2020 Democratic presidential candidates’ positions on sex-based rights

Senator Kamala Harris of California (declared):

As California Attorney General, Harris (well, her office) argued against state funding surgery for trans prison inmates.

Asked by the Blade in a follow-up question to clarify whether transgender inmates across the country should have access to gender reassignment surgery, Harris called for a “better understanding” of the medical needs of transgender people.

“I believe that we are at a point where we have got to stop vilifying people based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and we’ve got to understand that when we are talking about a particular transgender community, for too long they have been the subject of bias, and frankly, a lack of understanding about their circumstance and their physical needs in addition to any other needs they have, and it’s about time that we have a better understanding of that,” Harris said.

The response arguably falls short of a recent statement from the presidential campaign of Elizabeth Warren asserting the candidate “supports access to medically necessary services,” including “at the VA, in the military or at correctional facilities.” The statement reversed Warren’s previously articulated opposition in 2012 to gender reassignment surgery for transgender inmates.

Jillian Weiss, a transgender lawyer with a practice in LGBT employment discrimination, said Harris’ response is “a mass of contradictions.”

www.washingtonblade.com/2019/01/21/harris-takes-full-responsibility-for-briefs-against-surgery-for-trans-inmates/

hmmm...

However, Harris has signed on as a co-sponsor of the Equality Act, which if passed will enshrine "gender identity" as a protected class for civil rights and thereby erase the sex-based rights of women and girls. (For context, Warren, Gillibrand, and all major Democrats have also signed on).

American women, we need to organize against "gender identity" in that bill, and quick.

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii (declared):

“In my past, I said and believed things that were wrong, and worse, they were very hurtful to people in the LGBTQ community and to their loved ones,” Gabbard, 37, said in a video posted to YouTube today. She said her views had changed, and she had apologized for her statements previously, but was now “sincerely” repeating her apology.

“My record in Congress over the past six years reflects what is in my heart, a strong and ongoing commitment to fighting for LGBTQ rights,” she said. She had a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s Congressional Scorecard for her most recent term in the U.S. House
www.advocate.com/politics/2019/1/17/tulsi-gabbard-apologizes-past-views-lgbtq-issues-were-wrong

Seems to be toeing the line now. (Though am certainly glad to see her reject her former homophobia).

Julian Castro former HUD Secretary (declared):

Mayor Castro was an early advocate of LGBT+ rights, signing a city ordinance in 2013 that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations.

www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/01/14/julian-castro-lgbt-rights-president/

The gender identity/public accommodations part is the issue for women here. No "discrimination" against male people in women's bathrooms, changing rooms, etc.

Oh wow. As HUD Secretary implemented this:

Under this new rule, shelters that segregate housing or programs by gender cannot force people into accommodations that are inconsistent with their gender identity.
lgbt-cicilline.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-lgbt-caucus-commends-hud-for-groundbreaking-trans-protections

Not a friend to battered, abused, vulnerable women, then.

juliancastro.com is not registered?? Impressive out of the gate!

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York (declared):

Like, everything President Trump has done from attacking transgender troops to transgender kids, to the Muslim ban, to attacking DACA kids, to separating parents and children at the border, all of this, I mean, I’ve never seen the number of protests, even in Washington.
nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/10/kirsten-gillibrand-on-kavanaugh-fallout-and-her-2020-plans.html

"Attacking transgender kids" seems to mean the administration's reversion to interpreting the word "sex" in Title IX as "sex" rather than "gender identity."

Her campaign website also light on issues at the moment. Watch this space, but it don't look encouraging.

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts (declared):

In her 2012 Senate campaign, Warren said regarding the request for state-funded gender surgery on a male imprisoned for wife-murder, “I have to say, I don’t think it’s a good use of taxpayer dollars.”

That’s despite the fact that she has otherwise had an immaculate record on LGBTQ issues. The Human Rights Campaign has given Warren 100-percent scores for all of her years in the Senate, and in 2016 she joined a group of other senators calling on the Veterans Administration to eliminate its blanket ban on medically necessary transition-related surgeries for transgender veterans. Over the past year, she’s been a vocal opponent of attempts by President Trump to ban transgender people from serving in the military and erase transgender people from being recognized under federal law.
Now, Warren has addressed the 2012 comment as well.
In response to a ThinkProgress inquiry, a spokesperson for Warren’s presidential exploratory committee said in a statement: “Senator Warren supports access to medically necessary services, including transition-related surgeries. This includes procedures taking place at the VA, in the military, or at correctional facilities.”
thinkprogress.org/elizabeth-warren-transgender-prisoners-lgbtq-record-352c3b445bba/

Her exploratory committee site has not much outlining the issues yet. I expect more to follow when she shifts out of “exploratory” mode.