Civil Rights

Women’s Rights

  • I support a woman’s right to choose, and the right of women to control their own bodies.

    • I support a woman's right to choose. Access to safe and affordable abortions is a right guaranteed in the landmark Roe v. Wade decision. In the years proceeding this landmark decision efforts by the anti-choice lobby to chip away at abortion access has made it so that the ability to receive these essential services depends on your location, income, and status. Bodily autonomy for every individual must be supported and restrictive abortion laws that serve to criminalize and endanger women must be condemned on a federal level. I support ending the Global Gag Rule, which prevents money from going to international NGOs that even talk about abortion.

  • Roe v. Wade should be codified, in order to protect the rights it affords

    • Reproductive freedom is a human right, and we must ensure it is defended. Roe v. Wade guarantees the right to an abortion for all women, but efforts from lawmakers backed by the anti-choice lobby have slowly chipped away at this guarantee by making abortion increasingly difficult to access. The right to a safe and affordable abortion should not depend on your income, location, disability, or immigration status and increased reforms must be passed to ensure this. Roe v. Wade needs to be codified, to ensure reproductive rights can never be stripped away.

  • I denounce the wage pay gap and support equal pay for equal work.

    • I support legislation such as the Paycheck Fairness Act, which will protect women who reasonably request higher pay, discuss inequities with their coworkers, and file sex-based discrimination claims. Progressive legislation is a crucial step towards bridging the pay gap, and protecting women in the workplace.

  • I denounce the new Title IX provisions put forth by Education Secretary Betsy Devos. I believe schools have a responsibility to protect and defend victims of sexual assault and that perpetrators should be held accountable. 

    • The new Title IX provisions allow someone accused of sexual assault to cross examine their victim, thus, increasing potential mental health effects for an already traumatized individual. It is the purpose of Title IX procedures to remain unbiased and provide a safe space for the victim and accused, allowing the accused to cross-examine the victim goes against this principle. Secretary Devos further restricted the definition of sexual assault, making it harder to find perpetrators guilty and provide adequate punishments. These provisions deter victims from reporting and prioritized those accused of sexual assault over victims. This is absolutely unacceptable. We need to protect victims of sexual assault, not further endanger them.

  • I denounce the Hyde Amendment which blocks federal funding for abortions.

    • The Hyde Amendment prevents Medicare and Medicaid from being used on abortion services; effectively banning abortion for lower-income individuals, forcing them to pay out of pocket for these necessary services. The Roe v. Wade decision guarantees abortion access to all, and it should not be contingent upon economic status or income. Repealing the Hyde Amendment is absolutely necessary to ensuring the promise of the Roe v. Wade ruling is fully realized.

  • I support the Equal Rights Amendment which guarantees protections to all persons, regardless of sex. 

    • The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is paramount to ending legal distinctions between the sexes in matters of divorce, employment, property, and custody. As an amendment to the Constitution, the ERA would help bolster protections for women, by allowing sexual assault survivors to sue their assailants in federal court, and protecting against the onslaught or recent attempts to rollback access to abortion. The ERA would protect women against pay and pregnancy discrimination, and provide enumerated Constitutional rights to non-binary and non-gender conforming individuals. I am committed to fighting for the ratification of this necessary Constitutional amendment so that the civil rights of women and members of the LGBTQ+ community can be fully protected.

  • I denounce the “Pink” tax:

    • The Pink Tax refers to gender-based price discrimination, where products and services used by women are priced higher than male products. This tax also allows for feminine products to be treated as “luxury” items, allowing them to be taxed as such. I commit to supporting legislation, such as the Pink Tax Repeal Act, that will prohibit pricing consumer products and services differently based on the gender the product targets.

  • I support reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act.

    • The Violence Against Women Act has been instrumental in increasing resources available to victims of domestic, sexual, and emotional violence. Currently, the violence Against women reauthorization is stalled in the Senate. It is imperative that this legislation be reauthorized so that survivors of violence can be supported and empowered to attain justice

  • I support the EMPOWER and BE HEARD Acts which will strengthen sex discrimination claims under Title VII and Title IX and protect survivors of sexual assault and harassment.

