Bill Clinton Pushes For New York Marriage Equality — and Chelsea Makes Calls
As Metro Weekly publishes the first part of its series on the Defense of Marriage Act, the man who signed the bill into law — President Bill Clinton — is now working to help pass marriage equality in New York.
In a statement released by the Human Rights Campaign earlier today, Clinton says:
Our nation’s permanent mission is to form a ‘more perfect union’ – deepening the meaning of freedom, broadening the reach of opportunity, strengthening the bonds of community. That mission has inspired and empowered us to extend rights to people previously denied them. Every time we have done that, it has strengthened our nation. Now we should do it again, in New York, with marriage equality. For more than a century, our Statue of Liberty has welcomed all kinds of people from all over the world yearning to be free. In the 21st century, I believe New York’s welcome must include marriage equality.
In the statement, HRC president Joe Solmonese welcomed the news, “There is enormous momentum right now all across the state for marriage equality. We are grateful to President Clinton for adding his voice to the mainstream majority who support loving couples getting married in New York.”
UPDATE @ 7:45 PM: Today, it’s a family affair for the Clintons, as Freedom to Marry’s Cameron Tolle shares this photo of Chelsea Clinton speaking to — and joining — volunteers at a New Yorkers United for Marriage phonebanking night. Brian Ellner, HRC’s senior strategist in New York, is on the right.
Earlier today, in HRC’s news release about Bill Clinton’s support for New York marriage equality, Ellner talked about the group’s aim, “What we’re fighting for is pretty simple. We want to make sure gay and lesbian couples have the freedom to make a lifelong commitment to the person they love. Nothing says family like marriage.”
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