Hillary Clinton Rocks the House on Recognizing Pride Month
Published June 01, 2009 @ 12:35PM PT
Kudos to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, for putting out a bang-up statement on Pride Month (also known as June!). This is all the more phenomenal when you think back on the past eight years, and realize that our Secretaries of State have rarely (if ever) mentioned LGBT issues. Guess they were too busy justifying a preemptive and unnecessary war, or something.
But I digress. Check out Hillary Clinton's statement below on Pride. Maybe we'll have one from Obama himself coming soon?
Forty years ago this month, the gay rights movement began with the Stonewall riots in New York City, as gays and lesbians demanded an end to the persecution they had long endured. Now, after decades of hard work, the fight has grown into a global movement to achieve a world in which all people live free from violence and fear, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
In honor of Gay and Lesbian Pride Month and on behalf of the State Department, I extend our appreciation to the global LGBT community for its courage and determination during the past 40 years, and I offer our support for the significant work that still lies ahead.
At the State Department and throughout the Administration, we are grateful for our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees in Washington and around the world. They and their families make many sacrifices to serve our nation. Their contributions are vital to our efforts to establish stability, prosperity and peace worldwide.
Human rights are at the heart of those efforts. Gays and lesbians in many parts of the world live under constant threat of arrest, violence, even torture. The persecution of gays and lesbians is a violation of human rights and an affront to human decency, and it must end. As Secretary of State, I will advance a comprehensive human rights agenda that includes the elimination of violence and discrimination against people based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Though the road to full equality for LGBT Americans is long, the example set by those fighting for equal rights in the United States gives hope to men and women around the world who yearn for a better future for themselves and their loved ones.
This June, let us recommit ourselves to achieving a world in which all people can live in safety and freedom, no matter who they are or whom they love.
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Comments (14)
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Michael is the Communications Director for the Human Rights Program at Harvard Law School, and previously was Communications Director for Pax Christi USA, a progressive Catholic human rights organization.
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If Hillary runs in 2012 or 2016, she gets my vote. A statement from Obama? Thanks for the laugh.
Posted by Tim Kopp on 06/01/2009 @ 01:21PM PT
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Sadly, I have to agree with Tim's comment 100%. What would it hurt for our president of hope and change to at least open his mouth during pride month?
Posted by Gary Allmon on 06/01/2009 @ 01:32PM PT
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It's great that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a speech explaining the importance of the LGBT rights movement. In addition, it's also great that she supports a comprehensive agenda for the advancement of LGBT rights, which is necessary for equality. Intolerance is under and will always be under the superiority of equality which definitely includes LGBT rights. This movement will span some time, but the march will always continue.
Posted by Edwin Bonilla on 06/01/2009 @ 01:32PM PT
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Hillary has always been the sincere proponent and agent for change on this and many issues that face us today. She had early, and better answers to the financial meltdown way back in 2007. She is also unafraid to put forward new policies. She has taken a lot of punishment, but it never deters her from serving as she thinks is fair and right. If you would like to see some of what she has done, can do, and what kind of wupport we can all give her, visit us at Hillary's Village where I cross-posted this article. We'd love oyu all to join us!
http://www.hillarysvillage.net/showthread.php?p=148064#post148064
Posted by Still ForHillary on 06/01/2009 @ 03:05PM PT
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This is one reason I originally working for Hillary! I think she's great!
Posted by gilbert barrett on 06/01/2009 @ 03:23PM PT
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Stay with her. I don't think she's finished by a long shot.
Posted by Still ForHillary on 06/01/2009 @ 03:25PM PT
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Stay with her. I don't think she's finished by a long shot.
Posted by Still ForHillary on 06/01/2009 @ 03:25PM PT
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And Obama came through! He named June LGBT Pride Month. He still has a long way to go, but he did it! I'm proud of him and feel there's still hope. Thanks, Hillary for leading the way.
Susan Berland
http://susanberland.yolasite.com
Posted by Susan Berland on 06/01/2009 @ 07:08PM PT
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Good catch! Thanks! I didn't even see that until you mentioned it. Here's a write-up about it at abc http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/06/potus-honors-lgbt-pride-month-by-not-supporting-same-sex-marriage-while-cheney-disagrees.html
Posted by Dave Hershey on 06/01/2009 @ 07:25PM PT
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I was with Hillary in Primary and switched to Obama with all my resources.
It's been over 4 months and Obama actually has done nothing for LGBTs. Even Pride month, he will have to wait for everyone else to mentioned it first before he decided to do it. Again, I will give a year to see if he will "DO" anything for LGBT. If not, 2012, he will not get anything from me. Even if he got nominated again, I will go for republican no matter who they are!
Posted by Peter Tantakarn on 06/02/2009 @ 12:14AM PT
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Peter, I can understand where you are coming from. And I agree with you on principle; however, I also don't think that I could bring myself to vote or work for a Republican unless they are 100% our community. Therefore, for me, I would work and vote for a third party candidate. I know it doesn't do much good as we don't have any strong third parties in this country, but we very well may see a strong third party emerge over the next few years. We'll have to wait and see.
Posted by Dave Hershey on 06/02/2009 @ 10:15AM PT
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FYI for everyone...
Naming a month in our honor is one thing, giving us our long delayed and denied rights is another. We could have a pride year, that still wont give me the right to sponsor my fiance as a spouse.
Hopefully this will enter more information about our struggles in history books and give hope to the millions of kids, that are LGBT, that they are not alone and that it is OK to be gay. Hopefully this will educate the masses that we are in fact decent human beings, and not the monstrosities they make us out to be or hear from their favorite Fox talk show, or AM radio host.
However with our president sidetracking our issues, and not ceases one discharge in the military, I am about out of hope. Obama promised us hope, its too bad that all he will promise.
Posted by Chris Marshall on 06/02/2009 @ 06:32AM PT
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Hilary is the best advocate of our rights in this Administration.Way to go Hillary.We hope this also leds to reversing the ban on"Don't Ask don't Tell".
Posted by Martin Martinez on 06/02/2009 @ 08:05AM PT
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The more I see and hear...
The more I must ask myself "what if" Hillary clinton became our first woman president instead of obama becomming our first african american president...
What if indeed.
Posted by Thomas McHugh on 10/14/2009 @ 07:18PM PT
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