State of New Hampshire secondary Archives: on Civil Rights

Joe Biden: Reverse ban on transgender individuals serving in military

And finally, to successfully reassert our diplomacy and keep Americans safe, prosperous, and free, we must restore the health and morale of our foreign policy institutions.

The United States will again lead not just by the example of our power but the power of our example. Within hours of taking office, I signed an executive order overturning the hateful, discriminatory Muslim ban; reversed the ban on transgender individuals serving in our military.

Don Bolduc: I don't look at color; I look at content of their character

Don Bolduc: Solution to racism is not laws but education

Corky Messner: Horrific that students learn about transgender

Corky Messner: Unclear. "What they're teaching kids in school [about `transgender'] is horrific." "Transgenders in military's OK, as long as there's no distraction from the mission."

Jeanne Shaheen: Yes. "Elated" by Supreme Court decision for marriage equality. Co-sponsored Equality Act that adds explicit protections for LGBTQ Americans to the nation's civil rights laws.

Don Bolduc: AdWatch: opposes marriage equality

Corky Messner: Black Lives Matter is revolutionary, don't defund police

Messner: The first thing I would do is I would bring together a group of people to broadly discuss issues around race in this country, and I would bring together people from various factions, including those African-Americans who view the race issue in a different way than what we hear from the left.

Q: Do you support the Black Lives Matter movement?

Corky Messner: I do not. I think the Black Lives Matter movement is a revolutionary movement. For example their support of defunding police, I do not support. Safety and security is important. Are there certain reforms that need to be made to law enforcement? Absolutely. But the idea of totally defunding police, I do not support. We need law and order. We need safety and security.

Bill O`Brien: Opposed students voting in-state "with no life experience"

Don Bolduc: Shut down national media to stop spread of COVID fear

ACLU: Supported "no excuse" absentee voting bill

The League of Women Voters and the American Civil Liberties Union had supported this cause (HB 611).

Chris Sununu: Vetoed "no excuse" absentee voting bill

Legislative outcome:Senate voted 171-11-0 on May 30; House voted 222-157-18 on Sept 18 veto override

Dan Feltes: Voted YES on "no excuse" absentee voting bill

Legislative outcome:Senate voted 171-11-0 on May 30; Sen. Feltes voted YEA; House voted 222-157-18 on Sept 18 veto override

Molly Kelly: One of the first legislators to vote for marriage equality

Chris Sununu: Gender identity non-discrimination in employment & housing

And that win came in the form of a decisive 195-129 vote in favor of HB 1319--all in a Republican-controlled legislative body, no less.

HB 1319--which adds gender identity to New Hampshire's existing non-discrimination legislation in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations--will have to clear the Senate next, and then be signed by Republican Governor Chris Sununu, who has already suggested he will support the bill. [Governor Sununu signed the bill on June 8].

Chris Sununu: No personal opinion on equal transgender rights

In March, New Hampshire had a chance to join every other state in New England in passing legislation to give transgender Granite Staters equal protection under the law. The bill was derailed by New Hampshire House Republicans using a bogus bathroom argument, and the GOP members were too cowardly to even debate the measure, deciding to table the bill instead.

Sununu made only one comment: He had "no personal opinion" on whether transgender Granite Staters deserved equal rights.

When Sununu says he has "no opinion" or works to deny Granite Staters their civil liberties, he is saying that rights of transgender Granite Staters don't matter.

Maggie Hassan: Ban discrimination against transgender individuals

Ayotte: No. But advocates for full access to government benefits for same-sex couples.

Hassan: Yes

Q: On Gay Rights: Should transgender individuals have the right to use public bathrooms of their choice?

Ayotte: No clear public stand, though has supported some previous protections.

Hassan: Yes. Also issued Executive Order for NH banning discrimination against transgender individuals.

Bernie Sanders: What kind of response would happen if Flint MI were white?

