Sen. Cory Booker had two words for the hundreds of gay rights activists gathered in the nation’s capital: “Stay faithful.”

The New Jersey Democrat said there is a long road ahead before the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community obtains equal rights under the law, during his address to the Human Rights Campaign’s equality convention at a District of Columbia hotel Friday afternoon.

The mantra stemmed from his time as an activist in Newark, N.J., when he was distraught after witnessing a young boy die after being shot. A tenant president who lost her own son to murder repeated those words to Booker. Now, he said, the words guide him as a senator.

“When I came down to Washington, and some days feel like I’m banging my head on an implacable wall when I can’t even get one Republican to sign onto a piece of legislation justifying and affirming rights and equality, I say these two words,” Booker said.

He seemed to refer to the Equality Act, which would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.