LGBTQIA Rights
The letters LGBTQIA refer to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual or allied.
We recommend the passage of an equal rights amendment that guarantees the rights of LGBTQIA individuals.
We recommend the passage of an equal rights amendment that guarantees the rights of LGBTQIA individuals.
We agree with the 2016 Democratic Party Platform:
"LGBT rights are human rights and that American foreign policy should advance the ability of all persons to live with dignity, security, and respect, regardless of who they are or who they love."
"We will continue to stand with LGBT people around the world, including fighting efforts by any nation to infringe on LGBT rights or ignore abuse."
"[We] applaud [the] decision by the Supreme Court that recognized that LGBT people--like other Americans--have the right to marry the person they love. But there is still much work to be done. LGBT kids continue to be bullied at school, restaurants can refuse to serve transgender people, and same-sex couples are at risk of being evicted from their homes. That is unacceptable and must change. [We] will fight for the continued development of sex discrimination law to cover LGBT people. We will also fight for comprehensive federal non- discrimination protections for all LGBT Americans, to guarantee equal rights in areas such as housing, employment, public accommodations, credit, jury service, education, and federal funding."
"We will oppose all state efforts to discriminate against LGBT individuals, including legislation that restricts the right to access public spaces. We support a progressive vision of religious freedom that respects pluralism and rejects the misuse of religion to discriminate. We will combat LGBT youth homelessness and improve school climates. We will support LGBT elders, ensure access to necessary health care, and protect LGBT people from violence— including ending the crisis of violence against transgender Americans. We will also promote LGBT human rights and ensure America’s foreign policy is inclusive of LGBT people around the world."
We agree with the Peace and Freedom Party Platform of 2014:
- "Equal treatment and benefits under the law for all families.
- Guarantee equal child custody, adoption, visitation privileges, and foster parenthood rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
- Equal treatment for all people in the military regardless of sexual orientation.
- The right to gay marriage and partners' benefits.
- Accurate sex education courses in public schools.
- Truthful information about sexuality in society and history."
We agree with Our Revolution:
The United States has made remarkable progress on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues in a relatively short amount of time. But there is still much work to be done.
In many states, it is still legal to fire someone based on their gender identity and/or sexual orientation. Sadly, today there are many places where it is legal to deny someone housing for being transgender. That is unacceptable and must change. We must end discrimination in all forms and secure access to education, healthcare, employment, housing, and all other aspects of public life to gender and sexual minorities.
On average transgender people make less than 10k per year. We must work diligently to end employment discrimination and establish equal pay for transgender and queer women.
THE SOLUTION
- Sign into law the Equality Act, the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, and any other bill that prohibits discrimination against LGBTQ people.
- Work with HHS to ensure LGBTQ people have access to comprehensive health insurance which provides appropriate coverage of gender affirming healthcare, abortion, prenatal, birthing, pregnancy and postpartum care and ensures that care is provided with dignity and respect.
- Continue the great work of the State Department’s Special Envoy for LGBTQ Rights and ensure the United States helps protect the rights of LGBTQ peoples around the world.
- Advance policies to ensure students can attend school without fear of bullying, and work to reduce alarming suicide rates among sexual and gender minorities.
- Require police departments to adopt policies to ensure fairer interactions with transgender people, especially transgender women of color who are often targeted by police unfairly, and institute training programs to promote compliance with fair policies.
- Bar discrimination against LGBTQ people by creditors and banks so that people will not be unfairly denied mortgages, credit cards, or student loans.
- Veto any legislation that purports to “protect” religious liberty laws which seek to write into law a license to discriminate based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
We agree with Brand New Congress:
"While many have noted the assault on the LGBTQIA community by the current administration, the fact is that Congress has refused to act on anti-LGBTQIA discrimination for decades. We must pass comprehensive legislation that guarantees the promise of liberty and freedom for ALL Americans, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
All Americans deserve dignity, liberty, and equality under the law. While much attention has been given to anti-LGBTQIA legislation in the states, such as North Carolina’s HB2, and the stripping of protections by the current administration, the fact is that all of this is only possible because of the inaction of the establishment in Congress. Even as anti- LGBTQIA violence skyrockets, especially against LGBTQIA people of color, establishment politicians stay silent and enable hatred to run rampant. We must protect LGBTQIA Americans by passing comprehensive protections and addressing the specific issues pertaining to the LGBTQIA community."
