(Washington) The nation’s largest LGBT civil rights group is calling on Congress to act swiftly to pass a wide number of bills expanding gay rights – many of which were promised by Democrats during the election campaign.

The Human Rights Campaign notes the 111th Congress includes more allies of the LGBT community than ever before. During the 2008 election cycle, HRC endorsed 212 Members elected to the U.S. House and 16 Members elected in the U.S. Senate.

President Joe Solmonese said in a statement that gays, lesbians, bis and the transgendered and their allies should call their new Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate and tell them to act on pro-equality legislation.

“With increased ranks of pro-equality lawmakers in both the House and the Senate, new possibilities are open to us,” Solmonese said in a statement.  “But we can’t stop now; it’s our job to keep the momentum going by contacting our Members of Congress and urging them to support pro-equality legislation.”

Three of the bills – the Matthew Shepard Hate Crime Act, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell – died when the the last session of Congress ended and will need to be reintroduced.

HRC and other LGBT rights groups also are calling for repeal of the Federal Defense of Marriage Act which bars the government from any form of recognition of same-sex relationships.

In addition they want the inclusion of same-sex couples added to the Health Plan Beneficiaries Act, the Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act and they are calling for immigration rights for bi-national gay and lesbian couples.

“In addition to pro-equality lawmakers, there are new and returning Members of Congress who need ongoing education about LGBT issues.  It is vitally important for the LGBT community to make its voices heard with the incoming Members of the 111th Congress,” said HRC Legislative Director Allison Herwitt.

HRC also is supporting the nomination of Eric Holder as Attorney General.

Holder previously served as Deputy Attorney General in the Clinton administration. In 1999 Holder appeared before the House Judiciary Committee Holder called for LGBT inclusion in federal hate crime law, noting that currently the law “provides no coverage whatsoever for violent hate crimes committed because of bias based on the victim’s sexual orientation, gender or disability, and these crimes pose a serious problem for our nation.”