How does she do it? Hillary Rodham Clinton was onstage in Miami with
Marc Anthony last night and showed up at the Human Rights Campaign
Breakfast this morning looking rested and smashing! I think she really
does get her energy off of the enthusiasm around her. I know there is a
new Pew Poll this morning where she is doing very well, so nobody needs
to mention it because these polls really are not worth talking about
for many reasons.
Hello, Human Rights Campaign! It’s great to be back with the HRC. There’s no one I’d rather share my initials with than you.
It’s been quite a year, hasn’t it?
It
felt like all of America was out dancing in the streets this June. And
that’s because of you. Because of Jim Obergefell, Edie Windsor, and all
the families who took their fight all the way to the Supreme Court. It
was because of leaders like Chad, JoDee Winterhof, who is here, and Joe
Solmonese, who is here, and Mike Berman, who is my longtime friend and
who has been a champion, all the members of the HRC boards and
committees, and everyone who marched, sang, wrote briefs, sacrifice,
everything you did to make marriage equality the law of the land.
Now
there is a map on the wall of my campaign headquarters in Brooklyn, in a
place of honor, right when you walk in. It’s called “States Where
Marriage Equality Is Law.” And it’s just a plain old map of the United
States. But because now every single American — no matter where you
live — is free to marry whoever you love, the map is colored everywhere.
And that is the way it should be. That is real progress, my friends.
And the people here today deserve a lot of the credit for making it
happen.
Now, you’ve helped
make other progress as well — including President Obama’s executive
order barring companies that do business with the federal government
from discriminating against LGBT Americans. And I appreciated your
support, when as Chad said, I took steps to ban discrimination at the
State Department, including by extending equal benefits to the partners
of diplomats.
I’m really
here to say thank you for your hard work and your courage. And for
insisting that what’s right is right. You’ve helped change a lot of
minds, including mine. And I am personally very grateful for that.
After
all the remarkable achievements of the past few years, no one would
blame you or HRC for wanting to take a break, to kick back, kind of
enjoy what’s going on. Just for a little while, right? But I wish that
all the progress that we’ve made was so secure, and so deeply ingrained
in our laws and our values, that we didn’t need to constantly keep
defending it. But we’re not there yet.
There are still public officials doing everything in their power to interfere with your rights.
There
are still too many places where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
Americans are targeted for harassment and violence. There are still too
many young people out there feeling hopeless and alone.
There
are still too many young people out there feeling hopeless and alone.
Now we assure them that “it gets better” — but it can still be really
hard to believe that. Especially when you turn on the TV and you see a
Republican candidate for President literally standing in the courthouse
door in Kentucky, calling for people to join him in resisting a Supreme
Court ruling, celebrating a county clerk who’s breaking the law by
denying other Americans their constitutional rights. Or when Republicans
in Indiana pass a law letting businesses deny service to LGBT customers
under the guise of religious freedom. Think about how that must sound
if you’re a young gay or transgender kid. The message is unmistakable:
There’s something wrong with you. You’re not a real citizen. You’re not
wanted here, you’re not welcome.
Some
of you may know the blog “Humans of New York.” It’s a beautiful site
that conducts informal interviews of people as they go about their
lives, in New York and even other parts of the world. And the stories
they tell are often pretty raw. This past July, Humans of New York
posted a picture of its latest subject: a sweet little boy, sitting on a
stoop, crying and looking like he was trying very hard not to. And this
was his entire interview: “I’m homosexual,” he said. “And I’m afraid
about what my future will be and that people won’t like me.”
It was so absolutely heartbreaking. All I wanted to do was find him and give him a hug.
Instead,
I wrote to him. I told him that his future was going to be amazing,
that he will surprise himself with what he is capable of and all the
incredible things he will do. And I said that lots of people will love
him and believe in him — and the proof is that I wasn’t the only one who
wrote him. Thousands of people from all over the world spoke up to tell
him that he is loved and perfect just the way he is.
