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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.