At an event celebrating Gay Pride Month on Tuesday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton encouraged State Department employees to let teenagers know homosexuality is okay.
UPDATE 10/20/10: Hillary Clinton Encourages Teens to be Secure in Homosexuality
-- From "Obama, Clinton vow to defend gay rights, adding 'it's not who we are as Americans'" by Elise Labott, CNN Senior State Department Producer 6/23/10
President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged to end violence and discrimination against gays and lesbians at home and abroad Tuesday, as the Obama administration moves to extend further benefits to gays working in the federal government.
"It's not right, it's not who we are as Americans, and we're going to put a stop to it," Obama told a raucous White House reception honoring Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.
Earlier, Clinton received several standing ovations from a standing-room only crowd of several hundred during her address at an event co-hosted by the State Department's Office of Civil Rights and GLIFAA, the organization for Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies. (Click here to view entire video)
The White House event invited politicians and government officials as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender American from across the country, including young people "who have stood up for equality," said White House spokesman Shin Inouye.
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From "Hillary Clinton Urges State Department Employees to Let Teens Know It's Okay to Be Homosexual" by Penny Starr, CNSNews.com Senior Staff Writer 6/23/10
“We’ve come such a far distance in our own country, but there are still so many who need the outreach, need the mentoring, need the support to stand up and be who they are and then think about people in so many countries where it just seems impossible,” Clinton said.
“So I think that each and everyone of you, not only professionally, particularly from State and USAID and every bureau and every embassy and every part of our government have to do what you can to create that safe space, but also personally, to really look for those who might need a helping hand; particularly young people; particularly teenagers who still today have such a difficult time,” she added.
Cheryl Mills, Clinton’s chief of staff, in her remarks to introduce Clinton said the Obama administration is “trying to change the world” and that it feels good “to be on the right side of change.”
“So as we continue to advance LGBT rights in other countries, we also must continually work to make sure we are advancing the agenda here,” Clinton said.
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