Last Sunday, Hillary Clinton officially announced what most have already presumed. She was running as a Democratic candidate for President of the United States. From most in the LGBT community, there came a standing ovation. But what does this career politician really think about lesbians and gay, and their bisexual and transgendered brothers and sisters? The answer may surprise you.
Just last week, the William J. Clinton Library released a treasure trove of documents (most available for viewing on-line at www.clintonlibrary.gov/museum.html) from Hillary Clinton’s tenure as First Lady. Among them was an interesting trail of letters that reached the White House in 1996, asking about the views of Hillary on same-sex marriage.
Alice Pushkar, the First Lady’s Director of Correspondence, wrote to Kyle M. Baker, Senior Writer at the office of Presidential Letters and Messages on Sept. 18, 1996. “We have received a few letters on the subject of same-sex marriage. I think that it would be more appropriate for a response to come from the President on this than the First Lady. Would it be possible to get a First Lady version of the P-323?”
That afternoon, Baker responded with an official form letter that was approved to be autosigned by the president.
“Thank you for contacting Hillary regarding marriages of couples of the same gender. She has asked me to respond on her behalf. In 1992, I stated my opposition to same-gender marriage, and recently, when the issue was raised in Congress, I said that if a bill consistent with my previously stated position reached my desk, I would sign it.”
A day later, President Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Ultimately, the Supreme Court would judge the DOMA to be unconstitutional. It took 21 years. During that time, Hillary Clinton did not stand up for gay marriage.
In 2000, when she was running her successful campaign for Senate, Hillary said that she would have voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, stating that while same-sex couples should have some rights, marriage was not one of them. “Marriage has got historic, religious and moral content that goes back to the beginning of time and I think a marriage has always been between a man and a woman,” she said.
It wasn’t until 2013, when Hilary left her position as Secretary of State, that she officially came out for same-sex marriage having “evolved” on the issue, just as her husband had.
In all fairness, while Secretary of State, she echoed the Obama administration’s dictates regarding the subject, even going as far as addressing the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from around the world in her “Free and Equal in Dignity and Rights” speech on International Human Rights Day at a United Nations conference in Geneva on December 6, 2011.
It was during that speech that Hillary said, “Being LGBT does not make you less human. And that is why gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.”
By 2013, when Hillary officially supported same-sex marriage, the tide had turned and for the first time, the majority of Americans surveyed (52 percent) indicated their support of the policy as well. Always the consummate politician, it was now safe ground upon which Hillary could walk. If not completely politically correct, it was certainly politically expedient.
Now firmly in the LGBT corner, Hillary has even announced Robby Mook as her new campaign manager. He is openly gay. She used two gay couples in her profiles of American families in the video, which announced that she was throwing her (now pink) hat into the presidential campaign.
Let’s be kind and consider that quite a few Americans are in Hillary’s philosophical position. They had to “warm” to the notion of same-sex anything. That it is now politically beneficial, however, should not be ignored in Hillary’s case. She is a politician first and last.
“Just because you’re a politician, doesn’t mean you’re not a thinking human being,” Hillary told NPR’s Terry Gross last year. “You gather information, you think through positions, you’re not 100 percent set … you’re constantly reevaluating where you stand. That was true for me.”
It is certainly likely that Hillary will be the Democratic candidate for president of the United States in next year’s election. It is equally as likely that her Republican opponent will be against same-sex marriage and other LGBT rights. To do otherwise, would eliminate their right-wing base, which no Republican can afford to do.
Ultimately, regardless of any other campaign pledges and positions aimed at helping the economy, changing foreign policy, improving race relations, and handling immigration reform, it will be same-sex and LGBT issues which will decide the outcome of the Presidential race, regardless of the candidates.
Gay and proud have never meant so much, or carried with it more responsibility.
