Secretary of State Clinton speaks directly about LGBT rights

Is Hillary Clinton the "fierce advocate" we've been looking for?

Quietly yet deliberately, a major supporter of LGBT issues has emerged in the Obama administration. Her name is Hillary Clinton, and some blog and websites such as change.org have begun to make the case that she is the "fierce advocate" for LGBT people we've been looking for. In less than a year of becoming the US Secretary of State, Clinton has been a leader in promoting gay causes. Here are a few of the steps she has taken:

1. She pushed for the recognition of same-sex spouses for federal employees. And she won.

2. Shortly after she took office, the United States signed onto a UN statement calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality.

3. She was the first person in the Obama administration to speak out against the Anti-homosexuality law in Uganda.

4.On World AIDS Day, she emphasized how criminalization of homosexuality has only exacerbated the HIV pandemic

5.She declared that LGBT rights was the global human rights issue of today.

With the a number of pending laws throughout the world that could criminalize homosexuality, we need Secretary Clinton to be as forceful as ever.

News Updates

1. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (left) specifically referenced the "kill the gays" bill under consideration in Uganda at a speech at Georgetown University.  According to The Advocate, Clinton said, "Governments should be expected to resist the temptation to restrict freedom of expression when criticism arises, and be vigilant in preventing law from becoming an instrument of oppression, as bills like the one under consideration in Uganda to criminalize homosexuality would do."

2. Fox News is continuing its campaign against Kevin Jennings.  The most recent report is entitled Obama's Safe Schools Czar Tied to Lewd Readings for 7th Graders. The supposed "lewd readings" were not written by Kevin, but cited on a reading list about gay issues.  Oh, it doesn't seem to matter that the reading lists compiled by GLSEN urge adults to review all materials before recommending them to specific kids. 

3. New York Governor David Paterson (right) continues to give us hope that politicians will do the right thing.  On Wednesday he plans to announce a major policy in support of transgendered New Yorkers.  It would be hard to find a more committed straight ally then the Governor of New York.


4. Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina wants to make sure everyone knows just how awful he thinks homosexuality is.  In a recent interview, when asked about the possibility of having a gay or lesbian president, he said, "It would be bothersome to me just personally because I consider it immoral. Marriage is a religious institution. The federal government has no business redefining what it is DeMint told Hunt, adding that even state governments should not have the right to permit same-sex marriages. Governments should not be in the business of promoting a behavior that’s proven to be destructive to our society”

5. The Possibility Same Sex Marriage continues to look promising in Washington, DC.  The city council is expected to pass its second vote on the matter this week and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (left) is expected to sign.  The one potential snag is the interference of the US Congress.