Speaking at the Human Rights Campaign Dinner in Columbus, Ohio, former Vice President Joe Biden promised to make LGBTQ equality a priority.
In a wide-ranging speech, the 2020 presidential candidate called out the Trump administration as a “disaster for human rights,” pointing out many of its ongoing attacks on the rights and protections of LGBTQ Americans.
Biden also denounced current vice current Vice President Mike Pence for using religious freedom as a license to discriminate against LGBTQ folks.
“Just like with racial justice and women’s rights, we are seeing pushback against all the progress we’ve made toward equality,” said Biden as he discussed protections for transgender Americans. “It’s wrong and it is immoral what they’re doing.”
Biden announced during the half hour speech that signing the Equality Act would be his top legislative priority. “It will be the first thing I ask to be done,” Biden said.
In a lighthearted moment, Biden recalled announcing his support for marriage equality in 2012 before President Obama had done so.
Biden remembered many political pundits thinking, “I had just committed this gigantic blunder.” He also shared that he'd told the president if asked about same-sex marriage, "I was not going to be quiet.”
It's a great speech - well worth the watching.
In advance of his HRC speech, Biden tweeted out his support for Pride Month:
Pride is about standing up to the voices of injustice and discrimination and declaring that everyone has the right to live proud, open, and free. It's about love. We join the LGBTQ community in celebration and remember the fight is not over. We march on. Happy #PrideMonth— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) June 1, 2019
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.