Hillary Clinton speaks of human rights at the Human Rights Campaign breakfast: “It can all be undone”

Saturday morning, Hillary Clinton addressed volunteers at the Human Rights Campaign.

(YouTube: Published on Oct 3, 2015 Hillary Clinton celebrates equality and commits to the work that still lies ahead with Human Rights Campaign’s volunteer leaders #‎EqualityForward)

She was introduced by Chad Griffin, the president of HRC, who knew her when he was a teenager in Arkansas and she was First Lady of that once blue state.

THIS is important, and should be important to everyone, because while one can run on “It’s the Economy!” there is more at stake than fixing income inequality or being mad at billionaires:

(At 14:00)”You know … I talk about my campaign as being about improving the economy so everybody who works hard, does his or her part, can get ahead – and stay ahead. But I also talk about enforcing our basic human and civil rights. I’m running for president to stand up for the fundamental rights of LGBT Americans and all Americans.

And of course, as always, this is one of the most important issues of the 2016 race:

Every single one of the Republican candidates is against marriage equality … many of them are against anti-discriminiation laws. Many are against same-sex couples adopting. If you are ever in a forum with them, see if you can get them to even say “transgender” …

So the stakes in this election are high for the country …they’re high for so much of what we believe in and the progress we want to continue to make.

It can be undone.

President Obama’s executive actions can be rescinded. The next president may get three Supreme Court Justice appointments. We could lose the Supreme Court – and then there would be a whole new litigation strategy coming from those who oppose marriage equality.

(The audio of the video is uneven at the beginning but gets better. IMNSHO it is worth listening to. If I can find a transcript, I will post it)

Below are some quotes from the media reports of the speech.

From Hillary Clinton Speeches:

This morning, Hillary Rodham Clinton gave the keynote address for the Human Rights Campaign breakfast. During her speech, Clinton pledged to make LGBT rights a top priority as president. She urged Congress to pass the Federal Equality Act to end discrimination against the LGBT community and provide more openness in the US Military. She said, “I see the injustices and the dangers that you and your families still face and I’m running for president to end them once and for all.” Clinton then went on to criticize Republican presidential candidates, specifically Ben Carson and Senator Ted Cruz, for not supporting gay rights. Clinton has made LGBT rights central to her presidential campaign’s platform and vowed to continue fighting saying, “That’s a promise, from one HRC to another.”

From ABC News

Clinton, who announced her support of same-sex marriage in March 2013 in a video produced by the Human Rights Campaign, today thanked the organization for the work it has done to help get it legalized in all 50 states.

“The people here today deserve a lot of credit for making it happen. You’ve helped change a lot of minds, including mine, and I am personally very grateful for that,” she said.

“Ben Carson says that marriage equality is what caused the fall of the Roman empire,” the Democratic presidential candidate said to laughter during a breakfast at the LGBT rights organization’s annual gathering in Washington, D.C.

Clinton then mentioned Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, which drew hisses and boos from the crowd gathered inside the grand ballroom of the Mayflower Hotel, and went on to challenge him to join her at a gay pride parade.

“Ted Cruz slammed a political opponent for marching in a pride parade. He clearly has no idea what he’s missing. Pride parades are so much fun. I was marching in them back when I was first lady. You should join sometime Senator, come on,” she said.

“We need to say with one voice that transgender people are valued, loved, and one of us,” she said. “Transgender people are still banned from serving. That is an outdated rule – especially since you and I know that there are transgender people in uniform right now. They’re just keeping this core part of their identities under wraps because they are so committed to defending our nation. They shouldn’t have to do that. That’s why I support the policy review that Defense Secretary Carter recently announced at the Pentagon. And it’s why I hope the United States joins many other countries that let transgender people serve openly.” […]

In addition, Clinton called on Congress to pass the Federal Equality Act. And she said she would upgrade dishonorable discharges of service members who were forced out of the military in years past for being gay.