Equal Rights [Obama]

Author: Obama for America

The President’s Record on Equal Rights

President Obama believes that America is strongest when everybody has a seat at the table. He's expanded opportunity for every American by taking steps to level the playing field so everybody plays by the same rules.
President Obama repealed “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” ensuring that no one ever again has to lie about who they are to serve the country they love.
The President signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, making progress in a decades-long battle for women to get equal pay for equal work.
The Department of Justice revised the Americans with Disabilities Act rules to ensure newly designed, built, or renovated public facilities are accessible to all Americans.

Progress on Women’s Equality

Alongside the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, President Obama has introduced a range of measures to advance women's equality.

He established the Equal Pay Task Force to enhance enforcement of equal pay laws, helped increase the participation of women and girls in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math), and passed the Affordable Care Act so that being a woman is no longer considered a pre-existing condition.

The Affordable Care Act will prevent insurance companies from discriminating based on gender and help to lower health costs for women and their families. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, women will be able to receive preventive services without co-pays or deductibles, including maternity screenings, mammograms, and well-woman visits.

In addition to other preventive benefits provided to women by the Affordable Care Act, women soon won't have to pay out-of-pocket for birth control. Starting August 1st, all women will have access to contraception through their employer or insurer without co-pays or deductibles, ensuring that more women can make health care decisions based on what's best for them, not their insurance company.

The President has repeatedly stood behind a woman's right to choose. He reversed the global gag rule, which banned the government from providing aid to international groups that provide abortion information. And he's fought against Republican attempts to defund Planned Parenthood, one of the largest providers of women's health services in the country.

Ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Veterans share what the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" means to them.

Progress for the LGBT Community

The repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is just one example of the progress we've achieved togetOher over the last three years. The Obama administration declared the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional and called for its repeal, and was the first to provide hospital visitation and medical decision-making rights to same-sex couples. The President is working to protect the rights of LGBT individuals both at home and abroad.

Download this timeline to learn about all of the steps President Obama has taken for LGBT equality since taking office.

Americans with Disabilities

The Department of Justice revised the Americans with Disabilities Act rules to ensure newly designed, built, or renovated public facilities are accessible to all Americans. The President also signed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act into law—landmark legislation to improve the lives of Americans living with paralysis.

Hate Crimes Prevention Act

President Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law, allowing the Department of Justice to prosecute crimes motivated by a person's actual or perceived gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability.

DMU Timestamp: May 03, 2012 23:39