WASHINGTON
Hillary
Rodham Clinton reaffirmed her support for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
Americans in a forceful speech here on Saturday delivered just hours before
Vice President Joe Biden, contemplating his own presidential run, was to
address the influential gay rights group.
“I
see the injustices and dangers that you and your family still face,” Clinton
told the gathering of members of the gay rights group, the Human Rights
Campaign. “I am running for president to end them once and for all.”
Clinton
emphasized transgender rights, including urging the military to reverse its
policy and allow transgender Americans to serve in the armed forces. Having the
world’s strongest military, Clinton said, “doesn’t just mean having the
best-trained forces or the biggest arsenal. It means being a leader on issues
like this.”
The
Human Rights Campaign, led by a former aide to President Bill Clinton, Chad
Griffin, has deep ties to Clinton and had invited her to deliver the keynote
address at its gathering Saturday night. But Clinton had a scheduling conflict
– she was to appear on “Saturday Night Live” – so the group added a breakfast
event at which she could speak.
The
group has started its endorsement process, with questionnaires sent out to
candidates, but it does not typically endorse until the general election. But
its membership of prominent, politically active lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender Americans from across the country makes the group an important
group to woo.
“I
am running for president to stand for the fundamental rights of LGBT Americans
and all Americans,” Clinton declared. “That’s a promise from one HRC to
another,” she said, using her own initials and the group’s.
Clinton
praised the organization for the critical role it played in making same-sex
marriage legal, but she said there was much more work to be done to ensure
equality, particularly for transgender people.
“We’ve
got to address the growing crises of transgender violence,” Clinton said,
pointing to crimes against African-American transgender women, in particular.
“Transgender people are valued, they are loved, they are us.”
She
also delivered a pointed attack on Republican presidential candidates who
oppose same-sex marriage and other equal protections. “You turn on the TV and
you see a Republican candidate for president literally standing in the
courthouse door in Kentucky,” she said, referring to Mike Huckabee’s support of
Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to
same-sex couples.
Clinton’s
attacks on Republicans came with some levity that played well in the crowd
assembled in a ballroom at the Mayflower Hotel. “Ted Cruz slammed a political
opponent for marching in a pride parade,” Clinton said. “He clearly has no idea
what he’s missing.”
Clinton
enjoys wide support among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender voters,
despite what many gay activists say was a relatively delayed embrace of same
sex marriage. Biden expressed his support for same sex marriage days before
President Barack Obama made his support publicly known.
“I
think she’s been very good on LGBT issues, but always in the context of
politics,” said Seth Kalish, 48, a graphic designer. “It’s typical for someone
wanting to get to the White House to be cautious.”
Others
blamed Clinton’s mixed experiences on gay issues on her husband. “That was
Bill, and it was a different time,” said Ellen Griffith, 54, a consultant who
married her wife, Mary Ellen Garrity, last year.
“That
was some unfortunate legislation,” she said of DOMA and “don’t ask, don’t
tell.” “But the important thing is that she admits it.”
The
speech allowed Clinton to address a Democratic primary constituency that will
be critical to her 2016 campaign and one that Biden also would aggressively
court should he enter the race.
Clinton
has in recent years forcefully rejected two Clinton administration policies
that were seen as having set back the gay rights movement.
“ ‘Don’t
ask, don’t tell’ is over,” Clinton said about the legislation enacted by her
husband that prevented gays and lesbians from openly serving in the military.
“But that doesn’t change the fact that more than 14,000 men and women were
forced out of the military for being gay.”
She
proposed reversing dishonorable discharges given to people because of the
policy and changing them to honorable status. By
AMY CHOZICK New York Times News Service
