pelosi has remained firm, pushing for the party to hold the line against anti-LGBTQIA+ policies and pledging to fight gender-affirming care bans.

As Pelosi gets set to retire in January 2027, we took a look back through her LGBTQIA+ advocacy.

Congressperson (1987 – 2002)

June 2, 1987

Pelosi is elected to Congress in a special election. In her primary, she defeats Harry Britt, a city supervisor for San Francisco and a gay activist.

June 9, 1987

Pelosi mentions the AIDS crisis in her first speech on the House floor. “We’re very proud of the Fifth Congressional District and its leadership for peace, for environmental protection, for equal rights, for rights of individual freedom. And now we must take the leadership of course in the crisis of AIDS, and I look forward to working with you on that,” she says.

Oct. 11, 1987

Pelosi helps secure permits to display the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. She sews her own patch for Susan “Susie” Piracci Roggio, the flower girl in her wedding who died of AIDS at age 30.

That same day, Pelosi marches in the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The march calls for legal recognition of same-sex relationships, for more HIV/AIDS funding from the federal government and for the repeal of laws that make sodomy illegal.

March 1, 1989

Pelosi cosponsors the Housing and Community Development Act of 1990, which created the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program. HOPWA gives grant funding to communities, states and nonprofits for projects that benefit low-income people living with HIV/AIDS. Pelosi has supported subsequent funding of HOPWA in the 35 years since its passage.

March 6, 1990

Pelosi testifies for HIV/AIDS funding with actor and philanthropist Elizabeth Taylor in front of the Committee on the Budget’s Task Force on Human Resources. “We have striven for what is best for the patient and what is best for the budget and frequently they are the same,” she tells the committee.