When’s the last time you heard a member of Congress mourning the death of a Black transgender woman murdered in the United States? You’re far more likely to have heard a member of Congress spewing anti- LGBTQIA hatred, sanctioning through politics the violence and discrimination we endure. That’s why it’s so important to propose concrete measures to improve the lives of LGBTQIA Americans and guarantee that we are all equal under the law, regardless of sexuality and/or gender identity. Here’s what Brand New Congress wants to do (details below):
1. Pass Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Policies
2. Protect the Privacy of transgender Americans
3. Provide mandatory training public officials and employees
4. Develop and implement LGBTQ-inclusive public education
5. Guarantee transgender-affirming healthcare
6. Ban “conversion therapy”
7. End “gay panic” murder excuse
8. Ban intersex mutilation
1.Pass Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Protections.
Currently, anti-LGBTQ discrimination is legal on a federal level, and its impacts are devastating. LGBTQ people can be denied healthcare, housing, and basic services, leading to disproportionate rates of illness, homelessness, and violence. Congress must pass comprehensive anti-discrimination protections to ensure that all Americans have equal access in all areas of life, regardless of gender or sexuality.
2.Protect the privacy of transgender Americans.
Even within the LGBTQ community, transgender and gender non-conforming (GNC) Americans face disproportionate rates of discrimination. Reported homicides of transgender Americans are at an all-time high, with an estimated over 100 transgender Americans being murdered in 2016 based on FBI data. The 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, which was conducted prior to the Trump presidency, found that transgender Americans face “pervasive mistreatment and violence,” “severe economic hardship and instability,” and “serious psychological distress” as a result of anti-transgender discrimination. Given these dangers, we must do everything in our promote to protect the privacy of transgender Americans and ensure that all Americans are respected in their gender. Here are some steps we can take:
•De-gender documentation. Currently, it is difficult and in some states impossible for transgender Americans to change their gender marker(s) on official documentation. When possible, the process is only manageable if one has enough time to learn about the convoluted legal process, access to medical professionals, and can safely be out to the world. The costly and invasive process requires notarized affidavits from medical professionals, and in some states, mandatory gender affirmation surgery, which not all people want. With disproportionately high rates of homelessness, poverty, and healthcare discrimination in the transgender community, the process bars the majority of transgender people from actually being able to change their gender marker(s). Even if one successfully changes their gender marker(s), it often results in unwanted outing that puts them in danger, such as with law enforcement or when crossing a border. This matters because transgender and intersex persons often face harassment when officials see their gender markers. Further, many agencies misconstrue discrepancies between gender identity and markers as fraud. This puts people in danger of police intervention, the criminal justice system, and denial of basic services such as public transport and healthcare. Gendered documentation not only results in mis-gendering and outing; it also erases the existence of intersex and non-binary people. The simple solution is to de-gender documentation so that gender markers are optional and the privacy of all Americans is protected.
•De-gender public facilities. Much of the anti-transgender hysteria plaguing our nation has revolved around public facilities, with anti-transgender legislators using bathrooms in particular to demonize and attack transgender Americans. Regardless of which bathroom transgender and gender non-conforming people use, they are at risk of violence and discrimination. For non- binary Americans, there is no appropriate choice for gendered facilities. This essentially bars transgender Americans to go out and freely participate in the public life. The simple solution is to de-gender public facilities.
3. Provide mandatory training for public officials and employees.
LGBTQ Americans face discrimination not only from in everyday encounters, but also interactions with the very public officials and employees meant to serve them. LGBTQ Americans endure rampant healthcare discrimination, which can lead to the denial of basic and necessary medical services. LGBTQ Americans also endure rampant discrimination in education, depriving them of yet another basic right. The lack of adequate protections promotes a vicious cycle which pushes LGBTQ members from education and health care, and subjects them to sub-par educational and healthcare access. Consequently, this perpetuates further poverty, mental illness, and social stigmatization in the LGBTQ community, which is totally unacceptable. We must combat this through mandatory training and inclusivity for all public officials and employees.
