The Clinton Doctrine

In a time of constant press availability, hourly tweets and Facebook posts, and YouTube videos for every small occasion, it is increasingly rare that a truly important speech is made, that words are spoken that themselves have the power to transform both the present mindset and the future path. Yesterday in Geneva, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton gave one of the most important speeches in recent history, and perhaps the most important declaration ever for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community. Speaking on behalf of President Obama and the United States of America, Secretary Clinton harkened back to her landmark 1995 speech in Beijing, and declared “gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.” Much as the statement “all men are created equal” seems today plainly obvious, 1776 was the first time anyone bothered to write that down, similarly, yesterday was the first time in history that a world power bothered to articulate that seemingly obvious truth as fundamental policy.

In doing so, the Secretary of State eloquently and forcefully made the case yesterday for what I think it is fair to describe as the Clinton Doctrine. For a woman with an already long and distinguished legacy, an un-nuanced declaration that the most powerful nation on Earth is fully committed to the dignity, respect and equality of gays and lesbians is a fine addition. In many ways, it’s a fine addition because it is uniquely hers. Secretary Clinton has spent much of her career advocating for the rights of women and children, particularly in parts of the globe where they are all but nonexistent. However, while she undoubtedly has generated new attention for these issues and, as Secretary, put power behind words, these were always going to be paradigms of human rights that originated with someone else. Mrs. Clinton was improving a trail blazed by Susan B. Anthony and Eleanor Roosevelt. Yesterday, she blazed her own trail.

We have heard leaders give very positive and forward-thinking speeches in which gay rights have been mentioned before; we’ve seen the president laudably address the Human Rights Campaign twice; we’ve seen dozens of political leaders and celebrities speak for a few moments about how “it gets better.” And those are great – and historic. But Secretary Clinton’s speech was new ground. For the first time, a representative of the United States – not just of our government but of our people – spoke at length exclusively about gays and lesbians. In doing so, she addressed not merely the minimum rights under the law we deserve as equal members of the human race, but spoke about us as people, gave the world for a few moments an opportunity to think about how things feel from our perspective. She said many things that I, and I think millions of others, have been waiting to hear from a world leader for years.

It is nice to hear from a politician, usually in advance of an election or before a fundraiser, how he’ll fight for protection from hate crimes or increased spousal recognition. But the world – and much of our own country – desperately needed to hear a leader say that “The lives of gay people are shaped not only by laws, but by the treatment they receive every day from their families, from their neighbors.”

Hillary Clinton said that yesterday.

We needed to hear a world leader (and a straight leader) say, “We need to ask ourselves, "How would it feel if it were a crime to love the person I love? How would it feel to be discriminated against for something about myself that I cannot change?"”

Hillary Clinton said that yesterday.

We needed a leader to say, “in reality, gay people are born into and belong to every society in the world. They are all ages, all races, all faiths; they are doctors and teachers, farmers and bankers, soldiers and athletes; and whether we know it, or whether we acknowledge it, they are our family, our friends, and our neighbors.”

Hillary Clinton said that yesterday.

Believe it or not, for anyone who listens to her speech, that may be the very first time they have heard someone tell them those simple truths. Secretary Clinton made a very personal case to the world in a way that only someone known throughout the world and held in such esteem really can. And at its core, that’s all this is: personal. The barriers to equality and acceptance fall when you know someone you love is gay.

Secretary Clinton also made the case in historic terms. She placed the struggle for LGBT equality squarely on par with the struggle for women’s rights and for the rights of African Americans, where it belongs. This speech removed any uncertainty about whether the United States as a government believed that to be the case. Additionally, language is important. By referring to us as “the LGBT community” – by simply referring to us as people – rather than the vernacular of emphasizing the word “homosexual” in much of the world (or “faggot” in much of this country), she used words to underscore that sex has relatively little to do with who we are as brothers and sisters in the human race.

When an historic speech is given, coupled with an historic policy such as the one issued by the President yesterday that Secretary Clinton was announcing, it is worth reflecting. The United States, for the first time in history, is both speaking to the world at length about the rights and gays and lesbians and using the power of our extensive foreign aid to impact the rights of gays and lesbians around the globe. It makes me both terribly proud of Secretary Clinton for making this speech and articulating this doctrine and of President Obama for issuing this policy and allowing the speech. It also makes me incredibly proud to be an American and privileged to live in this era.

(Watch the full video here: http://bcove.me/qs3211sh)

NY Catholic Leaders Face Real Problems: Gay marriage isn't one of them

Every ten minutes, a child in New York state is born into poverty, adding to the current level of 1 out of every 5 New York children living in poverty. Of those, nearly half a million live in extreme poverty, the most gut wrenching, back-breaking, inhumane poverty one can imagine in what should be a first world country – and they’re children.

