Hillary Rodham Clinton on Saturday
reiterated her support for the Equality Act and warned that her GOP
presidential rivals will try to undo nationwide marriage equality, if
elected.
Progress on LGBT rights “can be
undone,” Clinton told a gathering of Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
volunteers ahead of the group's 19th annual National
Dinner, which was headlined by Vice President Joe Biden.
(Related: Joe
Biden: Americans have moved past homophobia.)
“We're going to face some
ridiculousness, especially from our friends in the GOP,” the
Democratic presidential candidate said. “Believe what they say.”
Clinton specifically targeted Texas
Senator Ted Cruz and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who have
been vocal in their support for Kim Davis, the elected clerk of Rowan
County, Kentucky who is fighting to prevent her county office from
issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. Cruz and
Huckabee stood next to Davis as she emerged from a 5-day jailing for
refusing to comply with the Supreme Court's ruling striking down gay
marriage bans in all 50 states.
(Related: Vatican:
Pope Francis' meeting with Kim Davis not a form of support.)
“[It can be hard to believe that it
gets better], especially when you turn on the TV and you see a
Republican candidate for president literally standing in the court
house door in Kentucky, calling for people to join him in resisting a
Supreme Court ruling, celebrating a county clerk who's breaking the
law by denying other Americans their constitutional rights,”
Clinton said.
Clinton's endorsement of the Equality
Act was welcomed with loud applause from the audience.
“Congress must pass the federal
Equality Act,” she said. “That law would finally outlaw
discrimination against LGBT people. … It's a great, noble piece of
legislation that deserves to become the law of the land. As
president, I will fight for it. And I hope many of you will be with
me when I sign it into law.”