Hillary CLINTON: Absolutely. If Michigan won't do it, there have to be ways that we can begin to move, and then make them pay for it.

SANDERS: The Secretary described the situation appropriately. I did ask for the resignation of Governor Snyder because his irresponsibility was so outrageous. What we are talking about are children being poisoned. The idea that there has not been a dramatic response is beyond comprehension. When you have significant public health crisis, of course the federal government comes in. One wonders if this were a white suburban community what kind of response there would have been. Flint is a poor community. It is disproportionately African-American and minority. And what has happened there is absolutely unacceptable.

Bob Smith: Government shouldn't redefine marriage

Smith: Strongly Agree.

Dan Feltes: We work best when we embrace diversity and inclusion

Dan knows our civil rights laws and policies, and he will help ensure that civil rights issues are advanced in a constructive and reasonable way.

Scott Brown: Next step in racial equality: stop glorifying violence

BROWN: Well, I think we're getting close. We've made huge strides. There are certain pockets still where there is inequality. There are disadvantages that need to be addressed. But do we do that through government intervention or do we do it by job creation? By educating our kids? By getting a culture of family. By getting at the black-on-black violence. We have to step back from glorifying a movement, the hip hop movement and other types of movements that glorify violence. So I think we're getting very close to just letting Americans, black, white, all races, colors, creeds, move forth with their own qualifications and stand on their own merits.

Karen Testerman: Vocal opponent of same-sex civil unions

Annie Kuster: Equal pay for equal work

And the War on Women is not just about women--it's about putting the squeeze on the middle class. In New Hampshire women earn only 78 cents for every dollar earned by a man, and women are increasingly carrying the financial burden to support their families. Most families rely on 2 incomes to make ends meet, and when a woman earns less we put working families at a huge disadvantage. Despite this, politicians and pundits on the right refuse to come out publicly in support of equal pay for women. Here in New Hampshire, Republicans are saying that the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is nothing more than a "handout to trial lawyers."

Mitt Romney: Gay community needs more support from the Republican Party

ROMNEY: I don't discriminate. And in the appointments that I made when I was governor of Massachusetts, a member of my Cabinet was gay. I appointed people to the bench, regardless of their sexual orientation, made it very clear that, in my view, we should not discriminate in hiring policies, in legal policies. At the same time, from the very beginning in 1994, I said to the gay community, "I do not favor same-sex marriage." But if people are looking for someone who will discriminate against gays, they won't find that in me.

Q: When's the last time you stoop up and spoke out for increasing gay rights?

ROMNEY: Right now.

Rick Santorum: I agree with hearing gay ideas but disagree with some

A: I would be a voice in speaking out for making sure that every person in America, gay or straight, is treated with respect and dignity and has the equality of opportunity. That does not mean that I would agree with certain things that the gay community would like to do to change laws with respect to marriage or respect to adoption and things like that. You can be respectful. Just because you don't agree with someone's desire to change the law doesn't mean you hate them or you want to discriminate against them. If you watch the town hall meetings that I've been doing all over New Hampshire, I do so in a respectful tone: I listen to the other side. I let them make their arguments. And you know what, we may not agree.

Q: What if you had a son who came to you and said he was gay?

A: I would love him as much as I did before he said it, and I would try to do everything I can to be as good a father to him as possible.

Rick Santorum: Marriage is a federal issue; we need one definition, not 50

SANTORUM: I believe the issue of marriage is a federal issue, that we can't have different laws with respect to marriage. We have to have one law. Marriage is a foundational institution of our country, and we have to have a singular law with respect to that. We can't have somebody married in one state and not married in another.

Q: If we have a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, what happens to the 1,800 families who have married here in N.H.? Are their marriages basically illegitimate at this point?

SANTORUM: If the Constitution says marriage is between a man and a woman, then marriage is between a man and a woman. And therefore, that's what marriage is and would be in this country. And those who are not men and women who are married--would not be married. That's what the Constitution would say.