DNC platform recognizes LGBT rights

by Robin Dorner
Op. Ed

Democrats pride themselves in the last eight years’ progress. We have seen 75 straight months of private-sector job growth and added 14.5 million new jobs, twenty million people have gained health insurance coverage, the American auto industry just had its best year ever and we are getting more of our energy from the sun and wind, and importing less oil from overseas.

In addition, Democrats have a long and proud history of defending all civil rights, expanding ensuring marriage equality, and equal federal rights for LGBT couples and expanding opportunity for LGBTQ Americans.

In fact, on page two of the Preamble of the Platform of the Democratic National Convention, the LGBT community is quickly recognized with equal rights. “We believe in protecting civil liberties and guaranteeing civil rights and voting rights, women’s rights and workers’ rights, LGBT rights and rights for people with disabilities. We believe America is still, as Robert Kennedy said, ‘a great country, an unselfish country, and a compassionate country.’”

The LGBT community even has their own LGBT Rights statement: “Democrats applaud last year’s decision by the Supreme Court that recognized LGBT people like every other American have the right to marry the person they love. But there is still much work to be done. LGBT kids continue to be bullied at school, a restaurant can refuse to serve a transgender person, and a same-sex couple is at risk of being evicted from their home. That is unacceptable and must change.

“Democrats will fight for comprehensive federal non-discrimination protections for all LGBT Americans and push back against state efforts to discriminate against LGBT individuals. We will combat LGBT youth homelessness and improve school climates, and we will protect transgender individuals from violence. We will promote LGBT human rights and ensure America’s foreign policy is inclusive of LGBT people around the world.”

The acronym “LGBT” was used a shocking seven times in that statement alone.

Under the “Protect Our Values” information of the Platform, LGBT is used yet again. “Our values of inclusion and tolerance inspire hope around the world and make us safer at home. The world will be more secure, stable, and peaceful when all people are able to reach their God-given potential and live in freedom and dignity. 

“We strive to ensure that the values upon which our country was built, including our belief that all people are created equal, are reflected in everything our nation does. That is why we will promote peacebuilding and champion human rights defenders. We will fight to end child labor. And we will seek to safeguard vulnerable minorities, including LGBT people and people with disabilities.”

There’s so much more covered in the Dem’s platform: equal pay/raising income and restoring economic security for the middle class, overturning the disastrous Citizens United decision, restoring the full power of the Voting Rights Act, fight for economic fairness and against inequality, racial and criminal justice. 

Further, the Democratic Party supports legal immigration, not “building a wall.”

There’s so much more supporting equality and fairness in the Democratic Platform. And to all of this, I think our community should respond with a resounding, “Hell, yes!”

Copyright The Gayly – August 6, 2016 @ 2:10 p.m.