Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers: A Voice for All in West Valley City

Healthcare, housing, human rights, and sustainability – elect an official who takes them as seriously as you do, Sophia Hawes-Tingey.

I love UTAH! I moved here in 2010, to work in a discrimination-free zone for a company that valued diversity. My objective is to make Utah a welcoming place, with fairness and opportunity for all, celebration, access to healthcare, housing, clean air and water, and excellent education.

 

About Me

I am a principal software engineer and US Navy Veteran. I have been an LGBT advocate, have been in charge of welcoming for two Unitarian Universalist churches and served as the President of the Board of Trustees for one. I am the Vice President of the Board of Directors for the ACLU of Utah, and have served on the Executive Committee for the Women's State Legislative Council.

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Key Issues

 

 

Healthcare

  • When it comes to healthcare, we need to listen to our healthcare providers.
  • Epidemiologists and other medical providers are responsible for knowing the best approaches that will protect our community and the ones we love.
  • Medical necessity is best established by the medical establishment and the patients and their families.
  • The legislature should not be dictating what treatment doctors are allowed to give or patients are allowed to receive.
  • Neither insurance companies, nor governmental bodies should be in the business of deciding what is medically necessary. 

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Affordable Housing

  • There is a housing crisis--cost of housing and rents spiralled out of control with an already identified housing shortage.
  • I will work on policy measures that balance the rights of residents with the rights of investor landlords.
  • I will work to identify and recommend solutions that the state can effectively promote.
  • We need to balance the needs of developers, owner-residents and renter-residents; otherwise we have the undesirable effect of creating even more homelessness.
  • It's time to secure housing for the people who need a place to stay. We need to get people into homes, not force them into homelessness.
  • That is why I advocate for cities to have well-defined housing plans.

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Human Rights

 

  • As a transgender woman, I am fierce advocate for human rights and civil liberties.
  • Everyone should be treated with dignity and respect, while also having equal access and equal rights.
  • No extra hurdles should be erected based on a person's real or perceived gender identity, sexual orientation, race, country of origin, religion, or any other attribute that does not pertain to being a contributing member of society.  
  • Everyone deserves a fair chance, and legislation should be carefully evaluated to make sure it does not add any other burdens  or prevent equitable access to any traditionally marginalized people.
  • I have lobbied legislators extensivley helping them understand the reality around the lives of transgender people and existing support systems.
  • I have served with multiple organizations dedicated to equality and fairness, including
    • Transgender Education Advocates of Utah,
    • the Transgender Inclusion Project,
    • the Stonewall Dems,
    • and the ACLU of Utah.
  • I also have had an active role for nearly a decade with the Women's State Legislative Council of Utah.
  • In my role as Board President at South Valley Unitarian Universalist Association, I teamed with the minister and board to explore what it means to be anti-racist on a deep and spiritual level, and the congregation subsequently adopted multicultural anti-racism as a core principle.

 

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Sustainability

  • We must invest in sustainability.
  • Whether we admit it or not, we are all connected - to one another, the planet, and all life on it.
  • Our ecosphere is becoming more fragile because of the growing population and growing energy use. The planet cannot afford for us to keep taking without giving back.
  • We need to shift away from the usage of carbon-based fuel sources to renewable, sustainable sources.
  • We need to restore our soil, restore our land, and increase the carbon-trapping energy of plant life.
  • I am an advocate for affordable sustainability, including renewable infrstructure, solar panels, hybrid vehicles, and home compost bins.
  • I look forward to ensuring energy suppliers, corporations, and governmental bodies will be held accountable for making the transition to a clean, reusable, sustainable future.
  • These actions that I will take as your elected official will allow more residents to care for our homes and our families. Our children and grandchildren will inherit a future based on our decisions now.