HRC backs Senator Gillibrand, the first U.S. Senator from NY to support full marriage equality for same-sex couples
Washington DC: The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization in the USA, announced the endorsement of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) in the 2010 U.S. Senate race. Gillibrand is the first U.S. Senator from New York to support full marriage equality for same-sex couples.
“From her personal lobbying of the New York legislature in support of marriage rights to helping garner support for a Senate hearing on repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ Gillibrand has time and again stood for fairness for all,” HRC President Joe Solmonese said.
“I am very honored to once again have the endorsement of the Human Rights Campaign,” said Sen. Gillibrand. “Equality, civil rights, and equal justice for the LGBT community must be a clarion call for our party and our generation. This is the civil rights march of our generation. We must continue to push every day to repeal DADT, repeal DOMA, and provide equal protections in the work place for all Americans. There is far more support for our cause than people realize. Let’s continue working together to write a new chapter of equality in this country.”
Gillibrand is the New York senator appointed by Governor David Paterson after President Obama tapped Hillary Clinton to head the State Department. In accepting the post, Gillibrand immediately announced her public support for gay marriage, a move many commentators have said was necessary to win Paterson’s endorsement.
Shortly afterwards, the state’s senior senator, Charles Schumer, followed suit, telling the New York Daily News in March that “equality is something that has always been a hallmark of America.” With Schumer’s about face, the state’s entire Senate delegation now publicly supports gay marriage for the first time.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s record for the LGBT community includes:
- Support of equal marriage rights for same-sex couples
- Helping lead efforts to repeal the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy of the U.S. military. At Sen. Gillibrand’s urging, the Senate Armed Services Committee announced it would hold the first hearing on the policy in 15 years
- Cosponsor of the fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)
- Cosponsored and voted for the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act
- Supports full repeal of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act.
- Cosponsor of the Uniting American Families Act, to allow same-sex couples in bi-national relationships to sponsor a partner for legal immigration to the U.S.
- Opposes amending the U.S. Constitution to discriminate, including opposition to the Federal Marriage Amendment
- Cosponsor of the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act
- Cosponsor of Early Treatment for HIV Act.
1 comments:
Anonymous
says
November 14, 2009 4:20 PM
Senator Gillibrand is one of the few Senators who have courageously stepped forward, repeatedly, to unequivocally support gay rights. There is no ambivalence or hesitancy in her clarion call for equal rights, and she deserves reciprocal support for her strong advocacy. Thank you for acknowledging her leadership.