Hillary Clinton backs gay marriage

MANILA, Philippines – Former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Monday, March 18 (Philippine time), expressed her support of gay marriage in an online video released by the Human Rights Campaign, a civil rights organization working for gays rights.

Clinton said she supports gay marriage both “personally and as a matter of policy and law.”

While Clinton pushed gay, lesbian and transgender (LGBT) rights during her four-year tenure as America’s top diplomat, considering them human rights, she had not until now advocated for gay marriage.

“[Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender] Americans are our colleagues, teachers, soldiers, friends, [and] loved ones. And they are full and equal citizens and deserve rights of citizenship. That includes marriage,” she said.

In the 6-minute video, Clinton spoke of her experience as the US’s top diplomat and as a mother. “A few years ago, Bill and I celebrated as our own daughter married the love of her life and I wish every parent that same joy,” she said. 

“To deny the opportunity to any of our daughters and sons solely on the basis of who they are and who they love is to deny them the chance to live up to their own God-given potential.”

Watch Clinton’s message in full here:

Clinton’s message came just days after her husband, former US president Bill Clinton, urged the Supreme Court to overturn a bill he signed in 1996 defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman, calling it “discriminatory.”

During her failed 2008 White House bid, Hillary Clinton stopped short of endorsing gay marriage, favoring civil unions instead. -with reports from Bea Cupin and Agence France-Presse, Rappler.com