“We know many Americans have matured on this issue, and our country is in a better place for it,” Adrienne Watson, spokeswoman for Correct The Record, a rapid response group preparing for a 2016 run, said in a statement. “As a Senator and as Secretary of State, Clinton’s record on LGBT rights is strong. We regret the right’s attempt to demonize her for speaking honestly about her journey, a journey so many people have taken.”
Evolving Support for Marriage Equality
2014
Sec. Clinton, on gay rights: “This is going to be an ongoing struggle and the United States must be on the front lines.” According to the Chicago Sun-Times coverage of Sec. Clinton’s discussion with Rahm Emanuel at the Chicago Ideas Week convention, “On the subject of gay rights, Clinton said her time abroad has taught her there’s an ‘increasing backlash’ against LGBT communities, leading her to lay out a platform for gay rights before world leaders in Geneva. ‘I began to vigorously protest with governments in many parts of the world,’ she said. Some countries just need to be ‘brought along.’ Others: ‘Are just cynical. Like what Putin’s doing in Russia with all these laws against the LGBT community. That is just a cynical political ploy. I’ve gotten into shouting matches with top Russian officials. But I realized unless there was an argument made, a platform created, we wouldn’t have as strong of a case.’ ‘We have a long way to go, I don’t want to mislead anybody,’ Clinton said. ‘This is going to be an ongoing struggle and the United States must be on the front lines.’” [Politics Early & Often, Chicago Sun-Times, 6/11/14]
2013
Hillary Clinton: “I support marriage for lesbian and gay couples.” Secretary Hillary Clinton: “LGBT Americans are our colleagues, our teachers, our soldiers, our friends, our loved ones, and they are full and equal citizens and deserve the rights of citizenship. That includes marriage. That’s why I support marriage for lesbian and gay couples. I support it personally and as a matter of policy and law.” [Human Rights Campaign, 3/18/13]
- “Like so many others, my personal views have been shaped over time….” “Now, having left public office, I want to share some of what I’ve learned, and what I’ve come to believe. For America to continue leading in the world, there is work we must do here at home. That means investing in our people, our economy, our national security. It also means working every day, as citizens, as communities, as a country, to live up to our highest ideals and continue our long march to a more perfect union. LGBT Americans are our colleagues, our teachers, our soldiers, our friends, our loved ones. And they are full and equal citizens and they deserve the rights of citizenship. That includes marriage. That’s why I support marriage for lesbian and gay couples.” [Human Rights Campaign, 3/18/13]
- “I support it personally and as a matter of policy and law.” “I support it personally and as a matter of policy and law, embedded in a broader effort to advance equality and opportunity for LGBT Americans and all Americans. Like so many others, my personal views have been shaped over time by people I have known and loved. By my experience representing our nation on the world stage, my devotion to law and human rights, and the guiding principles of my faith. Marriage after all is a fundamental building block of our society, a great joy and yes, a great responsibility. A few years ago, Bill and I celebrated as our own daughter married the love of her life, and I wish every parent the same joy. To deny that opportunity to any of our daughters and sons solely on the basis of who they are and who they love is to deny them the chance to live up to their own God-given potential. Throughout our history, as our nation has become even more dedicated to the protection of liberty and justice for all, more open to the contributions of all our citizens, it has also become stronger, more competitive, more ready for the future. It benefits every American when we continue on that path.” [Human Rights Campaign, 3/18/13]
Secretary of State
Sec. Clinton sent a memo stating the State Department “will offer equal benefits and protections to same-sex partners of American diplomats.” “The State Department will offer equal benefits and protections to same-sex partners of American diplomats, according to an internal memorandum Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sent last week to an association of gay and lesbian Foreign Service officers. Mrs. Clinton said the policy change addressed an inequity in the treatment of domestic partners and would help the State Department recruit diplomats, since many international employers already offered such benefits. ‘Like all families, our Foreign Service families come in different configurations; all are part of the common fabric of our post communities abroad,’ Mrs. Clinton said in the memorandum, a copy of which was provided to The New York Times by a member of the gay and lesbian association. ‘At bottom,’ she said, ‘the department will provide these benefits for both opposite-sex and same-sex partners because it is the right thing to do.’ A senior State Department official confirmed the new policy, though he did not say when it would take effect. Among the benefits are diplomatic passports, use of medical facilities at overseas posts, medical and other emergency evacuation, transportation between posts, and training in security and languages.” [The New York Times, 5/24/09]
