Former President Bill Clinton has
backed an effort to make New York the sixth state to legalize gay
marriage.
In a statement released Thursday by gay
rights group the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Clinton said allowing
gay and lesbian couples the right to marry would strengthen the
nation.
“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,” Clinton said. “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.”
The Clinton administration was widely
criticized by gay rights activists for signing into law the Defense
of Marriage Act (DOMA), the law that bans federal agencies from
recognizing the marriages of gay couples, and “Don't Ask, Don't
Tell,” which bans gay and bisexual troops from serving openly in
the military.
In 2009, Clinton announced he had
reversed course on the issue, saying he was hung up on the word
“marriage.”
At a Tuesday event, Clinton's daughter,
Chelsea Clinton, announced
her support for the institution.
However, earlier this year, Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton told
gay glossy The Advocate that she had not changed her position
on marriage equality.