ABOVE: “DEMZ” featuring Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden by Chad Mize.
Ahead of Florida’s presidential preference primary March 17, Watermark contacted each presidential campaign that will appear on the statewide ballot to ask nine yes (Y) or no (N) questions and one open-ended question pertaining to LGBTQ equality.
Below, you’ll find their abbreviated answers of the remaining candidates, compiled via each campaign’s direct response or the websites of Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
If Watermark was unable to discern the answer, unknown has been indicated. Please note that additional candidates appearing on the Democratic ballot for president have suspended their campaigns. Donald Trump’s re-election campaign did not respond to our requests to participate.
Read our full coverage for the 2020 presidential preference primary here.
1. Do you support the passage of the Equality Act?
Pete Buttigieg: Yes.
Bernie Sanders: Yes.
Elizabeth Warren: Yes.
Amy Klobuchar: Yes.
Joe Biden: Yes.
Michael Bloomberg: Yes.
Tulsi Gabbard: Yes.
Tom Steyer: Yes.
2. Do you believe Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects LGBTQ workers?
Pete Buttigieg: Yes.
Bernie Sanders: Yes.
Elizabeth Warren: Yes.
Amy Klobuchar: Yes.
Joe Biden: Yes.
Michael Bloomberg: Yes.
Tulsi Gabbard: Unknown.
Tom Steyer: Yes.
3. Do you support a nationwide ban on conversion therapy?
Pete Buttigieg: Yes.
Bernie Sanders: Yes.
Elizabeth Warren: Yes.
Amy Klobuchar: Yes.
Joe Biden: Yes.
Michael Bloomberg: Yes.
Tulsi Gabbard: Unknown.
Tom Steyer: Yes.
4. Do you support LGBTQ-inclusive public education curricula?
Pete Buttigieg: Yes.
Bernie Sanders: Yes.
Elizabeth Warren: Yes.
Amy Klobuchar: Yes.
Joe Biden: Yes.
Michael Bloomberg: Yes.
Tulsi Gabbard: Unknown.
Tom Steyer: Yes.
5. Do you believe blood donation eligibility should be determined by sexual orientation?
Pete Buttigieg: No.
Bernie Sanders:No.
Elizabeth Warren:No.
Amy Klobuchar: No.
Joe Biden: No.
Michael Bloomberg: No.
Tulsi Gabbard: Unknown.
Tom Steyer: No.
6. Will your administration reinstate the Title IX guidance for transgender students?
Pete Buttigieg: Yes.
Bernie Sanders: Yes.
Elizabeth Warren: Yes.
Amy Klobuchar: Yes.
Joe Biden: Yes.
Michael Bloomberg: Yes.
Tulsi Gabbard: Unknown.
Tom Steyer: Yes.
7. Will you reverse the U.S. military service ban for transgender Americans?
Pete Buttigieg: Yes.
Bernie Sanders: Yes.
Elizabeth Warren: Yes.
Amy Klobuchar: Yes.
Joe Biden: Yes.
Michael Bloomberg: Yes.
Tulsi Gabbard: Yes.
Tom Steyer: Yes.
8. Will your administration fight for LGBTQ rights worldwide?
Pete Buttigieg: Yes.
Bernie Sanders: Yes.
Elizabeth Warren: Yes.
Amy Klobuchar: Yes.
Joe Biden: Yes.
Michael Bloomberg: Yes.
Tulsi Gabbard: Unknown.
Tom Steyer: Yes.
9. Will your administration seek LGBTQ community members for key roles?
Pete Buttigieg: Yes.
Bernie Sanders: Yes.
Elizabeth Warren: Yes.
Amy Klobuchar: Yes.
Joe Biden: Yes.
Michael Bloomberg: Yes.
Tulsi Gabbard: Unknown.
Tom Steyer: Yes.
