Issue Position: LGBT/Marriage Equality

Issue Position

As a member of the LGBT Equality Caucus in the House, Tulsi has advocated for LGBT Housing/Privacy rights, to end bullying and harassment in schools and has co-sponsored numerous bills including the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the Respect for Marriage Act, the Healthy Families Act, the Equality Act and the Safe Schools Improvement Act. She has been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign (View endorsements).

Standing Up for LGBT Rights and Marriage Equality

I believe that equal treatment and opportunity are fundamental rights for all Americans. Discrimination on the basis of national origin, sexual orientation, disability, religious belief, gender, or race undermines core American principles of respect and individual freedom. We have an obligation to fight against discrimination, whatever the form. I will continue to work with partners at the federal, state, and local level to ensure all individuals are treated equally under the law regardless of race, sex, religion, age, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

The government should not deny those in same-sex relationships the right to marry and enjoy the same benefits, rights, and responsibilities as opposite-sex married couples. Government and political leaders like myself should have no place in determining the most personal aspects of our lives. Government officials should not have the power to declare one relationship "morally' superior to another. As long as the government administers marriages and its benefits, it must remain neutral and treat all Americans as equal.

TULSI GABBARD

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