In her acceptance speech for The Center’s Trailblazer Award, Hillary Clinton spoke out on LGBT+ issues and resisting our current administration. Greeted with a standing ovation, Clinton told the audience of activists and supporters, “I think we have to face the fact that we may not ever be able to count on this administration to lead on LGBT issues.” Water is wet.
Not only did she address Donald’s failure to appoint officials who will work to protect the rights of the LGBT+ community, but she also expands her speech to the threat of human rights currently happening in Russia. “We’ve heard terrifying accounts from Chechnya of gay and bisexual men being taken from their homes and families, tortured, even killed,” she said. “The United States government — yes, this government — should demand an end to the persecution of innocent people.”
She continues the speech by condemning the proposed funding cuts for AIDS research and lack of LGBT+ protection laws. “When this administration rescinded protections for transgender students, my heart broke,” Clinton said. “The progress that we fought for… that we celebrated and maybe even (took) for granted may not be as secure as we once expected.” With her criticism of Donald Trump’s administration and call to action for midterm elections in 2018, Clinton permeates hope and strength for all.
Clinton lastly encouraged people to keep fighting in this long and ongoing battle for LGBTQ+ rights. “I know that the election hit a lot of us hard, but I can tell you this: Even when it feels tempting to pull the covers over your head, please keep going.” Over the recent months, Hillary Clinton has slowly but surely made her way back to the public eye with multiple speech events. She proudly remains resilient and urges advocates to as well. Clinton ends her speech with a new mantra, “Just remember: we need to resist, insist, persist and enlist.”
