|
| |
SDDC
Mission & Platform
SDDC Mission
-
The
mission of the San Diego Democratic Club shall be to secure for
all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people the equal human
rights guaranteed to all citizens by the Constitution of the
United States; to foster the ideals of the Democratic Party; to
contribute to the Party's growth and influence.
-
To achieve
this mission, the San Diego Democratic Club will work to: define
and implement the platform policies of the Democratic Party at
local, state and national levels to reflect the needs and desires
of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community;
encourage active participation in Democratic Party activities at
the local, state and national levels; register voters who support
the Club's mission and encourage their participation in the
electoral process; advocate for legislation consistent with the
Club's mission; evaluate candidates for public office and
actively support those candidates who best promote the Club's
mission; evaluate ballot measures and advise the community of the
Club's recommendations; actively support the election of
qualified lesbian, gay and bisexual candidates for public office;
educate public officials, candidates for public office and the
general community on political issues of importance to the
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community; build
coalitions with other organizations that support the Club's
mission; include underrepresented and diverse groups within our
community in order to bring about greater harmony and
understanding; and increase the Club's visibility and influence
by participation in community activities and events.
SDDC
Platform
(ratified June 2003)
The San Diego Democratic Club supports the full
inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) families in the life
of San Diego, of the State of California, and of every state in the nation. We
are committed to leading the fight to end discrimination on the basis real or
perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability,
gender, sexual orientation, sex, marital status, and gender
identity or its expression.
The struggle of LGBT people for full equality
is one of this generation's most important and galvanizing civil rights
movements. LGBT people continue to face discrimination in many areas of life. No
federal law prevents a person from being fired or refused a job on the basis of
sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. The U.S. military, the
nation’s largest employer, discriminates against lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and
transgender persons. Mothers and
fathers still lose child custody simply because they are lesbian, gays,
bisexual, or transgender. And all
states continue to deny LGBT couples the right to marry. Every year, lesbians, gays,
bisexuals, and transgender persons are denied access to housing, hotels, and other public
accommodations. Many more are forced to hide their lives and lie about their
loved ones just to get by.
Young LGBT people face special challenges,
especially in schools, where they regularly encounter harassment and
discrimination. It is imperative that these youths, who often also face
tremendous hostility from family members and others in the broader community,
must be able to feel safe and welcomed in their schools. Accomplishing this goal
means protecting students from violence on the school grounds, guaranteeing
their right to organize events and clubs as other students do, and ensuring that
LGBT teachers are not themselves victimized by harassment and discrimination.
In accordance with these basic values, the
members of the San Diego Democratic Club support the following principles and
policies:
Fundamental Rights
 |
We support legislation prohibiting discrimination on the basis of real or
perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability,
gender, sexual orientation, sex, marital status, and gender
identity or its expression in employment, housing, and public services. |
|
|
We oppose government
contracts with or government subsidies to organizations that discriminate on
the basis of real or perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, national
origin, disability, gender, sexual orientation, sex, marital status,
and gender identity or its expression. |
|
|
We support civil
rights legislation that provides equal opportunity, rights, and protections
for all people and support non-quota-based affirmative action programs that
assist
groups underrepresented in employment and education and subject to
barriers of societal or institutional discrimination. |
|
|
We support marriage
as a basic human right and an individual personal choice and believe that the
State should legally recognize same-sex couples who choose to marry and share
fully and equally in the rights, responsibilities, and commitment of civil
marriage. |
|
|
We believe that
same-sex couples should have the right to enter into civil unions that are
recognized under the law as conveying all the same benefits and
responsibilities as marriage. |
|
|
We support extending
to domestic partners benefits comparable to those afforded married couples. |
|
|
We support
legislation to require businesses that contract with governmental entities to
provide benefits to same-sex domestic partners and their dependents equal to
those provided for spouses and dependents of employees. |
|
|
We support equal
treatment for lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people in
parenting and child custody. |
|
|
We support the right
to serve in the military without restrictions based on real or perceived
sex, gender, or sexual orientation. |
|
|
We support a women’s
right to reproductive freedom and oppose any governmental restrictions
limiting access and/or funding to abortions or to family planning information. |
|
|
We support the
ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the US Constitution. |
|
|
We support equal
immigration opportunities for all people without regard to real or perceived
race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, gender, sexual
orientation, sex, gender identity or its expression, or HIV status. |
|
|
We support hate crime
legislation that enhances the penalties for crimes based on real or
perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability,
gender, sexual orientation, sex, or gender identity or its
expression. |
|
|
We support the
separation of religion and state. |
Employment Rights
|
|
We support comparable
wage scales for jobs requiring similar education, skills, and experience. |
|
|
We support
requiring “living wages” (defined as the minimum necessary to live in a
particular community) to be paid to workers on government contracts. |
|
|
We support workers’
rights to organize in unions to reach collective bargaining agreements with
employers. |
Education Rights
|
|
We support school
policies prohibiting discrimination and harassment on the basis of real or
perceived race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability,
gender, sexual orientation, sex, and gender identity or its
expression. |
|
|
We support programs
in public schools that provide age-appropriate education in human sexuality
and programs that provide counseling to enhance the self-esteem of lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender students. |
Medical Rights
|
|
We support a
comprehensive national health insurance program available to all persons
regardless of financial status, age, disability, or pre-existing medical
condition. |
|
|
We support increased
funding for AIDS/HIV research, patient care and treatment, and public
education. |
|
|
We support
legislation to allow mentally competent terminally ill patients the
right to die with dignity at the time of their choosing without coercive
encouragement or discouragement from government, healthcare establishments and
providers, or others. |
|
|
We support
legislation that permits patients to obtain and use marijuana for medical
purposes when prescribed by a physician. |
|
|
We support programs
that exchange clean needles and syringes without a
medical prescription as a means of stopping the spread of AIDS and other
diseases and encouraging rehabilitation from drug dependencies. |
|