10. Why should LGBTQ and ally voters support your candidacy over your primary opponents and ultimately Donald Trump?
Pete Buttigieg:
“As a military officer serving under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and as an elected official in the state of Indiana when Mike Pence was governor, at a certain point, when it came to professional setbacks, I had to wonder whether just acknowledging who I was was going to be the ultimate career-ending professional setback.
I came back from the deployment and realized that you only get to live one life. And I was not interested in not knowing what it was like to be in love any longer, so I just came out. I had no idea what kind of professional setback it would be, especially because inconveniently it was an election year in my socially conservative community. What happened was that, when I trusted voters to judge me based on the job that I did for them, they decided to trust me and reelected me with 80% of the vote.
And what I learned was that trust can be reciprocated and that part of how you can win and deserve to win is to know what’s worth more to you than winning.
That’s what we need in the presidency right now. We have to know what we are about … It’s about the people who trust us with their lives, a kid wondering if we’re actually going to make their schools safe when they’ve learned active shooter drills before they’ve learned to read, a generation wondering we will actually get the job done on climate change. And if we hold to that, then it doesn’t matter what happens to each of us professionally. Together, we will win a better era for our country.”
To read Pete Buttigieg’s full commitment to LGBTQ equality, visit PeteForAmerica.com/Policies/LGBTQ.
Bernie Sanders:
“When Bernie is in the White House, the principles of our government will not be greed, hatred and lies. It will not be racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia and religious bigotry. The principles of our government will be based on justice: economic justice, LGBTQ+ justice, social justice, racial justice, disability justice, and environmental justice.
Together, we will tell the powerful special interests who control so much of our economic and political life that we will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of corporate America and the billionaire class – which has resulted in this country having more income and wealth inequality than any other major country on earth.
The only way we achieve this is through a political revolution – where millions of people get involved in the political process, just as all of you have done, and work together to reclaim our democracy.
Nothing will fundamentally change in America unless we have the guts to take on Wall Street, the insurance industry, the pharmaceutical industry, the military-industrial complex, private prisons and the fossil fuel industry. As president, that is exactly what Bernie will do.
At the end of the day, the one percent may have enormous wealth and power, but they are just the one percent. When the 99& stand together, we can transform society.”
To read Bernie Sanders’ full commitment to LGBTQ equality, visit BernieSanders.com/Issues/LGBTQ-Equality.
Elizabeth Warren:
“We need a president who will lift up the voices of every gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, queer, Two-Spirit, and intersex person.
My comprehensive plan to secure LGBTQ+ rights and equality will fight back against discrimination and make sure that no one feels unsafe because of who they are or who they love – and that means coming at this from all angles.
A central goal of my campaign is ending Washington corruption so that our government works for everyone, not just the interests of billionaires, lobbyists, and big corporations. Building an America that reflects our values means elevating the voices of those who have traditionally been overlooked and underserved. We’ve got to make sure everyone has a seat at the table and I will do that in a Warren administration.
The path to LGBTQ+ equality is far from over, but shoulder to shoulder, I will fight for LGBTQ+ equality in solidarity with the leaders and organizers who have been at the helm from the very beginning. Because when we organize together, when we fight together, and when we persist together, we can win.”
To read Elizabeth Warren’s full commitment to LGBTQ equality, visit ElizabethWarren.com/Plans/LGBTQ-Equality.
Amy Klobuchar:
“America is a nation founded on equality for all people and Senator Klobuchar believes that we must never stop fighting to advance that equality for the LGBTQ community.
Senator Klobuchar’s record demonstrates that commitment. As the Hennepin County Attorney, she was a leader in taking on hate crimes. In 2000, because of her work, she was invited to the White House to introduce President Bill Clinton when he announced the introduction of the Matthew Shepard hate crimes legislation that covered a wide range of hate crimes including those against gay and lesbian people.
When Senator Klobuchar arrived in the Senate, she was one of the votes to finally pass the Matthew Shepard hate crimes bill. She also voted for the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, was a co-sponsor of the bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act before the Supreme Court made marriage equality the law of the land, and has long supported legislation like the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and the Equality Act to combat discrimination against the LGBTQ community.
