EQUAL RIGHTS WASHINGTON

2007 Legislative Agenda

Equal Right Washington Mission Statement: to ensure and promote dignity, safety and equality for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Washingtonians.

Family Issues/Partnership Recognition

 We Support:

• Marriage – Equal Rights Washington is committed to securing marriage equality for Washington’s citizens. Civil marriage is a unique legal institution that transcends the law and provides both parties who enter into marriage (and their children) unparalleled tangible and intangible benefits and protections. Denying lesbian and gay individuals the ability to marry is discrimination. All individuals deserve equal rights, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Passage of a marriage equality bill and any legislation that will support this effort is the highest priority for Equal Rights Washington. Equal Rights Washington will focus on educating legislators and the public about marriage equality and the lives of LGBT families across the state to achieve this goal.

•  Domestic Partnerships/Domestic Partnership Registry –While domestic partnerships neither meet the basic legal needs of same sex couples nor provide the dignity and intangible protections that marriage affords, they do provide some level of protection presently unavailable to same-sex couples and their children.  Equal Rights Washington therefore supports the immediate creation of a domestic partnership registry because it will provide same-sex couples with some protections they are presently denied. Equal Rights Washington will build coalitions with other organizations affected by the inequalities of the current system, and support legislation that reflects the realities of today’s families.

• Family Medical Leave – Including language that would expand family medical leave benefits to domestic partners.

We Oppose:

• Efforts to amend the State Constitution in ways that would institute discrimination.

LGBT Youth

We Support:

• Healthy Youth Act - The Healthy Youth Act ensures that sexuality education in public schools teaches both abstinence and comprehensive, medically accurate information about the effectiveness of condoms and other family planning options. Estimates suggest that 25% of new HIV infections occur among young people aged 22 and younger, so a comprehensive approach is crucial to giving young people the tools they need to prevent HIV infection.

• Safe Schools/Anti-bullying – Equal Rights Washington supports efforts to strengthen and expand the Safe School legislation to protect/support LGBT youth. 

• Homeless Youth – The Washington State Legislature has made a commitment to ending homelessness in our communities. LGBT youth make up a large portion of the homeless youth population. Equal Rights Washington will work with coalition partners to make sure that the unique needs of LGBT homeless youth are met, respected, and protected. 

Healthcare – HIV/AIDS

We Support:

• Healthcare Access – Access to healthcare information, affordable healthcare, and family planning services including reproductive technology, prescription drug coverage, mental health services, and substance abuse treatment is vital to the well being of the LGBT community. Equal Rights Washington will support efforts to eliminate the obstacles individuals are facing in accessing healthcare.

• HIV/AIDS Issues - Equal Rights Washington will follow the strategy developed by Lifelong AIDS Alliance, and participate (when appropriate) on strategic and tactical discussions.  Included in this agenda is funding for family planning and STD testing, Ryan White funding backfill, and expanding the medical nutritional therapy program.

• Pharmacy Board – Equal Rights Washington will work to ensure that the Washington State Pharmacy Board adopts a rule that would require that pharmacists to dispense pharmaceuticals as written, without allowing their personal beliefs interfere with a patient’s treatment and safety.

• Human Papillomavirus (HPV) – Equal Rights Washington support funding and policy efforts to educate the public and provide vaccinations to at-risk populations for the HPV infections.  Individuals who have acquired HPV are at a greater risk for developing cervical cancer.   

We Oppose:

• Legislation that limits or denies individuals access to quality healthcare. 

Transgender Equality

We Support:

• Fair Implementation of the Real ID Act – Equal Rights Washington will work to ensure that Washington’s implementation of the Federal Real ID Act will not adversely impact transgender people, LGBT foreign nationals, or LGBT naturalized citizens.

• Hate Crimes Inclusion – Work to expand the federal definition of hate crimes to include gender identity. (Federal) 

• Employment Nondiscrimination Act – Support efforts to prohibit discrimination in employment on the basis of gender identity. (Federal)

• Healthcare – Equal Rights Washington will work to ensure that transgender people have access to medically necessary healthcare, including sex reassignment surgery and hormones.

Federal Issues 

Equal Rights Washington supports the work being done by our national partners, which includes the Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Equal Rights Washington will activate its members to achieve Federal legislative priorities established by the Task Force and HRC.

We Support

• Employment Nondiscrimination Act – Support efforts to prohibit discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

• Hate Crimes Protections – Expand current hate crimes to include crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

• Repeal "Don’t Ask Don’t Tell"--Allow people to serve openly in the military regardless of their sexual orientation.

• Immigration equality – End the immigration discrimination same-sex couples face due, to their inability to legally marry.

We Oppose

• Any attempt to write discrimination into the US Constitution

For more information about Equal Rights Washington’s legislative agenda please contact Joshua Friedes, at 206-324-2570 or info@equalrightswashington.org