Sec. Clinton directed the State Department to “champion a comprehensive human rights agenda” that included protection of LGBT human rights. “Human rights are inalienable and belong to every person, no matter who that person is or whom that person loves. Since January 2009, Secretary Clinton has directed the Department to champion a comprehensive human rights agenda — one that includes the protection of the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. The Department uses its full range of diplomatic and development tools to press for the elimination of violence and discrimination against LGBT people worldwide, particularly those forced to flee their homes or countries.” [State Dept. Fact Sheet: Promoting Human Rights of LGBT People, 12/6/11]
Sec. Clinton made the promotion of equality for gay people a core value of U.S. foreign policy. “As Hillary Clinton makes a whirlwind round of appearances in her last days as secretary of state, one groundbreaking aspect of her work deserves a moment in the spotlight: In a bold departure with tradition, Clinton made the promotion of equality for gay people a core value of U.S. foreign policy.That is a transformative change, one that advances the cause of human rights around the world — not just for gays and lesbians, but for everyone.” [Ghitis, CNN, 2/8/13]
Sec. Clinton: “There is this rising global tide of violence against the LGBT community around the world.” “‘There is this rising global tide of violence against the LGBT community around the world,’ Clinton says, ‘and we are taking the lead in confronting the dangers of the lives and the livelihood of LGBT people as they go about their daily lives.’ As she works to redefine the U.S. role on international gay and lesbian rights, part of Clinton’s job has been to make sure a cultural shift permeates all levels of the State Department and the furthest reaches of its bureaucracies, including U.S. embassies, where change can sometimes come at a slow pace.” [The Advocate, 1/10/11]
The State Department worked to “encourage countries to repeal or reform laws that criminalize LGBT status.” “The State Department works with U.S. embassies, civil society, and multilateral mechanisms, agencies, and forums to encourage countries to repeal or reform laws that criminalize LGBT status.” [The Department of State’s Accomplishments Promoting the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People, 12/6/11]
The State Department “led efforts” to reinsert language on sexual orientation into a UN resolution on executions. “In December 2010, the State Department led efforts at the UN General Assembly to reinsert language on sexual orientation into a resolution on extrajudicial, summary, and arbitrary executions, after the language’s removal in committee. The amendment was approved by a 93-55 margin.” [The Department of State’s Accomplishments Promoting the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People, 12/6/11]
Senate
Hillary Clinton advocated for lifting the restrictions blocking gay and lesbian couples from adopting kids. “We’re going to make sure that nothing stands in the way of loving couples – gay or straight – who want to adopt children. I have spent more than 35 years fighting for children and families and I have seen the sadness and the hope in the eyes of children who are desperate for a family to call their own. We have a fundamental obligation to make sure these children have loving homes and a chance to succeed.” [Hillary Clinton speech to the Human Rights Campaign Board Meeting, 3/3/07]
Hillary Clinton spoke out against “don’t ask, don’t tell” as a U.S. Senator. “Gay troops should be able to serve in the U.S. military without hiding their sexual identity, Sen. Hillary Clinton said here Sunday. Clinton said it’s time to drop the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy, which began when her husband, Bill Clinton, was president. The policy says that gays may serve in the military if they keep their homosexuality secret but that they can be tossed out if they don’t. ‘Right now, we are discharging soldiers? At a time when we don’t have enough people to do the missions we need around the world? Because they’re gay. Not because they’ve done anything, but just because they’re gay,’ she said.” [USA Today, 4/22/07]
- Hillary Clinton quoted Goldwater’s statement about gays in the military: “You don’t need to be straight to fight and die for your country. You just need to shoot straight.” “In 2000, our closest ally, Great Britain, changed its policy to permit homosexuals to serve, and there has been no reported difficulty; Canada ended its ban on gays in 1992. We have a long way to go as a society before this issue is resolved. I just wish the opposition would listen to Barry Goldwater, an icon of the American Right and an outspoken supporter of gay rights, which he considered consistent with his conservative principles. On the issue of homosexuals in the military, he said, ‘You don’t need to be straight to fight and die for your country. You just need to shoot straight.’” [Clinton, Hillary Rodham (2003-06-09). Living History (pp. 241-242). Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.]
