This video framegrab provided by the gay rights advocacy group Human Rights ... more >Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says she now supports same-sex marriage — an announcement that could be seen as a political step toward a White House run.
Gays are “full and equal citizens and deserve the rights of citizenship,” she said in a five-minute video released by the Human Rights Campaign on Monday morning. “That includes marriage.”
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Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, came out in support of gay marriage earlier this month. In the video, Mrs. Clinton specified she supports same-sex marriage “personally and as a matter of policy and law.”
Her stated views of gay marriage now fall in line with other potential White House candidates in the next election. Vice President Joseph R. Biden, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley all support same-sex marriage.
Politically, Mrs. Clinton’s views now follow public polls, too. Gallup said last November that 53 percent of adults in the United States favor same-sex marriage laws, up considerably from 1996, when only 27 percent supported such laws.
Mrs. Clinton’s opinion on the issue has morphed over the years. In a December 2003 interview with CBS News, she said she was opposed to federal laws allowing for gay marriage, though she favored civil unions for gays.
During the 2008 Democratic presidential primary season, Mrs. Clinton agreed with her opponent Barack Obama that “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the military’s policy on gays serving in the military, was in need of overhaul. Then, she said gays should be allowed to openly serve.
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Cheryl Chumley is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She’s also a 2008-2009 Robert Novak journalism fellow with The Phillips Foundation. She can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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