Hillary Clinton Announces Support For Gay Marriage [VIDEO]

Hillary Clinton declared her support for gay marriage in a video released Monday by the Human Rights Campaign.

“L.G.B.T. Americans are our colleagues, our teachers, our soldiers, our friends, our loved ones, and they are full and equal citizens and deserve the rights of citizenship,’’ she said in the six-minute video, using the abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. “That includes marriage.’’

Clinton’s declaration joins that of a host of other high-profile Democrats in the country. Most notably, President Barack Obama announced his support for gay marriage in May of last year – slightly pre-empted by Vice President Joe Biden’s admittance of support. Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, both likely candidates for the 2016 Democratic primary race, have signed bills legalizing gay marriage in their states.

Clinton began her 6-minute video by referencing a statement she made in 2011, which alluded to her feelings on the matter of gay marriage – “gay rights are human rights.” Then the former secretary of state listed off actions she took while holding the White House position that spoke to her belief in equality for LGBT members of society.

The speed at which the civil rights campaign for LGBT Americans has moved, and more specifically, the change in opinion for same-sex marriage, is something that Clinton claims to find astounding. “For those of us who lived through the long years of the civil rights and women’s rights movements, the speed with which more and more people have come to embrace the dignity and equality of LGBT Americans has been breathtaking, and inspiring,” she said. “We see it all around us, every day, in major cultural statements and in quiet family moments. But the journey is far from over, and therefore we must keep working to make our country freer and fairer.”

Clinton’s announcement, posted online by the gay rights advocacy group, arrives as two landmark cases concerning gay rights are about to come before the Supreme Court. The Defense of Marriage Act, which was first supported and then denigrated by her husband and former President Bill Clinton, is up for review. The Supreme Court will also be ruling on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, which overturned and effectively banned gay marriage in the state of California. –Chelsea Regan

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