|
Position
Statements
It
is Equality Utah's position that all individuals have the
right to protection from discrimination and bias-motivated
harassment and violence.
Accordingly,
we support:
1. Securing measures that prohibit discrimination based
on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression
in employment, housing, public accommodation, education
and extension of credit.
2.
Securing measures to prevent harassment and discrimination
based on sexual orientation or gender identity and expression
in Utah's public schools and in foster care and juvenile
detention settings.
3.
Assuring that the juvenile justice system extend to LGBT
youth the same procedural and other protections extended
to all other youth.
It
is Equality Utah's position that all families, including
the families of LGBT people, deserve the government's support,
protection and equal treatment in their roles as partners,
parents and caregivers. Moreover, it is Equality Utah's
position that the children of same-sex and transgender couples
are often the ones who suffer most when the government denies
their parents the same benefits and treatment provided to
all other families.
Accordingly,
we support:
1.
Securing measures to create domestic partner registries
for same-sex and transgender partners.
2.
Adopting domestic partner benefits for same-sex and transgender
partners.
3.
Extending state and municipal employee health and other
benefits rights to same-sex and transgender partners.
4.
Securing measures to extend hospital visitation rights and
emergency medical decision-making rights to same-sex and
transgender partners.
5.
Assuring that parents in same-sex and transgender relationships
be given the same adoption and custody rights extended to
all other parents.
As
a matter of basic fairness and sound public policy, Equality
Utah supports civil marriage equality for LGBT Utahns. Accordingly,
Equality Utah supports the repeal of Amendment 3. Until
such time as Amendment 3 is repealed or invalidated, it
is the position of Equality Utah that Amendment 3 should
be interpreted narrowly as dealing only with marriage and
not as preempting state or municipal governments' power
to extend to same-sex and transgender couples any of the
above-mentioned rights, legal protections and benefits.
Approved
7/12/2006
|
