VIDEO: Hilary Clinton's Speech on Human Rights, LGBT Rights
Category:
Community Activism
,
LGBT
,
Social Justice
Full transcript here
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| Hilary Clinton, photo from Wikipedia |
I think government support, such as this speech, can only do good things for the many young LGBT men and women in our country and the world.
I would like to mention she didn't bring up gay marriage. Bravo. For me, this isn't about gay marriage. Instead, she brings up the importance of open and fair dialogue, understanding and respect, and fair treatment under the law. I believe once those are achieved, gay marriage will be a much simpler movement. Her speech put the focus on something most can agree on-- LGBT people are just people. I think this speech will be pivotal in a national conversation about the rights of LGBT people.
Here are my favorite quotes (full transcript here):
"[There] are some who say and believe that all gay people are pedophiles, that homosexuality is a disease that can be caught or cured, or that gays recruit others to become gay. Well, these notions are simply not true. They are also unlikely to disappear if those who promote or accept them are dismissed out of hand rather than invited to share their fears and concerns. No one has ever abandoned a belief because he was forced to do so."
"Now, raising this issue, I know, is sensitive for many people and that the obstacles standing in the way of protecting the human rights of LGBT people rest on deeply held personal, political, cultural, and religious beliefs. So I come here before you with respect, understanding, and humility. Even though progress on this front is not easy, we cannot delay acting."
"The lives of gay people are shaped not only by laws, but by the treatment they receive every day from their families, from their neighbors. Eleanor Roosevelt, who did so much to advance human rights worldwide, said that these rights begin in the small places close to home – the streets where people live, the schools they attend, the factories, farms, and offices where they work. These places are your domain. The actions you take, the ideals that you advocate, can determine whether human rights flourish where you are."
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