Issue Position: Human Rights

Issue Position

HUMAN RIGHTS

The government and businesses open to the public must treat all Pennsylvanians fairly and equally, with no discrimination of any kind permitted. This requires legal protections to make sure no one in Pennsylvania can be treated differently by the government or any business because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, or any other demographic characteristic. It is the ongoing legacy of the United States, whose government was created in Pennsylvania, to continuously march towards greater equality and justice for more people, and Maureen is dedicated to continuing that progress.

WOMEN'S RIGHTS

In Monroe County, the average woman earns a mere 54 to 59 cents for every dollar the average man makes. Pennsylvania does not have strong protections to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work, relative to their male counterparts. HB 1890 would make a significant step forward on this issue by strengthening protections for women, bringing equal pay cases against their employers. Maureen strongly supports the Pennsylvania Agenda for Women's Health. This package of bills, including HB 1890, was introduced last year by the Pennsylvania Women's Health Caucus. It also includes legislation ranging from workplace accommodations for pregnant women, to opening up to women eligibility for breast and cervical cancer screenings through the state Healthy Woman Program.

Maureen Madden is proud to have received the endorsement of Planned Parenthood and stands with them in their struggle to provide affordable family planning services and to protect women's reproductive rights. Over the last several years, women have sustained unprecedented attacks on their reproductive rights, health and safety in Pennsylvania and nationwide. Maureen was one of the first candidates to publicly denounce a proposal that would have mandated an invasive transvaginal ultrasound for any woman considering terminating a pregnancy in 2012, when she rallied with hundreds of feminist women and men in opposition to it in Harrisburg.

EQUALITY FOR LGBT PENNSYLVANIANS

It is unacceptable that Pennsylvania has the most discriminatory state policies against its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender citizens of any state in the Northeast United States. We don't have employment discrimination protections, which means it's legal for you to be fired from your job because of your sexual orientation, or even just your perceived sexual orientation. Our state marriage equality ban is an injustice for our LGBT couples and deters others from moving here from states where they were legally married or in civil unions since their relationship's status wouldn't be recognized.

It is imperative that HB 1686 and HB 300 be passed and signed into law. HB 1686, the Pennsylvania Marriage Equality Act, would give LGBT couples in Pennsylvania all the same marriage rights currently afforded to straight couples. HB 300 would amend the state human relations act to give sexual orientation the same protections from discrimination on the job and in housing that we have for other minorities.

Our statewide marriage equality ban has already been struck down by the courts. Since it was not struck down by either the state or federal Supreme Court, it is still important to repeal it to ensure that court cases seeking to bring it back are unsuccessful and all citizens of Pennsylvania retain an equal right to get married.

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