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Christie Todd Whitman on Civil Rights
Former Director of the E.P.A (Pres. Bush Cabinet); Former Republican Governor (NJ)
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Opposes the Boy Scouts ban on gay members
[Some of Bush's] cabinet nominees have been supportive of gay causes, most notably New Jersey governor Christie Todd Whitman, tapped to head the EPA. Whitman's support for gay rights and her opposition to the
Boy Scouts ban on gay members have made her a political lightning rod for the GOP right wing.
Source: The Advocate magazine, p. 26, on Bush Cabinet
, Jan 30, 2001
Fight “bias crimes” based on gender or disability
Bias Crimes - Made fighting bias crime a top priority for New Jersey law enforcement. Gov. Whitman extended the state’s bias crimes laws to include crimes intended to intimidate because of gender or handicap,
and she has emphasized the need to educate youth about the need to combat hate crimes through her Many Faces/One Family Initiative.
Source: NJ Governor’s web site, “By the Numbers”
, Dec 25, 2000
Supports affirmative action
Affirmative Action - Supported affirmative action and signed legislation that helps minority and women-owned firms compete for state contracts.
Governor Whitman also signed an executive order requiring that agencies that hire bond counsel, financial advisors and other professionals give particular consideration to minority-and New Jersey-owned firms.
Source: NJ Governor’s web site, “By the Numbers”
, Dec 25, 2000
Supports gay rights
Whitman, unpopular with conservatives because she supports abortion rights and gay rights, will be put in a role where she’ll have no effect on social policy.
Source: ABCnews.com
, Dec 23, 2000
Economic opportunity regardless of gender or ethnicity
I’m proud that my administration is fighting for policies like affirmative action. We must make sure that economic opportunity exists for everyone. Not just for the privileged, not just for people of a certain color or
gender or ethnicity - but for everyone. We can’t just pass laws against discrimination. We have to make sure those laws work.
Source: Speech to NJ NAACP Convention
, Sep 16, 2000
Do not allow president’s power to corrupt feminist values
Feminist leaders have stood by as women who’ve charged the President with improper behavior have their pasts investigated and their physical appearances ridiculed. I signed a law in New Jersey outlawing that sort of character assassination
in sexual assault trials. It’s equally out of place here. By remaining silent, feminist leaders are sending the message that issues like gender discrimination and sexual harassment aren’t always absolutely wrong.
Source: Speech at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government
, Oct 29, 1998
Overturn CA Prop. 8: Let gays marry.
Whitman signed AFER amicus brief and Daily News coverage
[Many] conservative leaders are signatories to an "amicus brief" calling on the Supreme Court to overturn Prop. 8. Enacted in November 2008, Proposition 8 eliminated the fundamental freedom of gay and lesbian Californians to marry. The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) prepared an "amicus," or a "friend of the court" brief: a letter to the Supreme Court outlining a position on a pending case. AFER prepared this amicus brief, in support of gay marriage, and the "amici" signed it prior to sending to the Supreme Court.
"Many of the signatories to this brief previously did not support civil marriage for same-sex couples; others did not hold a considered position on the issue," the brief said. "However, in the years since
Massachusetts and other States have made civil marriage a reality for same-sex couples, amici, like many Americans, have reexamined the evidence and their own positions and have concluded that there is no legitimate, fact-based reason for denying same-sex couples the same recognition in law that is available to opposite-sex couples."
AFER is dedicated to protecting and advancing equal rights for every American. As the sole sponsor of the federal court challenge of California's Proposition 8, now known as Hollingsworth v. Perry, AFER is leading the fight for marriage equality and equality under the law for every American. Building bi-partisan support has been part of AFER's mission ever since the filing of its federal constitutional challenge to overturn Proposition 8.
Source: AFER amicus brief 13-AFER on Apr 1, 2013
Page last updated: Mar 13, 2021