Check out Hillary Clinton on the issues: Equality quotes and candidate
positions for LGBT Americans.
She is very good on our issues, but does not support full equality...
SUPPORTS EQUALITY GOAL: HATE CRIMES
From her website: Hillary believes that hate crimes undermine the fundamental principle upon which our nation was founded, that all men and women are equal. She will strengthen law enforcement and prosecution against discriminatory acts of violence against gays, lesbians, and transgender individuals by signing the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law. [www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/lgbt]
Hillary Clinton Quotes on Hate Crimes against LGBT Americans: "We will punish such crimes and the bigotry they represent." [from the floor of the US Sentate, December 2007 www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R6hppjPL04]
SUPPORTS EQUALITY GOAL: NON DISCRIMINATION
From her website: It is inconceivable to Hillary that people who work hard and do a good job every day can still be fired because of who they are or who they love. It's unfair, it's un-American, and she will put a stop to it. [www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/lgbt]
Hillary Clinton Quotes supporting Non-Discrimiantion: "As President I will sign the Employment Non Discrimination Act into law. Throughout my career, I have been an original co-sponsor of ENDA."
[from the Human Rights Campaign's 2008 Presidential questionnaire http://a4.g.akamai.net/f/4/19675/0/newmill.download.akamai.com/19677/anon.newmediamill/pdfs/clinton.pdf ]
SUPPORTS EQUALITY GOAL: MILITARY --- REPEAL DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL
From her website: Hillary knows that courage, honor, patriotism and sacrifice - the traits that define our men and women in uniform - have nothing to do with sexual orientation. She's concerned that the military is discharging people with critical skills, including desperately needed Arabic language skills. Hillary believes that this is a matter of national security, and as president, she will address it. [www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/lgbt]
Hillary Clinton Quotes on Don't Ask, Don't Tell: "In 1999, it struck me that it wasn't working and that what we needed to do was try to move us toward using the Code of Military Justice and judge people on conduct, not status, no matter whether you're gay or straight." [from the Logo debate, August 9, 2007 www.2008electionprocon.org/pdf/Dem20070809.pdf ]
OPPOSES EQUALITY GOAL: MARRIAGE EQUALITY
Opposes same sex marriage.
Hillary Clinton Quotes opposing Same Sex Marriage: "I want to let the states determine whether or not they will support civil unions, domestic partnerships or marriage." [Speech in Hamptom, New Hampshire 01/06/08 www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/01/25/sot.clinton.same.sex.marriage.cnn]
"If our governor and our
legislature support marriage in New York, I'm not going to be against
that." [from a meeting with LGBT leaders in New York City, October 2006,
published by Gay City News http://gaycitynews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17379741&BRD=2729&PAG=461&dept_id=568864&rfi=6]
When asked by Joe Solmonese, what is at the heart of her opposition to same sex marriage, she replied, “It’s a personal position… How we get to full equality is the debate we are having.” [from the Logo debate, August 9, 2007 www.2008electionprocon.org/pdf/Dem20070809.pdf]
SUPPORTS INTERIM GOAL: FEDERAL PROTECTIONS FOR COUPLES
From her website: Hillary is an original cosponsor of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligation Act, which would grant the same benefits, including health insurance, to domestic partners of federal employees that are currently offered to employees' legal spouses. [www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/lgbt]
SUPPORTS INTERIM GOAL: CIVIL UNIONS AND DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS
From her website: Hillary will work to ensure that all Americans in committed relationships have equal benefits -- from health insurance to life insurance, property rights, and more. [www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/lgbt]
Hillary Clinton Quotes supporting Civil Unions: “I am absolutely in favor of civil unions with full equality, full equality of benefits, rights and privileges.” [from the Logo debate, August 9, 2007 www.2008electionprocon.org/pdf/Dem20070809.pdf]
PARTIAL SUPPORT OF INTERIM GOAL: REPEAL THE FEDERAL DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT (DOMA)
Senator Clinton supports repeal of Section 3 of DOMA, which
forbids the federal government to recognize same sex marriages. Section 2 of DOMA allows states not to recognize same sex marriages performed out of state. Even if Section 2 was repealed most states would not recognize same sex marriages since they are explicitly forbidden in their State Constitution.
Hillary Clinton Quotes supporting partial repeal of DOMA: "I want to repeal Section 3 of DOMA, which stands in the way of the extension of benefits to people in committed same sex relationships, and I will be very strongly in favor of doing that as President." [from the Logo debate, August 9, 2007 www.2008electionprocon.org/pdf/Dem20070809.pdf]
PARTIAL SUPPORT OF EQUALITY GOAL: FREEDOM OF GENDER
There is no public mention of her support or opposition to other
transgender-related goals such as equal access to health care, declaring chosen gender on official documents (birth certificates and driver's
licenses), and access to public rest rooms.
Hillary Clinton Quotes on trans-inclusive Hate Crimes and ENDA legislations: "We're going to expand our federal hate crimes legislation and pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and assure that they are both fully inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity." [from her Message to LGBT Americans as published on Our Chart www.ourchart.com/node/299303]
SUPPORTS EQUALITY GOAL: PROTECTING YOUTH
She supports having more services to support LGBTQ Youth.
Hillary Clinton Quotes on protecting LGBTQ Youth: When addressing gay teens, she said, "We want you to feel accepted and respected in your community, and you'll certainly have a President that feels that way...We've got to do more to help prepare school officials and, frankly, the peers in school. Just because somebody doesn't understand, doesn't mean that they should be a bully." [from one of her online campaign videos posted on YouTube, January 2008 www.youtube.com/watch?v=4akuLhj1uZk]
SUPPORTS EQUALITY GOAL: SAME SEX PARENTING RIGHTS
She supports Same Sex Adoption.
Hillary Clinton Quotes on Same Sex Adoption: "We're going to make sure that nothing stands in the way of loving couples, gay or straight, who want to adopt children." [from her March 2007 speech to the Human Rights Campaign as published on about.com
gaylife.about.com/od/politics/p/hillaryclinton.htm]
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