Former President Bill Clinton, who in 1996 signed the Defense of Marriage Act into law, has announced his support for marriage equality, joining the campaign to legalize same-sex marriage in New York state.
In a statement released by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) on Thursday, Clinton — who opposed gay marriage while in the White House — said he has in recent years shifted his views:
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.
Clinton’s endorsement comes as a record 58 percent of New Yorkers support legalizing gay marriage.
