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REASONS
WHY THE LGBTI COMMUNITY SHOULD VOTE |
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The following was found on
Governor Howard Dean's
In his own words: "I’m
proud to say that as Governor of Vermont, I signed legislation to grant
homosexual couples the right to enter into civil unions. This law, the
first of its kind in the United States, guarantees lesbian and gay couples
the same basic legal rights that married couples enjoy: the right to
inherit property, obtain child custody, visit a partner in the hospital,
and control a partner’s affairs upon death." "The
Republican Party seems eager to run against me because of my role in
enactment of this historic law. I welcome that debate -- I can’t wait to
ask the President of the United States why he doesn’t support equal
rights. I can’t wait to ask him to repudiate the GOP-authored Defense of
Marriage Act, an unconstitutional, mean-spirited law that stoked fears of
homosexuality and pitted one group of Americans against another." "I’m tired of being divided. America is better than that. In this election, I promise that when Republicans pander to our lowest fears, I will fight back by speaking to our highest aspirations. I will offer the American people the chance to choose hope instead of fear, community instead of division, healing instead of hatred." "I’d
like to tell you about my vision for an America that includes every one of
us. As President I would:" "Work to ban workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation."
"Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
bars employment discrimination based on race, religion, sex, and
national origin. But nothing in federal law prevents an employer from
discharging or refusing to hire someone because he or she is gay. I will
fight for enactment of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to remedy
this gap in federal law."
"Strengthen federal protections against anti-gay violence."
"The murder of Matthew Shepard in Wyoming
was not an isolated incident but part of persistent anti-gay violence in
the United States. I support enactment of the Local Law Enforcement
Enhancement Act to help states investigate and prosecute bias crimes and
to add “sexual orientation” to the list of protected categories in
the federal hate crimes statute."
"Give federal employees the right to name same-sex partners as beneficiaries."
"Major U.S. corporations, such as Boeing,
Ford Motor Co., and AOL-Time Warner, have adopted human resources
policies to allow employees to designate a domestic partner as a
beneficiary of health and other employment benefits. The federal
government should do the same."
"End bias in the immigration laws."
"Current law authorizes family members of
U.S. citizens and permanent residents to obtain immigrant visas, but the
Immigration and Nationality Act's definition of family does not include
same-sex partners. I support enactment of the Permanent Partners
Immigration Act (H.R. 832) to add the term "permanent partner"
to the statutory list of family members eligible to obtain immigrant
visas."
"End the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy."
"Last November, several Arabic and Korean
linguists from the Army's Defense Language Institute were discharged for
being gay despite the critical need for qualified linguists in the war
on terror. That was wrong. As President, I will offer gay and lesbian
soldiers the opportunity to serve our country openly."
"Ensure access to affordable health care, including AIDS/HIV Services."
"My health care proposal ensures that all
Americans would have access to affordable health insurance. This would
be a major step forward for individuals suffering from AIDS, many of
whom lack coverage despite the need for costly life-saving
interventions. I also support increased funding for public health
programs like the Ryan White CARE Act."
"As President, I will fight for the civil rights for all Americans, and that includes lesbian and gay Americans." Download
a PDF file of the above
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Photos: John Pettitt / DeanForAmerica.com
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| Gov. Howard Dean MD at the Young Democrats of America National Convention. Photo: John Pettitt / DeanForAmerica.com | ||||
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Civil Unions Bill Governor Dean signed Vermont's civil unions legislation into law on April 26, 2000. Vermont is the first state to enact legislation recognizing same-sex unions, and granting gay and lesbian couples the same legal rights as heterosexual couples.
Decision-making power Vermont's civil unions legislation gives gay and lesbian couples the right to hospital visitation, health insurance, and control of a partner's affairs upon death.
Local Law Enforcement Act Governor Dean supports the passage of this federal hate crimes bill to assist in the investigation and prosecution of anti-gay crimes.
Immigration Governor Dean believes that immigration laws should not discriminate based on sexual orientation. As President, he will work to permit U.S. citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their same-sex partners for immigration to the U.S.
Rights of Inheritance Vermont's civil unions legislation gives gay and lesbian couples the same right to inherit property that married couples enjoy.
Hate Crimes legislation Governor Dean strengthened protections against anti-gay violence by signing a law adding sexual orientation and gender identity to Vermont's hate crimes statute.
Affordable & Accessible Healthcare Governor Dean has an affordable, targeted plan to provide all Americans access to healthcare, including services of importance to gays and lesbians.
Serving in the Military Governor
Dean opposes the military's current "don't ask, don't tell"
policy. He believes gays and lesbians should be able to serve their
country proudly and openly.
Child Custody Vermont's civil unions legislation provides child custody rights for gay and lesbian couples.
Employment Non-Discrimination Act Governor Dean supports passage of this federal bill to protect gays and lesbians from workplace discrimination.
HIV/AIDS Governor Dean has been a strong advocate for fighting HIV/AIDS at home and abroad. Unlike President Bush, he will not censor HIV/AIDS prevention material.
DOMA Governor Dean
believes the "Defense of Marriage Act" is unconstitutional and
will support legal challenges to its validity.
Download
a PDF file of the above
Howard Dean: Pro-Peace, Pro-Health Care, Pro-Gay - The Advocate (Apr 1, 2003)
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