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Hillary Clinton on Gay Rights
Q: “What is at the heart of your opposition to same-sex marriage?” CLINTON: “Well Job, I prefer to think of it as being very positive about same-sex unions. You know, it is a personal position and you and I have talked about it, I've talked about it with a number of my friends here [at the LGBT debate] and across the country. And for me, we have made it very clear in our country that we believe in equality. How we get to full equality is the debate we are having, and I am absolutely in favor of civil unions with full equality"
Voted AGAINST the 2006 Marriage Protection Amendment (S.J.Res. 1), which proposed an amendment to the Constitution that would ban gay marriage.
Checked NO in response a Human Rights Campaign questionaire asking if the candidate "Supports allowing civil marriage rights for same-sex couples."
Checked YES in response a Human Rights Campaign questionaire asking if the candidate "Supports civil unions for same-sex couples."
"I am absolutely in favor of civil unions with full equality. Full equality of benefits, rights and privileges. And I have also been a very strong supporter of letting the states maintain their jurisdiction over marriage."
"I put forth my position, which is in favor of civil unions... But the political process will decide what New Yorkers want to do... [If] our governor and our legislature support [gay] marriage in New York, I'm not going to be against that."
Co-sponser on S.3955, "Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2006." This bill never became law.
Checked YES in response a Human Rights Campaign questionaire asking if the candidate "Supports extending federal benefits, rights, privleges and responsibilities to same-sex couples and their children provided the partnership meets certain federal standards of commitment and mutuality of interest."
"I am absolutely in favor of civil unions with full equality. Full equality of benefits, rights and privileges. And I have also been a very strong supporter of letting the states maintain their jurisdiction over marriage."
Checked YES in response a Human Rights Campaign questionaire asking if the candidate "Supports repeal of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy."
"I believe we could change the ['Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy] to let gays and lesbians serve in the military and be covered by the uniform code of military justice. So just like those who are not gays and lesbians, if there were conduct problems then the conduct problems would be looked at. But people would not be judged on who they are."