It’s been little over a year since the right to marry was guaranteed across America – and the two political parties still have LGBT stances that are diametrically opposed to one another.
Even though Republican nominee Donald Trump has been arguably the most tolerant of LGBT rights of any Republican nominee to date, his party’s platform still considers “preserving and protecting traditional marriage” (between a man and a woman, in their view) as the top priority in “renewing American values.”
But while the GOP continues to struggle with its views on LGBT rights, Hillary Clinton and the Democrats are embracing what has been called “the most progressive” pro-LGBT platform in history.
The ad opens with a look back on Clinton’s 2013 video from the Human Rights Campaign, where 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.”
“From Stonewall, to Laramie and now Orlando – we’ve seen too many examples of how the struggle to live freely, openly and without fear has been met by violence,” Clinton says in the ad.
“We have to stand together, be proud together. There is no better rebuke to the terrorists and all those who hate.”
But by 2013, her position had completely changed, when she announced her full throated support of same sex marriage – only a year after President Barack Obama did the same. But come 2016, the Democratic platform has been praised as “the most progressive pro-LGBT platform” in history.
The platform’s stance even has a familiar ring to it. It states, “LGBT rights are human rights.”
Even though Republican nominee Donald Trump has been arguably the most tolerant of LGBT rights of any Republican nominee to date, his party’s platform still considers “preserving and protecting traditional marriage” (between a man and a woman, in their view) as the top priority in “renewing American values.”
But while the GOP continues to struggle with its views on LGBT rights, Hillary Clinton and the Democrats are embracing what has been called “the most progressive” pro-LGBT platform in history.
Flipping the Script on ‘Hillary’s America’
The “Hillary’s America” series is a set of ads that aired at the Democratic National Convention. The film’s title is a rebuke on a documentary from conservative commentator and anti-Clinton author Dinesh D’Souza – which carries the same title.
The ad opens with a look back on Clinton’s 2013 video from the Human Rights Campaign, where 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.”
“From Stonewall, to Laramie and now Orlando – we’ve seen too many examples of how the struggle to live freely, openly and without fear has been met by violence,” Clinton says in the ad.
“We have to stand together, be proud together. There is no better rebuke to the terrorists and all those who hate.”
Hillary Clinton, The Democrats and The Fight for LGBT Rights
There is no doubt that it took Clinton some time to come around on the issue of LGBT rights – as recent as 2004, Clinton defended what she called the “bedrock principle” of the bond “between a man and a woman.” Her statement has since been widely criticized, even though it was part of her speech on the Senate floor against a proposed federal amendment to ban same-sex marriage.But by 2013, her position had completely changed, when she announced her full throated support of same sex marriage – only a year after President Barack Obama did the same. But come 2016, the Democratic platform has been praised as “the most progressive pro-LGBT platform” in history.
The platform’s stance even has a familiar ring to it. It states, “LGBT rights are human rights.”