Profile
Photos
Comments
THE AGENDA · CIVIL RIGHTS"The teenagers and college students who left their
homes to march in the streets of Birmingham and Montgomery; the mothers
who walked instead of taking the bus after a long day of doing somebody
else's laundry and cleaning somebody else's kitchen -- they didn't
brave fire hoses and Billy clubs so that their grandchildren and their
great-grandchildren would still wonder at the beginning of the 21st
century whether their vote would be counted; whether their civil rights
would be protected by their government; whether justice would be equal
and opportunity would be theirs.... We have more work to do."
Barack Obama, Speech at Howard University, September 28, 2007
homes to march in the streets of Birmingham and Montgomery; the mothers
who walked instead of taking the bus after a long day of doing somebody
else's laundry and cleaning somebody else's kitchen -- they didn't
brave fire hoses and Billy clubs so that their grandchildren and their
great-grandchildren would still wonder at the beginning of the 21st
century whether their vote would be counted; whether their civil rights
would be protected by their government; whether justice would be equal
and opportunity would be theirs.... We have more work to do."
Barack Obama, Speech at Howard University, September 28, 2007
President Barack Obama has spent much of his career fighting to
strengthen civil rights as a civil rights attorney, community
organizer, Illinois State Senator, U.S. Senator, and now as President.
Whether promoting economic opportunity, working to improve our nation's
education and health system, or protecting the right to vote, President
Obama has been a powerful advocate for our civil rights.
Combat Employment Discrimination: President Obama and
Vice President Biden will work to overturn the Supreme Court's recent
ruling that curtails racial minorities' and women's ability to
challenge pay discrimination. They will also pass the Fair Pay Act, to
ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work, and the Employment
Non-Discrimination Act, to prohibit discrimination based on sexual
orientation or gender identity or expression.
Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: President Obama and Vice
President Biden will strengthen federal hate crimes legislation, expand
hate crimes protection by passing the Matthew Shepard Act, and
reinvigorate enforcement at the Department of Justice's Criminal
Section.
End Deceptive Voting Practices: President Obama will
sign into law his legislation that establishes harsh penalties for
those who have engaged in voter fraud and provides voters who have been
misinformed with accurate and full information so they can vote.
End Racial Profiling: President Obama and Vice
President Biden will ban racial profiling by federal law enforcement
agencies and provide federal incentives to state and local police
departments to prohibit the practice.
Reduce Crime Recidivism by Providing Ex-Offender Support: President
Obama and Vice President Biden will provide job training, substance
abuse and mental health counseling to ex-offenders, so that they are
successfully re-integrated into society. Obama and Biden will also
create a prison-to-work incentive program to improve ex-offender
employment and job retention rates.
Eliminate Sentencing Disparities: President Obama and
Vice President Biden believe the disparity between sentencing crack and
powder-based cocaine is wrong and should be completely eliminated.
Expand Use of Drug Courts: President Obama and Vice President Biden
will give first-time, non-violent offenders a chance to serve their
sentence, where appropriate, in the type of drug rehabilitation
programs that have proven to work better than a prison term in changing
bad behavior.
Support for the LGBT Community
"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we
still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is
exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is
about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going
to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its
citizens with dignity and respect."
Barack Obama, June 1, 2007
Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against
LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime
reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. President
Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to
include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color,
religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or
physical disability. As a state senator, President Obama passed tough
legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against
the law.
Fight Workplace Discrimination: President Obama
supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our
anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include
sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of
employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners,
discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with
no federal legal remedy. The President also sponsored legislation in
the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on
the basis of sexual orientation.
Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples:
President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples
legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama
also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact
legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and
benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended
to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized
unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved
one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and
other employment benefits, and property rights.
Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage:
President Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006
which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and
prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or
other unmarried couples.
Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: President Obama agrees
with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili
and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't
tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a
sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be
prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing
troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation.
Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this
policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. The President
will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure
it helps accomplish our national defense goals.
Expand Adoption Rights: President Obama believes that
we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals,
regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will
benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or
not.
Promote AIDS Prevention: In the first year of his
presidency, President Obama will develop and begin to implement a
comprehensive national HIV/AIDS strategy that includes all federal
agencies. The strategy will be designed to reduce HIV infections,
increase access to care and reduce HIV-related health disparities. The
President will support common sense approaches including
age-appropriate sex education that includes information about
contraception, combating infection within our prison population through
education and contraception, and distributing contraceptives through
our public health system. The President also supports lifting the
federal ban on needle exchange, which could dramatically reduce rates
of infection among drug users. President Obama has also been willing to
confront the stigma -- too often tied to homophobia -- that continues
to surround HIV/AIDS.
Empower Women to Prevent HIV/AIDS: In the United
States, the percentage of women diagnosed with AIDS has quadrupled over
the last 20 years. Today, women account for more than one quarter of
all new HIV/AIDS diagnoses. President Obama introduced the Microbicide
Development Act, which will accelerate the development of products that
empower women in the battle against AIDS. Microbicides are a class of
products currently under development that women apply topically to
prevent transmission of HIV and other infections.