As we
move quickly toward election day, it is important for us to know the Republican
and Democrat candidates’ position on LGBT rights. Knowing how Hilary Clinton
and Donald Trump would deal with issues for our community is crucial for us. We
have been marginalized and faced discrimination against us and have fought hard to get
the rights we now have. This could all change and drop us back into having no
rights again. The Democratic and Republican platforms are polarized on this
issue. The Democrats are supportive of us and our equality of human rights,
the Republicans, however, speak of “family values” as “one father and one
mother”. The following spells out the positions and past records of Hillary
Clinton and Donald regarding LGBTs’ rights.
Hillary
Clinton applauded the Obama administration’s guidance directing
public schools to allow transgender students to use restrooms matching their
gender identity, praised the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, and is committed to
protecting LGBT and transgender rights.
§ After the Obama
administration issued guidance directing public schools to allow transgender
students to use restrooms matching their gender identity on May 13, 2016, Clinton spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa told The
Washington Post, “Hillary Clinton applauds the Obama administration for
taking actions this week to stand up for the rights of LGBT people–and
particularly for the rights of transgender people–across the country.” She continued,
“As president, she will fight to make sure all Americans can live their lives
free from discrimination.”
§ After North Carolina
Governor Pat McCrory (R) signed House Bill 2 into law on March
24, 2016, Hillary Clinton tweeted, “LGBT people should be protected
from discrimination under the law—period.”
§ On Clinton’s campaign website, the candidate describes
her commitment to protecting transgender rights: “We must do more to end
discrimination against the transgender community. Hillary believes no one
should be held back from fully participating in our society because of their
gender identity. As secretary of state, Hillary made it possible for
transgender Americans to have their true identity reflected on their passports.
As president, she will work to protect transgender individuals from violence by
directing the government to collect better data regarding crime victims and
seeking to improve reporting of hate crimes; streamline identity documents to
remove barriers to transgender Americans changing their gender marker on
identification documents; and invest in law enforcement training focused on
fair and impartial policing, including in interactions with LGBT individuals.
Hillary will invest in law enforcement training that focuses on issues such as
implicit bias, use of force, and de-escalation, as well as fair and impartial
policing including in their interactions with the LGBT community, in particular
transgender individuals. It will also focus on educating police officers on
correctly identifying bias-motivated crimes.”
§ Hillary Clinton released a 70-second online ad on December
6, 2015, to show her support for LGBT equality. The video includes scenes from
a 2011 speech where she said “gay rights and human rights...are one and the
same” played over clips of same-sex couples.
§ Clinton argued on October
3, 2015, that the 14,000 soldiers forced to leave the military because of their
sexual orientation should have their service records updated to reflect an
honorable discharge.
§ Clinton endorsed the
Equality Act, a bill introduced on July 23, 2015, by U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and U.S.
Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), which seeks “to protect LGBT
people nationwide from discrimination in credit, education, employment,
housing, federal financial assistance, jury service and public accommodations.”
§ Speaking at a fundraiser
for the Virginia Democratic Party on June 26, 2015, Hillary Clinton applauded the Supreme Court's decision inObergefell v. Hodges and criticized
the Republicans' rejection of marriage equality. Clinton said,
"This morning, they all decried the Supreme Court's ruling upholding
marriage equality—we even heard them call for a constitutional amendment to
strip away the right to equality from our gay brothers and sisters. Instead of
trying to turn back the clock, they should be joining us in saying loudly and
clearly, 'No, no' to discrimination once and for all. I'm asking them, please:
Don't make the rights, the hopes, of any American, a political football for
this 2016 campaign."
§ After previously stating
that North Carolina should "[l]eave it the way it is," and permit
transgender individuals to use the restroom they feel most comfortable
using, Donald Trump told ABC News on May 13,
2016, “I believe it should be states’ rights and the state should make the
decision. They’re more capable of making the decision.” Trump made this comment
after the Obama administration issued guidance directing public schools to
allow transgender students to use restrooms matching their gender identity.
§ In an interview on April
21, 2016, Donald Trump said that North Carolina erred when it
passed a bill restricting transgender individuals’ access to bathrooms that conform with
their gender identity. “North Carolina did something that was very strong and
they’re paying a big price. There’s a lot of problems. You leave it the way it
is. There have been very few complaints the way it is. People go, they use the
bathroom they feel is appropriate, there has been so little trouble, and the
problem with what happened in North Carolina is the strife, and the economic
punishment that they’re taking,” Trump said. He added that he would be
comfortable with transgender activist Caitlyn Jenner using whichever bathroom
she chose in Trump Tower.
§ In a June 28, 2015,
interview on CNN's "State of the Union," Donald Trump was asked by anchor Jake Tapper how
Trump's three marriages fit into the definition of "traditional
marriage." Trump responded that someone asking the question has "a
very good point" and suggested he was at fault for his divorces. Tapper said
he wasn't asking for an explanation for Trump's divorces, but rather what he
would say to a gay person on this question. Trump answered, "I don't say
anything. I'm just for traditional marriage."
§ On June 26, 2015, following
the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, Trump
tweeted, "Once again the Bush appointed Supreme Court Justice John Roberts has let us down. Jeb pushed him hard!
Remember!"
§ On the issue of gay
marriage, Donald Trump said during a November 2013 interview
on MSNBC, "I think I’m evolving, and I think I’m a very fair
person, but I have been for traditional marriage. I am for traditional
marriage, I am for a marriage between a man and a woman.”
§ In a March 2011 interview
with The Des Moines Register, Trump said gay couples should not be
allowed to marry or receive the same benefits as married heterosexual couples.
The
importance for LGBT to vote in this election is critical to our future. If
Donald Trump should be elected we would surely have to go back into the closet
and would find ourselves without any rights once again. We have worked too hard
to get where we are today to go back into the discrimination and hostility that
could ensure. We must take this seriously and get out and vote!
