For LGBTQI voters, there really is only one choice in this year’s presidential election. One candidate, Donald Trump, plans to appoint Supreme Court justices that would overturn the marriage equality rulings, and he leads a party that adopted the most anti-LGBTQI platform in recent memory. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, promises to fight for full federal equality for LGBT Americans.
She will work with Congress to pass the Equality Act, continue President Obama’s LGBT equality executive actions, and support efforts underway in the courts to protect people from discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation in every aspect of public life. Hillary promises to end so-called “conversion therapy” for minors, combat youth homelessness by ensuring adequate funding for safe and welcoming shelters, and take on bullying and harassment in schools. She intends to end discriminatory treatment of LGBT families in adoptions, and protect LGBT elders against discrimination. Hillary applauds the Pentagon’s decision to allow transgender personnel to serve openly, and as Commander-in-Chief, she will upgrade service records of LGBT veterans dismissed due to their sexual orientation.
She has a plan to fight for an AIDS-free generation both nationally and globally. Hillary promises to work to protect transgender individuals from violence, make it easier for transgender Americans to change their gender markers on identification documents, and invest in law enforcement training focused on fair and impartial policing, including in interactions with LGBT people. Hillary says she will promote LGBT human rights and ensure America’s foreign policy is inclusive of LGBT people, including increasing our investment in the Global Equality Fund to advance human rights.
Hillary has been a vocal advocate for LGBT rights throughout her career. In the U.S. Senate, Hillary championed legislation to address hate crimes, fought for federal non-discrimination legislation to protect LGBT Americans in the workplace, and advocated for an end to restrictions that blocked LGBT Americans from adopting children. As secretary of state, Hillary advanced LGBT rights abroad and enforced stronger anti-discrimination regulations within the State Department, declaring on the global stage, “gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.” She led the effort to pass the first-ever U.N. Resolution on LGBT Human Rights, launched the Global Equality Fund, ended State Department regulations that denied same-sex couples and their families equal rights, helped implement LGBT-friendly workplace policies, and updated the State Department’s policy so that transgender individuals’ passports reflect their true gender.
For all of these reasons, Clinton is by far a better choice for LGBTQI voters than her opponent and the party he represents.