And at a time when President Trump is trying to roll back LGBTQ rights, Senator Klobuchar continues to push for LGBTQ equality when it comes to health care, education and civil rights.”
To read Amy Klobuchar’s full commitment to LGBTQ equality, visit AmyKlobuchar.com/Policies/LGBTQCommunity.
Joe Biden:
“Two key reasons: his heart and his ability to get big things done.
It’s hard to forget Joe Biden’s historic 2012 ‘Meet the Press’ interview, when, without the consultation of the White House, he declared his support for same-sex marriage. In that off script moment, Joe became the highest-ranking American official to state his support for same-sex marriage.
For Joe, this wasn’t playing politics; in fact, many said it was bad politics in
an election year. But for Joe, this was about respect, dignity, and standing up for what is right. Joe, throughout his career in public service, has made it his mission to lead with empathy, which is desperately needed to stand up to a bully like Donald Trump and reunify our country. Additionally, what separates Joe from the field is the unique capability to build consensus and get big things done.
Health care, gun safety, expanding the Violence Against Women Act to
protect the LGBTQ community — Joe’s track record speaks for itself. In our next president, we need someone with both the plans to create an America that works for all and the ability to actually get things done by working closely with Congress.
Finally, as Joe made clear to the LGBTQ community in speaking before the Human Rights Campaign last June 2019, “I promise you, whether I am elected or not, I’ll be back as a private citizen to make sure I stand with you in this fight. It matters to my children.”It’s why Joe made LGBTQ equality a key pillar of his work in private life at the Biden Foundation and why he will be an LGBTQ champion as president.”
To read Joe Biden’s full commitment to LGBTQ equality, visit JoeBiden.com/LGBTQ.
Mike Bloomberg:
“I have been honored to stand with the LGBTQ+ community in the fight for equality and justice, from New York, where we won marriage equality in 2011, to states across the country. That fight – true to our nation’s highest ideals – has achieved historic progress, but we still have a long way to go. As president, I will work to protect every member of the LGBTQ+ community from hatred, violence, and discrimination. We will close disparities in health care access and quality, stop violence against transgender people, and advocate for equal rights across the world. We cannot settle for anything less – and I won’t.”
To read Mike Bloomberg’s full commitment to LGBTQ equality, visit MikeBloomberg.com/Policies/LGBTQ.
Tulsi Gabbard:
“Does the sky-rocketing rate of hate crimes alarm you? Do you feel like the color of your skin, sexual orientation or religion holds you back in modern America? We must work side-by-side to stand up to bigotry, hatred, and violence against others because of their race, religion or sexual orientation. We must continue to fight for genuine equality and restore human dignity for all Americans.”
To read the available information regarding Tulsi Gabbard’s committment to LGBTQ equality, visit Tulsi2020.com/Issues/Human-Rights-Equality-All.
Tom Steyer:
“We remain in the midst of a long fight for equality.
To this day, far too many are still subjected to discrimination because of who they are or who they love. From the Stonewall Riots to the AIDS crisis, through to Marriage Equality, grassroots LGBTQ activists have fought for recognition as equal citizens under the law. These efforts have led to remarkable strides toward equality, including the Supreme Court’s decision in 2015 to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide. We must celebrate this progress, but as we do so, we must directly confront that the work is not finished.
As President I will embrace and represent the vibrancy and diversity of the whole LGBTQ community — including LGBTQ youth, queer people of color, transgender folks, and intersex individuals — and defend equal justice under the law for every American.
Hand-in-hand with those who have been fighting for equality for decades, as President I will work hard to ensure that LGBTQ individuals have equal rights and cannot be discriminated against in the workplace, at the doctor’s office, in school, in search of support services and public accommodations, in tax policy, in the criminal justice system, and in building loving families.”
To read Tom Steyer’s full committment to LGBTQ equality, visit TomSteyer.com/Policies.
