Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke has announced a wide-ranging plan for LGBTQ equality on Wednesday.
Listing an agenda of more than 30 actions he would take and/or support, the plan is divided in three parts: Executive Action to Protect LGBTQ+ People, Legislative Action to Ensure Full Equality and Protect the LGBTQ+ Community Across the Globe.
Via Instagram, O’Rourke said the proposal “would leverage executive power and call for congressional action that ensures that LGBTQ+ people have full equality and opportunity.”
First, O’Rourke would reverse many of Donald Trump’s disastrous executive actions and policies including:
• The discriminatory transgender military ban
• Overturning the ‘Deploy or Get Out’ policy that is currently discharging HIV+ service members
• Reversing the Trump policy that allows healthcare providers to deny treatment to LGBTQ+ people
• Directing the Department of Justice to investigate crimes against transgender people, especially trans women of color
• Reviewing the outdated blood donation requirements including the current 1-year ban for sexually active gay and bisexual men
• Ensure LGBTQ+ people are included in federal data collection efforts
• Appoint judges who have a proven record of supporting full civil rights for everyone
On a legislative front, O’Rourke promises to:
• Push for the passage of The Equality Act
• Ensure LGBTQ+ people have equal access to healthcare
• Enact the Every Child Deserves a Family Act which bars adoption and foster care programs that receive taxpayer dollars from discriminating against prospective LGBTQ parents
And the foreign policy aspect of his efforts would be:
• To promote foreign policy efforts to protect LGBTQ people abroad fleeing from persecution and violence
• Working with the United Nations on global protections for LGBTQ folks
• Investment in the Global Equality Fund which provides assistance to human rights groups working on behalf of LGBTQ people.
There’s much more, so click over to O’Rourke’s campaign site for all the details.