When
I see a brave little guy like that, strong enough to tell someone his
fears, strong enough to be honest about who he is, who’s still is
terrified of being rejected by the world around him — that tells me we
still have work to do.
Because
our work isn’t finished until every single person is treated with equal
rights and dignity that they deserve — no matter how old they are, no
matter where they live, whether it’s New York or Wyoming or anywhere
else.
I know I’m
not telling you anything you don’t already know. You know the obstacles
that remain better than I do. But I want you to know that I get it. I
see the injustices and the dangers that you and your families still
face. And I’m running for President to end them once and for all.
I
talk about my campaign as being about improving the economy so
everybody who works hard, does his or her part, can get ahead and stay
ahead. But I also talk about enforcing our basic human and civil rights.
I’m running for President to stand up for the fundamental rights of
LGBT Americans and all Americans. That’s a promise — from one “HRC” to
another.
What
does that mean? Well, I’ll fight to end discrimination wherever it
occurs. It’s outrageous that, in 2015, you can still be fired for being
gay. You can still lose your home for being gay. You can even be denied a
wedding cake for being gay. And this kind of discrimination goes
against everything we stand for as a country.
Congress
must pass the federal Equality Act. That law would finally outlaw
discrimination against LGBT people basically everywhere — in employment,
housing, public education, public accommodations, access to federal
funding and credit, and in the jury system. It’s a great, noble piece of
legislation that deserves to become the law of the land. As President, I
will fight for it. And I hope that many of you will be there with me
when I sign it into law.
You
know I have a particular commitment to healthcare. I like to say that I
still have the scars to show for what we tried to do back in the ‘90s,
and I’m particularly concerned about healthcare for the LGBT community.
One of many reasons why the Affordable Care Act is a good law is that it
made it illegal for health insurers to deny coverage because of a
person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. But I’ve been hearing
from people as I travel around the country, too many LGBT people still
struggle to get the care you need. All the Republican governors who
refused to accept the Medicaid expansion because they don’t like the
Affordable Care Act are doing a lot of harm to people with HIV and AIDS
who need Medicaid to afford the medications that keep them healthy.
Meanwhile,
you may have read recently about a drug that’s been around for decades
that went from $13.50 per pill to $750 per pill — literally overnight, a
5000% increase. What is not talked about enough is that medication is
one that many HIV-positive patients rely on every day. Now, with
pressure from me and others, the CEO of the drug company says he’ll
lower the price. But he hasn’t done it yet. And every day that he
stalls, people with HIV are forced to worry and wait and pay hundreds of
dollars more for medication that keeps them well. That is wrong and as
President, I’ll take on the drug companies, I’ll cap out-of-pocket
expenses for people with chronic diseases like HIV/AIDS. You shouldn’t
have to go bankrupt to get the care you need to stay alive and healthy.
And
I will continue the fight for LGBT people in our armed services. “Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell” is over — but that doesn’t change the fact that more
than 14,000 men and women were forced out of the military for being gay,
some long before “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” even existed. Many were given
less than honorable discharges. I can’t think of a better way to thank
those men and women for their service than by upgrading their service
records, and making sure they get the honorable discharge they deserve.
Meanwhile,
transgender people are still banned from serving. That is an outdated
rule — especially since you and I know that there are transgender people
in uniform right now. They’re just keeping this core part of their
identities under wraps because they are so committed to defending our
nation. They shouldn’t have to do that. That’s why I support the policy
review that Defense Secretary Carter recently announced at the Pentagon.
And it’s why I hope the United States joins many other countries that
let transgender people serve openly. Now we pride ourselves on having
the world’s best military — but being the best doesn’t just mean having
the best-trained forces or biggest arsenal. It also means being a leader
on issues like this — on who we respect enough to let serve with
dignity as themselves.
I’ll
fight to defend lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents. Eleven
states ban same-sex couples and LGBT individuals from adopting.
