Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims to be honored as a National Champion of Choice by NARAL

Openly gay Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims will receive the National Champion Of Choice Award from NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Via press release:

"As President Obama said in the State of the Union, when women succeed, America succeeds! As a first-term representative, I am humbled and honored to receive this national award for my defense of women's rights, and I will continue to stand up for those rights and oppose the attacks on them. Women's rights are human rights," Sims said.

Sims is strongly pro-choice and attracted national acclaim for his impassioned defense of women's rights during an April 2013 state House debate on legislation that restricts a woman's right to an abortion and access to health care by putting government restrictions on private insurance companies and how women can spend their own money.

And from Brian's Facebook page:

Though I've had the opportunity to attend some pretty kick-ass events, being recognized during this NARAL dinner has to be at the top of my list.

First, I want to say how humbled I am to be recognized with women and organizations that I have tremendous respect for: I’ll be joining Dolores Huerta (President of the Dolores Huerta Foundation), Martha Shane & Lana Wilson (Directors of "After Tiller") and Representatives from Young Women United (Community Organizing by and for Young Women of Color in Albuquerque, NM).

Wow. I’m still in shock about this, and again, I’m humbled and excited to get to meet some of my (s)heroes from all across the country who are fighting for women’s health and a woman’s right to choose.