WASHINGTON D.C.,— Last night the Democratic National Convention ratified one of the most pro-LGBTQ and progressive platforms in its history. In response, the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund’s Deputy Executive Director Russell Roybal released the following statement:
“The Democratic Party’s 2016 platform builds on the pro-LGBTQ and progressive legacy of President Barack Obama. It’s presents policies that are rooted in the idea that in America, people encompass a wide range of identities — we can be LGBTQ, a person of color, a person living with disabilities, a person of faith, and many other things that make us unique. We are truly the most diverse nation in the world.
“This platform promotes important policies on issues as varied as: LGBTQ freedom, justice and equality—with a focus on comprehensive protections in the areas of housing, employment, public accommodations, credit, jury service, education, and federal funding, and ending the epidemic of violence against transgender people of color. Racial justice—tackling issues as diverse as profiling, the apparent shoot-to-kill policies by some police forces, and closing the racial wealth gap. Guaranteeing civil rights—protecting and advancing civil rights for all and rejecting all forms of demonizing and dehumanizing entire groups of people such as Muslims, people of color, people with disabilities and immigrants. Economic security—tackling homelessness and unemployment and delivering a living wage. Criminal justice reform—from one that is designed to punish Black people and people of color to one that is based on the principle that Black Lives really do matter. Violence — policies that will help to create a nation free from violence, especially gun violence. And, immigration reform—that is comprehensive, fair and opens-up the promise of America to Dreamers and undocumented families.
“While the platform advances many of the policies that the National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund has fought for, there are some areas that it should have addressed. For example, a comprehensive strategy to combat the misuse of religion and faith to justify the on-going attack on reproductive health care. It is vital that our community remembers that legal decisions regarding reproductive rights are at the heart of recent historic legal decisions on issues such as marriage equality and that reproductive rights are LGBTQ rights. We must strongly resist any effort to misuse cherished faith to roll back and remove these rights that are so clearly linked to everyone’s lived freedom, justice and equality.”
