Sen. Hillary
Rodham Clinton said she would defend gay rights as president
and eliminate disparities for same-sex couples in federal
law, including immigration and tax policy.
Sen. Hillary
Rodham Clinton said she would defend gay rights as president
and eliminate disparities for same-sex couples in federal
law, including immigration and tax policy.
Clinton said
states such as New Jersey and Massachusetts are extending
rights to gay couples, ''and the federal government should
recognize that and should extend the same access to
federal benefits across the board. I will very much
work to achieve that.''
Clinton's
comments came in an interview with the Philadelphia Gay
News, which was posted on its website Thursday.
Clinton said she
and her husband have many gay friends whom they
socialize with when they get the chance. ''I've got friends,
literally, around the country that I'm close to. It's
part of my life,'' she said.
She said that
when they ask her why they can't get married, she tells
them marriage is a state law. She said that fact helped
defeat a federal constitutional amendment to prohibit
same-sex weddings that she said would have ''enshrined
discrimination in the Constitution.''
''States are
really beginning seriously to deal with the whole range of
options, including marriage, both under their own state
constitutions and under the legislative approach,''
she said. ''I anticipate that there will be a very
concerted amount of effort in the next couple of years
that will move this important issue forward, and different
states will take different approaches as they did with
marriage over many years, and you will see an
evolution over time.''
Clinton said she
opposes a measure that would ban same-sex marriage in
Pennsylvania.
''I would be very
distressed if Pennsylvania were to adopt that kind of
mean-spirited referendum, and I hope it won't happen,'' she
said.
Clinton's
Democratic rival Barack Obama and Republican John McCain
declined the newspaper's invitation for an interview.
Clinton also said
she would:
- Eliminate her
husband's policy of ''don't ask, don't tell'' that
prevents gays from serving openly in the military. Asked if
she could do so by a signing order connected to a
military appropriations bill, Clinton said she didn't
think that is possible but added that she would look
into it and do it if it were legal.
- Be ''very
strongly outspoken'' against foreign governments that
execute gays and use financial assistance and other
leverage to prevent the killings.
- Support federal
domestic partner legislation to extend rights to all
gay couples.
- Support
services for gay youths, including guidance for schools
about the discrimination they face.
- Continue to
support gay pride celebrations, to the extent that security
would allow. ''I don't think the Secret Service let Bill
walk in a parade when he became president,'' she said.
(AP)
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