Equality
It’s nearly 50 years late, but I will vote over and over and over and over again to remove the time limit placed on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) of 1972.
The ERA was first introduced in 1923, 100 years ago and still not fully ratified because of GOP opposition and delay tactics in Congress! Granting equal rights for women and enshrining gender equity in all U.S. law is long overdue.
Representation is important. Out of 435 Members of the House, currently only 11 are out LGBTQ (only 2.5%). I would be the twelfth. That is still way under-represented of the current U.S. LGBTQ population. I am the first out Democratic, gay man to ever run for Congress from Oregon and if elected would be the first LGBTQ Member of Congress from Oregon!
It’s nearly 50 years late, but I will vote over and over and over and over again to remove the time limit placed on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) of 1972.
I will co-sponsor the Equality Act if it comes back to the House. The Act:
Helps protect partnered gay couples from discrimination in purchasing a home
Defend lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people from inequity in the workplace
Safeguard the rights of transgender people to serve in the military and access gender-affirming healthcare
Establish safety precautions for transgender and queer students in schools.
In addition, I will join and work with the House LGBTQ+ Equity Caucus to introduce legislation that will:
further protect adoption rights by same-sex parents
further codify same-sex marriage in Federal law
further protect immigration rights of same-sex spouses and partners (from countries where same-sex marriage isn’t yet legalized)
count single, unmarried LGBTQ people in future Censuses.