4. Develop and implement LGBTQ-inclusive public education.
Anti-LGBTQ school bullying is at an unprecedented high. According to a 2017 RTI International study, not only has anti-LGBTQ school bullying “not improved since the 1990’s,” “some forms of victimization, particularly those affecting youth, appear to be worsening.” Anti-LGBTQ school bullying can increase the likelihood of suicide fourfold, and LGBTQ students are up to three times more likely than their peers to be physically threatened or assaulted at school and 91% more likely to be bullied or harassed. An overwhelming 81% of transgender youth, 72% of lesbian youth, and 66% of bisexual and gay youth experience sexual harassment in school. It goes to follow that a majority of LGBTQ students feel safe simply being in school. This is an epidemic. No student should be prevented from having a good education simply because of their sexuality and/or gender identity. Lives are at stake here. We need to reform our public education system to ensure that LGBTQ students feel affirmed in their identities and can safely receive a good education.
•Providing resources to LGBTQ students. Schools should be prepared to support LGBTQ students by maintaining LGBTQ clubs such as GSAs and offering LGBTQ-specific school counseling.
•LGBTQ-inclusive classes. LGBTQ history and identities should be included in classes so that students are aware and accepting of LGBTQ identity. According to a GLSEN survey, only 12% of millennials learned about healthy same-gender relationships in school. Not providing LGBTQ students information about their identities robs them of the opportunity to know and accept themselves, which would help them stay healthy and happy, as confirmed by GLSEN’s National School Climate Survey. We must mandate gender-inclusive language and education in classes and events.
•Community training. Students and administrators alike will, as Teaching Tolerance advises, guarantee that “all school community members [have] a thorough understanding of the part they play in making their school an environment that welcomes all students.”
•De-gender dress codes. Gendered dress codes are restrictive and oppressive for transgender and GNC youth. Students of all identities should be able to express their gender as they see fit. •Designate gender neutral facilities. As Teaching Tolerance writes: “Binary (women/men or boy/girl) restrooms aren’t inclusive and can be unsafe spaces for transgender and intersex students.” Therefore, we should provide gender neutral facilities where students of all genders can feel valid and safe.
5. Guarantee transgender-affirming healthcare.
Currently, transgender affirmation procedures are considered cosmetic, which is belittling and makes the necessary procedures needlessly expensive. Healthcare providers should cover gender affirmation procedures as reconstructive, as allowing transgender people who want to transition medically to do so improves their mental health and productivity. As a study published in the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity found, “social, psychological, and medical gender affirmation were significant predictors of lower depression and higher self-esteem.” Gender affirmation can help curb suicidal ideation, which is incredibly important given that over 40% of transgender Americans attempt suicide, according to a Williams Institute survey. Essential medical procedures are not “cosmetic,” and transgender Americans deserve to be affirmed by their healthcare system.
6. Ban “conversion therapy.”
Also known as “reparative therapy” and “ex-gay therapy,” this is a dangerous and debunked religious practice designed to rid LGBTQ people of their true gender identity and/or sexuality. The practice is deeply harmful, causing mental illness, substance abuse, and even suicide. Yet almost 700,000 LGBTQ adults and 20,000 children ages 13 to 17 are victims of “conversion therapy,” as it is entirely legal on the federal level. We must ban “conversion therapy” and instead affirm the identities of LGBTQ Americans.
7. End “gay panic” murder excuse.
Known as the “gay panic” or “transgender panic” defense, defendants in LGBTQ murder cases in the United States can legally claim that they were driven to violence because of the sexual orientation and/or gender identity of LGBTQ people. Homophobia and transphobia are not excuses for violence and it is outrageous that “gay panic” and trans panic” defenses are still legal on the federal level. We must ban it.
8. Ban intersex mutilation.
As the Human Rights Watch detailed: “Intersex people in the United States are subjected to medical practices that can inflict irreversible physical and psychological harm on them starting in infancy, harms that can last throughout their lives. Many of these procedures are done with the stated aim of making it easier for children to grow up ‘normal’ and integrate more easily into society by helping them conform to a particular sex assignment. The results are often catastrophic, the supposed benefits are largely unproven, and there are generally no urgent health considerations at stake. Procedures that could be delayed until intersex children are old enough to decide whether they want them are instead performed on infants who then have to live with the consequences for a lifetime.” Instead of mutilating children, healthcare providers should provide information to parents about intersex identity to ensure that intersex youth can make their own choices and be treated with the respect they deserve."