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of kids in foster care are ready — in
fact, eager — to become part of loving families. This to my mind is one
of the cruelest vestiges of anti-gay bigotry. And it’s also really cruel
to those kids. Being a good parent has absolutely nothing to do with
your sexual orientation or your gender identity. The thousands of happy,
healthy children out there being raised by LGBT parents proves that.
And as President, I will push to cut off federal funding for any public
child welfare agency that discriminates against LGBT people. For me
there is no excuse — none — for hurting children and families like this.
Now I could go on and on. There’s so much more for us to do.
We’ve
got to stand with young people across the country trying to live like
the teenagers they are. Going to the prom with your boyfriend or
girlfriend is a rite of passage that every young person deserves, don’t
you think?
We’ve got to
address the growing crisis of transphobic violence. 2015 has seen the
murder of at least 19 transgender women, primarily women of color, and
nobody knows how much violence goes unreported or ignored. And we need
to say with one voice that transgender people are valued, they are
loved, they are us, and they deserve to be treated that way.
And
let me ask you also to keep standing up for the human rights of the
LGBT community worldwide. Hundreds of millions of people live in places
where they can be arrested, even executed, for being gay. Just a few
days ago, the president of Zimbabwe stood up at the UN and gave a
furious speech about the dangers of equal rights for gay people.
According to him, in Zimbabwe he said, “We are not gays.” Now I’m
guessing the LGBT activists sitting in prison in Zimbabwe would disagree
with him if ever given the chance to have a platform like he had.
That’s
why in 2011 I did, as Chad said, go to Geneva to say what should be
obvious but needed saying — that gay rights are human rights, and human
rights are gay rights. Because I believe with all my heart that the
United States does have to stand up for human rights everywhere. It’s
who we are. And under my presidency, it’s who we’ll continue to be.
The
Global Equality Fund that some of you helped get me started needs to
continue and grow so we can help protect activists, we can bail people
out of prison, we can support publications and online outreach so that
people don’t feel so alone, and they get a chance for their voices to be
heard.
I will do my part to
make sure that these issues get the attention they deserve in the
presidential campaign, and more importantly, in the White House. Now I
know you’ve had your share of politicians speaking out, courting your
support at election time, and then disappearing — as if your lives and
your rights are just a political bargaining chip. Well, those who know
me know that’s not me. I’ve been fighting alongside you and others for
equal rights — and I’m just getting warmed up.
But
to quote one of my favorite Americans — Eleanor Roosevelt — when you
get into the public arena, you do need to grow skin as thick as a
rhinoceros. So everybody get started, because we’re going to face some
ridiculousness, especially from our friends in the GOP. In fact, it’s
already begun. Ben Carson says that marriage equality is what caused the
fall of the Roman Empire. Ted Cruz slammed a political opponent for
marching in a Pride parade. He clearly has no idea what he’s missing.
Pride parades are so much fun! I was marching in them back when I was
First Lady. You should join us sometime, Senator, come on!
There
are sure to be more comments like these and more hurtful ones. And I
want to say something to you because I know a number of you. I’m so
proud to call you friends and supporters, but I hope you will continue
to reach out, particularly to young people who hear these things on
television, who may be in their community or their family still, are
treated so harshly. It’s important that you stand with them as we
continue to push the agenda that is necessary to end discrimination at
home and abroad.
We’re going
to hear a lot from the folks running on the other side, and I want to
tell you, believe what they say. If any one of them, heaven forbid, were
ever to be elected President, they will do their best to enact policies
that will threaten you and your families. Every single Republican
candidate for president is against marriage equality. Every one of them.
Many of them are against anti-discrimination laws. Many are against
same-sex couples adopting. See if you are ever in a forum with any of
them, if you can get them to say the word “transgender.”
The
stakes in this election are high for the country. They’re high for so
much of what we believe in and the progress we want to continue to make.
It can be undone. President Obama’s executive actions can be rescinded.
