(Sec of State) Clinton pledges to defend gay rights at home and abroad

[sabra]

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged to end violence and discrimination against gays and lesbians at home and abroad Tuesday, as the Obama administration moves to extend further benefits to gays working in the federal government.

"We are moving together in the right direction," said Clinton. "We reaffirm our commitment to protect the rights of all human beings."

Clinton drew several standing ovations from the standing-room-only crowd of several hundred during her address at an event co-hosted by the State Department's Office of Civil Rights and GLIFAA, the organization for Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies. June has been recognized as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.

Speaking about the linkages between gay rights and U.S. foreign policy, Clinton said she is asking embassies in Africa and elsewhere to report on rights of the local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. The State Department is also placing more attention on ensuring gays around the world have access to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment and providing protection for LBGT refugees.

The department is also providing grants to human rights activists who are persecuted either because they are gay or defend gay rights, she said.

Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/06/22/clinton-pledges-to-defend-gay-rights-at-home-and-abroad/?fbid=VP2LgjjHQ1T

[closeupready]

1. Good. I'm glad to hear that.

:)

[racaulk]

2. K&R!

[Oceansaway]

3. K&R...n/t

[Beacool]

4. Great!!!

Good for Hillary and the State Department.

:applause:

[jeremyfive]

5. Good Road to Take

And we don't blame the horrors of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" and the suffering it has created to so many fine soldiers on the Clinton Administration.

We rightly blame the bigoted right wing axxholes.

[Peace Patriot]

6. Gee, that means she'll now support LEFTIST presidents in Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador,

who have championed gay rights, and she'll freeze out, oh, say Saudi Arabia and Kuwait?

Har-har. Very SELECTIVE, very HYPOCRITICAL. She'll champion gay rights where it coincides with the interests of U.S.-based multinational monsters and war profiteers, and completely ignore horrid oppression of gays where those forces want her to ignore it. Hugo Chavez, Evo Morales and Rafael Correa, and the awesome grass roots movements that put them in office with big majorities of the vote, have done more for gay rights than anyone in Latin America, ever. But "we" hate those leaders, and their supporters and voters, because why? Hm? Because they have honest, transparent election systems in which the CIA candidates lose? Because all three leaders believe in using the profits from their countries' oil and other natural resources to benefit the poor? Because they are implementing free universal medical care and free college educations? Because they stand up for the sovereignty of their countries, visa vis the bullying, anti-democratic, armed behemoth of the north?

The policies of these leaders--the actual policies, not the corpo-fascist/CIA disinformation--are closely in line with what the vast majority of Democratic Party members here believe in, and, indeed, if the truth were known, are very likely closely in line with what most north Americans want and most of the people in the world want: social justice, fairness, peace. Why, then, does the U.S.--no matter which party is in charge--vilify the most democratic governments in Latin America? And why does it, in every way possible, including massive military funding, support the narco-thugs running Colombia and the sheiks of Araby?

[Vidar]

7. Good for Hillary.