PBS News Hour: on Civil Rights

Joe Sestak: Military should welcome transgendered "with open arms"

Sestak's campaign website says that if any transgender Americans "are called to join and serve in the military, we should welcome them with open arms--and a customary salute--not a cold shoulder." Source: PBS News Hour on 2020 Democratic primary Jul 16, 2019

Steve Bullock: Prohibit discrimination based on gender identity

Bullock has backed LGBT rights, including signing an executive order to prohibit discrimination of state employees, contractors and subcontractors based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Source: PBS News Hour 2020, "Where the candidate stands on 9 issues" May 15, 2019

Andrew Yang: Supports LGBTQ rights

Social issues: Pro-choice and supports LGBTQ rights.
Yang says he supports a woman's right to choose, and would nominate judges who share the same opinion.
Yang would support legislation protecting people from discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
He also would nominate LGBTQ individuals to serve in high-level jobs in his administration.

Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls Mar 19, 2019

John Hickenlooper: Supports gay marriage and LGBTQ rights

Hickenlooper supports gay marriage and LGBTQ rights. As governor, HIckenlooper called a special session of the state legislature in 2012 to challenge Republican opposition to legislation that would have legalized civil unions in the state. A few months later, Democrats won a majority in the state Assembly and Hickenlooper signed the legislation into law. Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls Mar 4, 2019

Jay Inslee: Backed legalizing same-sex marriage in his state

Inslee is a proponent of LGBTQ rights and backed legalizing same-sex marriage in his state. Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls Mar 1, 2019

Bernie Sanders: 1983: Approved "Gay Rights Day" in Burlington Vermont

On LGBTQ rights, Sanders has touted his early moves in support of the gay rights movement. In 1983, as mayor of Burlington, he approved a resolution declaring "Gay Rights Day;" in 1993, he opposed the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy; and in 2000 he supported gay civil unions in Vermont. He opposes President Donald Trump's push to ban transgender people from the military, and laws that would block transgender people from using the bathrooms of their choice. Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls Feb 19, 2019

Bill Weld: Supports gay marriage

Weld signed the amicus brief to overturn California's Prop 8, which outlawed gay marriage, but LGBT rights advocates say he's shifted his stance on gay marriage in the past.
Weld's liberal stance on social issues often earned him the ire of the GOP, and helped block his nomination to be ambassador of Mexico under President Bill Clinton.
The late North Carolina Republican senator and vocal segregationist Jesse Helms once accused Weld of perpetuating a "militant homosexual agenda."

Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls Feb 15, 2019

Amy Klobuchar: Anti-gay discrimination is bad for business

When it comes to the LGBTQ community, Klobuchar has said discrimination is "bad for business." In a 2013 report, Klobuchar detailed how LGBTQ discrimination doesn't just hold moral implications, but can damage the economy as well. Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls Feb 10, 2019

Kamala Harris: Let transgender people access the bathroom of their choice

Same-sex marriage should be legal. Transgender people should use the bathroom of their choice. States need not necessarily pay for sexual reassignment surgery.
On gay rights, Harris refused to defend California's law banning same-sex marriage while she was attorney general.
She believes same-sex marriage should be legal and filed a court brief supporting transgender people's position that they should have access to the bathroom of their choice.
She does not support states necessarily paying for gender reassignment surgery of transgender inmates, and once filed a court motion seeking to block the procedure in California.

Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls Jan 21, 2019

Kirsten Gillibrand: End the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy

Gay, lesbian and transgender Americans should be allowed to serve in the military and marry whomever they chose.
Gillibrand pushed to end the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy that required members of the military who identified as gay or lesbian to keep their sexual preferences secret.
She supported same-sex marriage before it was legalized.
More recently, she opposed the Trump administration's attempt to ban transgender Americans from serving in the military.

Source: PBS News hour on 2020 Presidential hopefuls Jan 16, 2019

The above quotations are from PBS News Hour "2020 Candidate Stands" series. Click here for definitions & background information on Civil Rights. Click here for other issues (main summary page). Click here for more quotes by Pete Buttigieg on Civil Rights. Click here for more quotes by Kamala Harris on Civil Rights.
*2020 Presidential contenders on Civil Rights:*
	*Democrats running for President:* Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO) V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE) Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC) Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT) Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN) Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ) Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX) Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI) Rep.John Delaney (D-MD) Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA) Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT) CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA) Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) Marianne Williamson (D-CA) CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY) *2020 Third Party Candidates:* Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI) CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV) Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI) Howie Hawkins (G-NY) ~~Gov.Gary Johnson~~(L-NM) ~~Howard Schultz~~(I-WA) Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN)	*Republicans running for President:* ~~Sen.Ted Cruz~~(R-TX) ~~Gov.Larry Hogan~~ (R-MD) ~~Gov.John Kasich~~(R-OH) V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN) ~~Gov.Mark Sanford~~ (R-SC) Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY) Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL) Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY) *2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:* Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA) Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC) Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK) Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA) Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO) Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA) Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL) Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA) Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX) Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA) Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA) Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: Aug 12, 2020