The next president may get three Supreme Court justice appointments. We
could lose the Supreme Court and there could be a whole new litigation
strategy coming from those who oppose marriage equality. We have got to
stay focused, stay united. You deserve a president who will bring people
together — who won’t leave anyone behind. That is what I will do,
because I know from my own personal experience, the folks on the other
side — you have got to give them credit — they never quit. Their
persistence is admirable although it is hard to believe what they use it
for.
You’ve shown me a lot
of generous support over the years, and I deeply appreciate that. A
number of you have taught me a lot, embraced me and my family, you have
made me a better first lady and a better senator and a better secretary
of state — and with your help, I’ll be an even better president.
Let
me end with this because I never make a speech these days without
mentioning my granddaughter. In case you haven’t heard, she just turned
one. And her grandfather and I are convinced that she’s the smartest,
funniest, most wonderful baby. It means we’re pretty typical
grandparents, so I’ll spare you the slideshow.
But
I find myself thinking a lot about the country and the world she will
grow up in. Whether it will be safe and healthy and just. Her
generation, hopefully, will be even better when it comes to accepting
people’s differences — just like my daughter’s generation was better
than mine. Our children have a lot of wisdom.
I
want my granddaughter to feel bold, and brave, and supported enough
that she can be who she is — whoever that turns out to be. That’s what
all our kids and our grandkids deserve. And parents and grandparents all
over the country should want the same for their families.
So
I want to thank you for being on the front lines of what has been an
amazing struggle, but which has accomplished so much in a relatively
short period of time. I think about that everyday on the campaign trail,
like when I met a man in Iowa, who gushed to me about the daughter he
adopted years ago with his partner. And now his granddaughter is now the
light of his life. Or the mom of a transgender girl in Las Vegas who
just wanted to know how in the world her daughter was going to get the
medical care she needed.
I
think about all the moms and dads — all of you out there — all the
parents who worry about whether their families will be OK. Whether the
hospital will let both moms into the emergency room with their sick kid.
Whether teachers and classmates will be kind and accepting. Whether law
enforcement will treat them right. All those millions of worries, large
and small, that same-sex parents and LGBT Americans think about every
day.
Well I think about them
too. Because your families matter to me and you matter to me. I’m going
to keep as I have throughout my life fighting for you — your rights,
your children, your futures.
I’m
fighting for an America where, if you do your part, you do reap the
rewards. Where we don’t leave anyone out. Where if you work hard and do
your part, you can pursue your dreams however you define them. You can
make the most of your God-given potential. That’s what I’m fighting for.
And I’m proud to be fighting right alongside you.
Thank you all!
Tonight she will appear on the season premiere of SNL. Miley Cyrus is hosting.
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton waits to speak to supporters at
the Human Rights Campaign Breakfast in Washington, October 3, 2015.
REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton points as she takes the stage
before speaking to supporters at the Human Rights Campaign Breakfast in
Washington, October 3, 2015. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton laughs before speaking to
supporters at the Human Rights Campaign Breakfast in Washington, October
3, 2015. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton makes a point during a speech to
supporters at the Human Rights Campaign Breakfast in Washington,
October 3, 2015. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton greets supporters after speaking
at the Human Rights Campaign Breakfast in Washington, October 3, 2015.
REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has a picture taken by a
supporter after speaking at the Human Rights Campaign Breakfast in
Washington, October 3, 2015. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks to supporters at the
Human Rights Campaign Breakfast in Washington, October 3, 2015.
REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Clinton waves after speaking to
supporters at the Human Rights Campaign Breakfast in Washington, October
3, 2015. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton gestures as she speaks at
Human Rights Campaign gathering in Washington, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015. (
AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton shake hands with
supporters after speaking to the Human Rights Campaign in Washington,
Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks to the Human
Rights Campaign in Washington, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015. ( AP Photo/Jose
Luis Magana)
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton shakes hands with
supporters after speaking to the Human Rights Campaign in Washington,
Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Democratic
presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton gestures as she speaks to
the Human Rights Campaign in Washington, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015. ( AP
Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
