Louise Slaughter, oldest member of Congress and LGBT rights supporter, dies age 88

Mar 19 2018
Written by Benjamin Butterworth

Late US House Committee on Rules Chairwoman Louise Slaughter(C) ,D-NY

The oldest sitting member of Congress has died aged 88 after a lifetime campaigning for women’s and LGBT rights.

Louise Slaughter, Democratic Congress woman from New York, died after more than three decades in Congress.

Liam Fitzsimmons, Slaughter’s chief of staff, confirmed her passing.

Late US House Committee on Rules Chairwoman Louise Slaughter(C) ,D-NY

She died in a Washington, D.C. hospital while being treated for a concussion after falling in her home.

Slaughter sat on the LGBTQ Equality Caucus and was an original sponsor of the Equality Act.

In 1996, she was one of only 67 members of Congress who voted against the Defense of Marriage Act.

She supported marriage equality up to the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision and voted to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.

Late US House Committee on Rules Chairwoman Louise Slaughter(C) ,D-NY

She also co-sponsored the Every Child Deserves a Family Act.

“Congresswoman Slaughter was proud to be a strong champion for the LGBTQ community and was one of the earliest Members of Congress to support marriage equality,” Human Rights Ccampaign President Chad Griffin said.

Congresswoman Louise Slaughter:

— co-authored Violence Against Women Act
— fought for repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
— early supporter of marriage equality
— original co-sponsor of Equality Act
— member of LGBTQ Equality Caucus

Champion of equality. Rest in peace.

— Charlotte Clymer 🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) March 16, 2018

“For three decades, Congresswoman Slaughter fought tenaciously on behalf of New Yorkers and all Americans, blazing a trail as one of the most powerful and influential women in Congress.”

Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood president, said: “In Louise Slaughter we had a fearless public servant, a champion of women’s rights, and a leader in the truest sense of the word.