The Issues
Civil Rights & Human Rights
In the United States, we draw our strength from the strength of our most treasured of ideals: that all men and women are created equal and are endowed with equal rights – no matter what they look like, where they come from, or who they love. Our success and endurance as a nation depend on our commitment to uphold the promises of freedom and justice written into our founding documents.
Our democracy survives – and thrives – only when its doors are opened to every citizen, regardless of race. This generation, like each generation before it, must be vigilant as we strive to protect the equal rights of every American citizen. It is our duty to ensure access to the ballot box for all Americans. We must work to combat the forces of bigotry wherever they exist, and ensure that no person faces discrimination in the classroom or in the workplace because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Our values demand that the United States stand as a fierce advocate for human rights in the face of oppression wherever we find it. We must work to advance abroad the rights that we cherish so deeply here at home: freedom of expression, assembly, and religion; respect for the rule of law; and freedom from political persecution. The world calls for our bold leadership, and we can never stop working to build a brighter future – always remembering that, while the arc of history does indeed bend towards justice, it will not bend on its own.
WHAT DEMOCRATS ARE DOING
In Congress, Democrats have worked tirelessly to defend civil and human rights both within the United States and beyond our shores.
- Democrats are leading the fight to enact the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and halt workplace discrimination in our businesses.
- We are also championing legislation to revise, renew and strengthen the Voting Rights Act to ensure the right of every citizen to vote and the right of every vote to be counted as cast.
- Throughout her career in Congress, Leader Pelosi has stood at the forefront of calls for the Chinese government to respect the rights of its citizens and to end political persecution.
- We are also speaking out strongly against anti-LGBT measures in Uganda and elsewhere around the world.
We undertake these initiatives to honor the spark of divinity that exists in every man, woman and child. It is our duty as public officials to ensure that no individual is made to suffer for who they are.