Christine Quinn on Hillary Clinton & Marriage Equality-HRC Room

[hrmjustin]

HILLARY CLINTON ROOM

CHRISTINE QUINN


Today, we have a woman running for President of the United States who fully supports marriage equality. She is also likely to be the only nominee running for president that does. That is something all Americans should be thrilled about. Her position is clear and rock solid, and they way she came to that conclusion is the same way most people do, including some of my own family members. Like most Americans, her position is one that evolved and developed from personal interactions with LGBT Americans and their families, and through a long and deep soul searching. I know a little bit about this process: It's how my father came to support my right to marry and then eventually walk me down the aisle when I married my wife.

http://www.out.com/news-opinion/2015/5/18/christine-quinn-hillary-clinton

[Iliyah]

1. K & R

[yallerdawg]

2. The Clintons have a real record.

When President Clinton took office, his first legislation was "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." He was vilified by the right. Maybe today people don't recall how divisive just that action was. And now, under the next Democratic president, we are close to national marriage equality!

While the movement toward equality in the LGBT community has moved rapidly over these last few years, we have never had a major party candidate on the ballot for president of the United States who was willing to state so unequivocally her support for marriage equality, long before any votes were cast or elections were won. When Hillary Clinton receives the Democratic nomination, she will not only be the first woman to receive a major party nomination for president of the United States, she will be the first major party nominee to publicly articulate that position before she assumes office. And as a gay American, who has fought for women’s rights and LGBT rights my entire life, I couldn’t be more proud.

[okasha]

3. What's often lost sight of

is that Big Dawg tried for more. His promise was that he would send a bill to Congress allowing LGBT's to serve openly and proudly. Congress went into hysterics, especially Sam Nunn. There were credible threats of a witch hunt for then-current LGBT soldiers. He got what he could, though it wasn't what he'd tried for.