    • These pieces of legislation are essential in ensuring that women who have been victims of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace or at their schools receive equitable justice. These acts bolster anti-discrimination protections by allowing survivors to report wrongdoing without risking the loss of their job or student status. These bills protect survivors by outlawing nondisclosure agreements used to silence them, and requiring companies and universities to disclose settlements. We must end the culture of silence that allows sexual assault and harassment to continue.

LGBTQIA+ Rights

  • I support protecting the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community in regards to all aspects of life.

    • Support for and solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community is more important than ever. At the federal level, President Trump has rolled-back guidance protecting the rights of trans students in federally funded schools, in our healthcare system, within public restrooms, and has removed the rights of trans individuals to serve in the United States military. Republicans routinely draft legislation that would deny many people their rights to basic employment, housing, healthcare and education on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation. We cannot allow that to happen. I pledge to tirelessly support the LGBTQIA+ community.

  • I support a federal ban on the practice of conversion therapy.

    • The practice of conversion therapy is extremely damaging to the mental health and wellbeing to underage children who are forced to endure the physical, sexual, and mental abuses utilized in attempts to change their sexuality. Youth who grow up in highly rejecting families are nearly 9 times as likely to attempt suicide when compared to LGB peers who have supportive families. The most abusive part of this practice is that these kids are raised to believe their thoughts and identity are not only wrong but something to be ashamed of, and the parents that these children trust and love are willing to put them through these abuses. This practice must be banned on a federal level.

  • I denounce the allowance of bathroom discrimination laws. 

    • Transgender people are most often the victims of assault or abuse, rather than the perpetrators of these things- and this especially applies in public restrooms. Many states continue to justify transphobic bathroom laws by claiming allowing these people into the restroom of their gender identity will endanger women and children, but what is really dangerous is asking a transgender woman who appears feminine walk into a male restroom in the south. A transgender man walking into a female restroom could cause similar shock and panic, as these individuals often are trying to cause the least disruption in order to remain safe. These laws not only endanger trans lives, but force trans folks into awkward and mentally harmful situations and is a violation of their rights.

  • I denounce the Religious Freedom Laws designed to protect businesses and churches from legal responsibility from discrimination on the basis of an individuals gender identity or sexuality

    • The Religious Freedom Laws enacted by the Trump administration specifically attacks the LGBTQI+ community as it allows businesses and churches to discriminate based on gender identity or sexuality if it conflicts with their moral or religious beliefs. This is an extremely dangerous piece of legislature that endangers the wellbeing and rights of the LGBT+ community and restricts their abilities to function in their communities. These laws encourage bigotry and the ostracization of these individuals and strips years of protections for LGBT+ community.

  • I denounce proposed legislation that will restrict transgender minor’s access to gender reaffirming treatments and surgeries.

    •  Medical research is very clear on the benefits that hormone blockers, hormone replacement therapy, and other gender reaffirming surgeries have on the wellbeing of transgender individuals, especially those trans children going through puberty, which can be an extremely difficult time in their lives. The federal government is attempting to control the accessibility to these life saving medical resources for transgender youth, despite parental consent or the medical community’s research on the matter. This legislation not only has the capacity to increase the suicidality rates of transgender youth, which is already much higher than their peers, but it can cause permanent damage to the lives of these children because of the extremely time sensitive nature of some of these medical treatments. Forcing those children with parental consent to wait until the age of 18 to begin transitioning is a direct violation of their rights.

  • I denounce proposed legislation that requires healthcare professionals to disclose information regarding discussions of gender identity to the parents of their patients.

    • Requiring health care professionals to disclose discussions of gender identity to the patient's parents is an extremely dangerous proposition, and could directly result in the abuse or disownment of the children that are forcibly outed by these professionals. Many children hide their gender identity and sexualities from parents because they are aware of the bigotry they hold, and are aware that they would most likely be kicked out - or worse, assaulted - if their parents were to find out. This can also result in children being sent to conversion therapy or other harmful means of changing the child’s sexuality or gender. The fact that this was proposed at all just shows how far this administration has strayed from protecting the rights and lives of the LGBT+ community, and how they actively attempted to endanger those lives. I am dedicated to protecting the lives of this community because I believe that no one is safe unless we are all safe, and that everyone deserves the means to live fulfilling and successful lives.

