Issue Position: Diversity

Issue Position

Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District is home to over 600,000 people. A variety of different ethnic communities -- African-American, Hmong, Latino, Native American, Somali, and many more -- reside in and around the St. Paul area.

Women, minorities, gay and lesbian, seniors, and people with disabilities also live in the St. Paul community. All of these groups make Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District a vibrant and diverse place to live.

For many of these groups, the struggle for equality and acceptance has been a difficult road. For example, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" unfairly discriminated against the courageous men and women in uniform who were gay. In 2010, I proudly supported President Obama's successful effort to put a permanent end to the military's process of systemic discrimination against individuals who are openly gay and lesbian. Another example is the Native American communities. For far too long, Native American tribes weren't properly recognized by the federal government. As a result, they were overlooked.

Unfortunately more instances of inequality and discrimination still continue today. There is no excuse. Since my time on the North St. Paul City Council and Minnesota State House of Representatives, I've worked to ensure everyone has equal rights and is treated fairly.

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