Issue Position: Civil Rights

Issue Position

I have always supported treating people equally regardless of their race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ethnicity, religion, or disability. My belief is that the Golden Rule should guide our decisions in government; this means not only enforcing formal anti-discrimination statutes, but also supporting laws, policies, and programs that help to end disparate impacts or discrimination when it occurs subtly.

I am proud that in the 2013 legislative session Delaware took monumental steps to promote equality. The passage of HB75, legalizing same-sex marriage, and SB37, which outlaws discrimination against transgendered Delawareans, were two historic steps that now ensure more Delawareans are treated with greater equality under the law.

There is still more work to do, especially as it regards significant disparity by race concerning poverty, education, and entry into the criminal justice system. We need to ensure that all Delawareans are given the same opportunities and chances to succeed in our communities. It is not enough to have equality written into our state statutes when we cannot make that equality a reality.

We should not rest until we eliminate the pay-gap that finds women in Delaware earning only 80 cents for every 1 dollar their equally qualified and experienced male colleagues earn. While this inequality is better than the average equality across the entire United States, Delaware can and should do better. We must strive for equal pay for equal work.

We can also do more to ensure that as many people can participate in the voting process as possible. Although voter suppression has not been the hot-button topic in Delaware that it has been on our sister states, Delaware can take additional steps to promote voting for more Delawareans and ensure additional voting avenues that adapt for work schedules and limited transportation options.

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