Last year alone, there were nearly 76,000 violent crimes committed in the state of New York, including 861 homicides and nearly 3,000 incidents of rape. Homicide remains the leading cause of death for black men between the ages of 15 and 35.

This year, more than 113,000 individual New Yorkers will turn to homeless shelters, the highest level since data has been collected.

Despite that, the leadership of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York are expending time and resources in a last ditch effort to prevent the New York State Senate from voting to grant every New Yorker the right to enter into a civil marriage with the person they love. These actions mirror the efforts made by the Church in California and Maine, among other states, that includes spending millions of dollars to defeat votes to legalize marriage equality. This places the Archdiocese and Archbishop Timothy Dolan in opposition not only to the inevitable political progress of the state, but to the substantial majority of New Yorkers who support the freedom to marry.

In a blog post today, Archbishop Dolan compared the efforts by Governor Cuomo and the New York legislature to actions by China and North Korea. His Eminence says his position is not about denying anyone rights, except the reality is, of course, that it’s entirely about denying rights and continuing to codify and condone harmful bigotry.

For a leader of a church whose fundamental principle of social teaching, a central tenet of church policy for centuries and enunciated by Pope John Paul II in Centesimus Annus, is that of a “preferential option for the poor and vulnerable” the Church seems to focus a disturbing amount of time, energy and resources not on ameliorating the plight of the poor and vulnerable right here in America, but rather on immersing itself and wasting money in culture wars which it is ultimately losing. Let’s stop wasting our time on losing battles, let’s stop focusing on thinly veiled hatred for gays and lesbians and make a truly concerted effort to lift those children out of poverty, prevent those violent crimes, and reduce homelessness.

Oh, and if you live in New York, call or email your state Senator and ask him or her to do the right thing and vote to respect the dignity and equality of all New Yorkers.

Miss California is Wrong

Between the potential revoking of the crown of Miss USA California and the ever-more important decision on the behalf of five U.S. states to legalize equal marriage, including, recently, Vermont and Maine, there has been a great deal of chatter on the internet, on the airwaves, and in the streets about the debate over same-sex marriage in the United States, for obvious and important reasons. I don;t think it comes as much surprise to most of you that I wholeheartedly support same-sex marriages. Scratch that. I support marriage equality. There is no reason my marriage should be referred to any differently than yours. But with Miss California USA's recent comments on "opposite marriage" and her defense of free speech (something I also tirelessly support), there seems to be a need for comment. And I am breaking my blog silence to do so.

With regards to Miss California USA, Carrie Prejean's, statement during the competition about her personal support for "opposite marriage" as opposed to full marriage equality for all United States citizens, I object, and I object to her holding the crown, worthless as it may be. As a number of my close friends and advisers have pointed out, if Ms. Prejean had said she believes interracial marriage to be wrong, there is not a chance in hell that she would hold the title she holds today. What we, as a society, need to start acknowledging, is that what she said is equally as wrong. Opposing marriage equality (same-sex marriage/gay marriage) is wrong. It is WRONG, it is immoral, it is un-American and it is intolerable. I am sick and tired of being told that I need to tolerate the opinions of bigots who believe that I am less of an American citizen than they are. I am done. If you believe that marriage (a legal right; I am not referring at all to the Christian sacrament of Matrimony, which is different) should be exclusively between a man and a woman, then, I am sorry, but you are narrow-minded and wrong, and I am not required to indulge your ignorance. What the Miss California USA highlighted is that while same-sex marriage is, inextricably, a complicated and hotly debated issue in the U.S., it is not an issue where both opinions hold equal weight. One side favors the Constitution of the United States, which millions of men and women have, and others, including myself, will willingly, die for, and another favors archaic bigotry. I do not have to accept her point of view. Her point of view is flat out wrong. I put blame on the committee for allowing Ms. Prejean to keep her crown. What she said is not simply a matter of opinion; it is bigoted, anti-American, and wrong.

What gives me hope is for as fast as she says these ignorant comments, more and more states acknowledge my Constitutional right to equality, so her opinion really does not matter. But, seriously, we should not be rewarding it.

Replacing Richardson

With the news yesterday that Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) has withdrawn his nomination to be Secretary of Commerce in the Obama administration, this creates a new opportunity for President-elect Obama to appoint a member of the GLBT community to a cabinet position. There are a plethora of openly gay men and women who are heavily experienced in global commerce and economic development. This would go a long way towards healing the rift that Rick Warren created. Former SBA administrator Fred Hochberg appears to be a plausible pick.