      I support the following Bills:

Indigenous People’s Rights

  • I support the protection of Native American nations.

    • The history of indigenous rights in our nation is long and painful. The U.S. government has long abused its power over Tribal Nations by committing itself to treaties and repeatedly breaking them. All treaties signed with Tribal Nations, dating back to early American history, must be protected and honored. I support legislation that will require the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs to meet the obligations towards Tribal Nations that it has failed to meet for too long. We must continue to foster a partnership of equals with Tribal Nations.

  • I denounce the constructions of infrastructure and pipelines that harm or appropriate land that belongs to Indigenous People.

    • The U.S. federal government has been robbing Tribal Nations of land for centuries. The construction of oil pipelines on what is rightfully Native land, is a modern example of this. These pipelines pose grave environmental and health risks to the native population. Additionally, the land where these pipelines and infrastructure is constructed is often sacred and vital to the culture and history of these communities. I support Tribal Nations in their fight for environmental justice and denounce the violent crackdowns on Native activists.

  • I support the creation of a delegate in Congress for the Cherokee Nation, as guaranteed in established treaties.

    • The Cherokee Nation has had the right to a Congressional Delegate since the signing of the Treaty with the Cherokees in 1835. It is the responsibility of the U.S. government to honor these treaties with Tribal Nations, and in doing so, Congress should support the creation and implementation of a Cherokee Congressional delegate.

  • I support increased funding for resources and initiatives to empower Native communities as guaranteed in the established treaties.

    • Treaties with Tribal Nations provide that the U.S. government invest in infrastructure, health and safety initiatives, and educational resources serving Tribal Nations. Despite promising these investments, the U.S. has continuously failed to hold up its end of the agreement. I support increased mental health funding, to combat the incredibly high rates of suicide and drug abuse in Native communities. I support increased education funding and initiatives to increase high school graduation rates and empower Native People to pursue secondary education. And I support increased infrastructure spending, as it pertains to water supplies and sanitation in Native American communities, so that all Native people have access to clean, running water.

  • I support an independent commission working with Tribal Nations and communities, to investigate the missing and murdered Indigenous women in the United States.

    • Native women are murdered and assaulted at rates ten times higher than the national average. Transient workers that live in temporary housing on or near Tribal land often target Native American women, understanding that the federal government has a lack of jurisdiction, preventing their victims from getting justice. We must protect these vulnerable women. Their lives matter. We demand justice for these Native women and girls.

  • I support the Indian Child Welfare Act and increased Tribal sovereignty over child placement and adoption.

    • The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was enacted in response to the disproportionate rates by which Native American children were removed from their homes by state and local agencies. This important legislation increases tribal authority over child placements and adoptions while still promoting the wellbeing of Native children. ICWA must continue to be supported, in recognition of Tribal sovereignty. These protections must be increased on a federal level to ensure that these essential rights are not stripped from Native people.

Immigration

  • I support the DREAM Act.

    • Passage of H.R. 6 “American Dream and Promise Act” is important in providing legal status to undocumented individuals. I commit to working to pass a clean DREAM Act, so that the millions of eligible immigrants can begin to live without any fear of deportation and family separation. And I am a proud supporter of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

  • I support and pledge to advocate to reform our broken immigration system.

    • As a nation, we must ensure that asylum seekers and detainees are treated in a humane manner. No immigrant should be dying of preventable causes in U.S. custody. As such, I denounce the separation of families and the caging of children at detention facilities. I support abolishing the current ICE system. I denounce for-profit immigration detention centers. And I support establishing an affordable and clear path to citizenship.

  • I support The Embrace Act:

    • I strongly support H.R.5071 - “The Embrace Act” Sponsored by Representative Ocasio-Cortez. The IRS estimates that undocumented people pay over $9 billion in withheld payroll taxes annually. However, undocumented people remain ineligible to participate in several stimulus programs and essential government services such as healthcare. Absent of government relief and support for the nation’s undocumented people, many will experience siginificant economic hardships that can impact entire communities.We need to ensure that all individuals in need are eligible for the programs of the social safety net. This is why I support the expansion of U.S. asylum laws to apply to victims of domestic violence and gang violence.