Kamala Harris - For California Attorney General 2010

Hate Crimes, Civil Rights, & Marriage Equality

Marriage Equality <<

 

"It really has to be said - we are all the same."
 -- Kamala Harris at a NO to Prop 8 press conference in 2008.

Kamala Harris has been an early and ardent supporter of marriage equality. Despite recent legal setbacks, Kamala continues to publicly support marriage equality and firmly believes this civil right will become the law of the land.

In the Bay Area Reporter's endorsement of Kamala Harris, they remarked on her long-standing support of the LGBT community:

"For attorney general, we recommend Kamala Harris. As San Francisco's district attorney, Harris has done a remarkable job for the LGBT community. Her office is well represented with qualified LGBT employees and she has taken a leading role in responding to LGBT victims of sexual assault and hate crimes. One of the little-known jobs of the attorney general is determining ballot language and titles for statewide initiatives and Harris, who supports marriage equality, will be an asset in the office as the community moves ahead with repealing Proposition 8, the same-sex marriage ban."

 

In the fight for marriage equality, Kamala Harris:

  • Opposed Prop 22 in 2000, the first marriage ban to appear on the California ballot, before becoming an elected official
  • Has been an active opponent of Prop 8, which removed rights that were granted by the California Supreme Court
  • Opposed California Supreme Court's decision to uphold Prop 8
  • Supports the repeal of DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act), a federal law passed in 1996 that allows a state not to recognize marriages performed in another state when they occur between persons of the same sex.  It also defines marriage, relevant to the federal government, as a legal union between a man and a woman. 
  • Is committed to doing everything within the power of the Attorney General's office and the law to join in the effort to repeal Prop 8.

Hate Crimes <<

As District Attorney, Kamala Harris:

  • Organized and led a national conference to confront the "gay-transgender panic defense" that has been used in attempts to justify brutal hate killings, including the tragic deaths of Gwen Araujo and Matthew Shepard.
  • Launched the Youth Anti-Hate Crime Program, training high school students to prevent hate crimes in their schools.
  • Created a specialized Hate Crimes Unit.
  • Recruited a diverse staff to serve victims of violence. The victim outreach staff is now more that 80% people of color and LGBT, speaking Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Cambodian, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, French and Italian.
  • Provides crisis intervention and counseling to more than 6,000 victims, witnesses and their families every year.

Choice <<

 Kamala Harris is commited to protecting a woman's right to make determinations about health decisions.  While she is committed to working with leaders across the spectrum to reduce unplanned pregnancies, she has also worked to maintain the freedoms of all Californians. She has been endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice California.