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United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke last month in Geneva to the United Nations on the Human Rights of LGBT People.
Her words and the Obama administration's positions are powerful and important.
"Gay Rights are Human Rights, and Human Rights are Gay Rights."
"Being Gay is not a Western invention, it is a Human reality."
"...Let us keep in mind that our commitments to protect the freedom of religion and to defend the dignity of LGBT people emanate from a common source."
and she asks this question of non-lgbt people and the leaders of countries who don't defend the Human Rights of LGBT people, for them to consider for themselves,
"How would it feel to be a crime to love who I love?"
Her address is 30 minutes long, and is well worth watching.
As we embark on our new year 2012, this is a shining moment of hope, and a vision towards creating a world where things are better for all of us gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people.
And that will make it a better world for all.
Namaste,
Lee
ps: If you want the under two minute highlight version, check out, in the words of the Huffington Post, this "Hillary Clinton's Gay Rights Speech: State Department Turns Historic Moment Into Music Video"
5 comments:
Some great statements. I think she would have made a great prez --and still could.
To me, her words sound hollow when she says gay rights are human rights, since she also said recently that her views on civil unions and marriage equality have not changed since she opposed them as a senator and a candidate in 2008. And I can't help remembering what a big cheerleader she was when her husband signed DOMA in '96. But I have to take my hat off to her speech-writer! Very nice.
Thanks Kelly and ivanova for your comments!
And Ivanova, I agree that it's super-frustrating that she (and President Obama) haven't 'evolved' yet to where they support marriage equality - but I appreciated both her acknowledging that the USA isn't where we should be yet, and also that she's speaking the right words.
Namaste,
Lee
Thanks for posting the video. I hadn't seen it, and I appreciated it. :)
"Leadership by definition means being out front," that's one to remember. Thanks Lee for posting this!
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