We agree with the For a People's Party Platform:
"The majority of Americans support laws and policies that reduce discrimination against those who identify as LGBTQIA. People across the country have come to understand the injustice and damage done to the social fabric of our nation by discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation, identification and expression.
However, it is still legal in most states to fire employees, deny housing or refuse service in a restaurant or other business simply because the patrons are gay or transexual. Though we still have a long way to go, the U.S. ended segregation by race decades ago. We must now abolish segregation by sexual orientation.
We defend against the rollback of achieved rights, including spousal benefits, and back the strengthening of laws against hate propaganda and hate crimes. We support public education and legal action to ensure that the Supreme Court’s 2015 marriage equality decision is enforced and not eroded by measures designed to discriminate against gay and lesbian couples and their children."
"The majority of Americans support laws and policies that reduce discrimination against those who identify as LGBTQIA. People across the country have come to understand the injustice and damage done to the social fabric of our nation by discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation, identification and expression.
However, it is still legal in most states to fire employees, deny housing or refuse service in a restaurant or other business simply because the patrons are gay or transexual. Though we still have a long way to go, the U.S. ended segregation by race decades ago. We must now abolish segregation by sexual orientation.
We defend against the rollback of achieved rights, including spousal benefits, and back the strengthening of laws against hate propaganda and hate crimes. We support public education and legal action to ensure that the Supreme Court’s 2015 marriage equality decision is enforced and not eroded by measures designed to discriminate against gay and lesbian couples and their children."
We agree with the Justice Democrats:
"We must speak out against racism, sexism, xenophobia, and all forms of bigotry. Non-discrimination protections that currently apply to race, religion, and gender should be expanded to include the LGBTQ community and the atheist community. Making all Americans equal is not asking for special privileges, it’s asking for the rule of law—justice and equality for all as promised in the United States Constitution."
We agree with Andrew Young 2020:
"Sexual orientation and gender identity should be protected classes under the law, receiving all the federal protections afforded under the Constitution and law."
RESOURCES:
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF)
The first national lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights and advocacy organization and a leading voice for freedom, justice, and equality.
Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
The largest national lesbian and gay political organization working to ensure the basic equal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund
Works to achieve full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, and those with HIV through impact litigation, education, and public policy work.
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
Dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
Strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.
National Youth Advocacy Coalition (NYAC)
Advocates for and with young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) in an effort to end discrimination against these youth and to ensure their physical and emotional well being.
Soulforce
Works for freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from religious and political oppression through the practice of relentless nonviolent resistance.
Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)
Promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons, their families, and friends through support to cope with an adverse society, education to enlighten an ill-informed public, and advocacy to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights.
The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy
Advances sexual orientation law and public policy through rigorous, independent research and scholarship, and disseminates it to judges, legislators, policy makers, media, and the public.
OutRight Action International
Works to secure the full enjoyment of the human rights of all people and communities around the world subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of sexual orientation or expression, gender identity or expression, and/or HIV status through advocacy, documentation, coalition building, public education, and technical assistance.
The first national lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights and advocacy organization and a leading voice for freedom, justice, and equality.
Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
The largest national lesbian and gay political organization working to ensure the basic equal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.
Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund
Works to achieve full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, and those with HIV through impact litigation, education, and public policy work.
Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)
Dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
Strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.
National Youth Advocacy Coalition (NYAC)
Advocates for and with young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) in an effort to end discrimination against these youth and to ensure their physical and emotional well being.
Soulforce
Works for freedom for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from religious and political oppression through the practice of relentless nonviolent resistance.
Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG)
Promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons, their families, and friends through support to cope with an adverse society, education to enlighten an ill-informed public, and advocacy to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights.
The Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy
Advances sexual orientation law and public policy through rigorous, independent research and scholarship, and disseminates it to judges, legislators, policy makers, media, and the public.
OutRight Action International
Works to secure the full enjoyment of the human rights of all people and communities around the world subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of sexual orientation or expression, gender identity or expression, and/or HIV status through advocacy, documentation, coalition building, public education, and technical assistance.
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