Hillary Clinton cosponsored the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. In the Senate, Hillary Clinton was an original cosponsor of the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which would have expanded the federal criminal hate crime code to include sexual orientation and gender identity. [S.1105, 4/12/07]]
- Hillary Clinton cosponsored an amendment to the Senate Defense Reauthorization bill to include the hate crimes act. In the Senate, Hillary Clinton cosponsored an amendment to the Senate Defense Reauthorization bill to include the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. [S.Amdt.2067, 7/11/07]
Hillary Clinton repeatedly cosponsored the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) to prevent employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. In the Senate, Hillary Clinton was an original cosponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2002 and 2003 to prevent employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Hillary Clinton has said it is “inconceivable to me that people who work hard and do a good job every day can still be fired because of who they love. It’s unfair, it’s un-American, and I will put a stop to it once and for all.” [S.1284, 7/31/01; S.1705, 10/2/03; Human Rights Campaign 2008 Presidential Questionnaire]
Clinton fought to preserve AIDS and HIV care and treatment funding for New York in the Ryan White CARE Act. During the Senate debate over the reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act, a federal program providing care for low-income and uninsured or under-insured AIDS and HIV victims and their families, Hillary Clinton fought against “a significant loss of funding for New York and many other states that have traditionally borne the brunt of this epidemic.” The Syracuse Post-Standard editorial board praised Hillary’s leadership on the issue, writing that “Sen. Hillary Clinton’s recent lone vote against a new funding distribution formula for the Ryan White CARE Act was the right thing to do. The act provides the largest source of federal funding for HIV/AIDS services, a growing need now that new drug therapies are helping people live longer.” Remarking on a later version of the bill, Senator Clinton stated she was “proud that we have forged a three-year compromise that contains essential protections for New York and other hard-hit states. We have come a long way from the original proposals to decimate and devastate our systems of care in New York and other parts of the country.” [Senator Hillary Clinton press release, 5/21/06; Editorial, Syracuse Post-Standard, 9/1/06; Senator Charles Schumer press release, 12/5/06]
- Hillary Clinton criticized Pres. Bush’s “unconscionable” proposed cuts to the Ryan White program. “Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today underscored that President Bush’s Fiscal Year 2009 budget is a continuation of his failed and short-sighted policy of ignoring the needs of our most vulnerable… ‘It is unconscionable that after years of record deficits which have made the national debt our children’s inheritance, the President is trying yet again to balance the budget on the backs of our most vulnerable…’ A preliminary look at the President’s budget indicates it would have a dire impact on numerous programs that affect New Yorkers, including… A $7.7 million cut in Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Title I funding that will threaten provision of needed care in New York City and Nassau, Suffolk, and Dutchess counties.” [Senator Hillary Clinton press release, 2/4/08]
FLOTUS
Hillary Clinton spoke out against “don’t ask, don’t tell” as a candidate for U.S. Senate. “Hillary Rodham Clinton told a group of gay contributors this week that the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy, intended to make it easier for gay men and lesbians to serve in the military, had been a failure, her aides said yesterday. Mrs. Clinton, a candidate for the United States Senate, said that if elected she would work to overturn the policy, one of the first put in place under President Clinton… ‘Gays and lesbians already serve with distinction in our nation’s armed forces and should not face discrimination,’ Mrs. Clinton said in the statement. ‘Fitness to serve should be based on an individual’s conduct, not their sexual orientation.’” [New York Times, 12/9/99]