Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, said today she backs marriage rights for gay Americans. In a video for the gay rights advocacy group Human Rights Campaign, Clinton said she supports gay marriage “personally and as a matter of policy and law.”
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender “Americans are our colleagues, our teachers, our soldiers, our friends, our loved ones, and they are full and equal citizens and deserve the rights of citizenship. That includes marriage,” Clinton said in the 5-minute-long video posted on YouTube. Her comments come amid a wave of similar declarations from other politicians, both Democrats and Republicans, and as the U.S. Supreme Court are considering two gay marriage cases. President Barack Obama last year announced his support for gay marriage, which is already permitted in nine of the 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.
Earlier this month, Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, also addressed the issue, saying the 1996 law he signed defining marriage as between a man and woman was unconstitutional and should be overturned. During her unsuccessful campaign for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, Clinton said she supported civil unions for gay couples but did not say she backed same-sex marriage.
I – Word Understanding
Potential – having or showing the capacity to develop into something in the future
Candidate – a person who applies for a job or is nominated for election
Advocacy – public support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy
Amid – surrounded by; in the middle of
Declarations – a formal or explicit statement or announcement
Permitted – authorize or give permission for (something)
Unconstitutional – not in accordance with a political constitution, esp. the US Constitution, or with procedural rules
Overturned – invalidate
Campaign – work in an organized and active way toward a particular goal
II – Have your say
1.In 1987, Delta Airlines apologized for arguing in plane crash litigation that it should pay less in compensation for the life of a gay passenger than for a heterosexual one because he may have had AIDS.
