Civil Rights Platform

On LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Rights

Barack Obama...
-Opposes same sex marriage, but does not agree with a constitutional prohibition.
-Would as president give marital rights, such as hospital visitations and joint property ownership, to same sex couples.
-Believes the Employment Non-Discrimination Act should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identification
-Promoted legislation that would have included discrimination of sexual orientation or gender identity as a federal hate crime

John McCain...
-Opposes same sex marriage, and believes that state and local government should create their own laws on marriage policy.
-Voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and said in an interview in 2000, "I think that the present laws that clearly prevent a discrimination of any kind certainly [apply] to gays and homosexuals as well...I think that enforcement of existing law could work rather than passing special laws for special categories of people."

Persons with Disabilities

Barack Obama...
-Will, as president, have America be one of the first nations to sign the U.N. Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
-Will urge the Senate to ratify the aforementioned Convention

John McCain...
-Signed the ADA legislation in 1990, which banned employers from discriminating against persons with disabilities in hiring and promotions, as well as giving those same benefits to disabled employees working in state and local government.

USA Patriot Act

Barack Obama...
-Believes we should have a Patriot Act that does not take away our natural rights or our safety, but instead one that does both
-Voted YES to reauthorizing the Patriot Act
-Voted NO to extending the Patriot Act's wire tapping stipulations

John McCain...
-Voted YES to reauthorize the Patriot Act
-Voted YES to extending the provisions of the Act's wiretapping

-Christina