kill and maim gays and lesbians in some countries that we have spoken out about, and also conveyed our very strong concerns about to their governments – not that they were governmentally implemented or even that the government was aware of them, but that the governments need to pay much greater attention to the kinds of abuses that we’ve seen in Iraq, for example.” [Remarks on the Human Rights st Agenda for the 21 Century, State Department, 12/14/09] ...CONDEMNED INTERNATIONAL DISCRIMINATION AND VIOLENCE AGAINST LGBT INDIVIDUALS CNN: “In An Impassioned Defense Of Such Rights, Clinton Called The Rights Of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Transgender People ‘Universal’ And Criticized Nations That Criminalize Gay Behavior Or Tolerate Abuse Of Gay, Bisexual Or Transgendered People.” [CNN, 12/6/11] CNN: Secretary “Clinton Said Religious Beliefs And Cultural Practices Are No Excuse For Discriminating Or Tolerating Violence Against Gay People.” “Speaking to the U.N. Human Rights Council, before an audience that included diplomats from Arab, African and other countries with poor records on gay rights, Clinton said religious beliefs and cultural practices are no excuse for discriminating or tolerating violence against gay people. ‘No practice or tradition trumps the human rights that belong to all of us, and this holds true for inflicting violence on LGBT people,’ she said. ‘It is a violation of human rights when people are beaten or killed because of their sexual orientation, or because they do not conform to cultural norms about how men and women should look or behave.’” [CNN, 12/6/11] CNN: Under Secretary Clinton, “The State Department Has Raised Concerns About Proposed Laws In Nigeria That Would Criminalize Conduct, As Well As In Uganda, Which Would Have In Some Cases Applied The Death Penalty.” [CNN, 12/6/11] New York Times: “In June [2014], At The Aspen Ideas Festival, Mrs. Clinton Denounced Russia’s Treatment Of Lesbians, Gay Men, Bisexuals And Transgender People.” [New York Times, 8/31/14] State Department: “In December 2010, The State Department Led Efforts At The UN General Assembly To [Successfully] Reinsert Language On Sexual Orientation Into A Resolution On Extrajudicial, Summary, And Arbitrary Executions, After The Language’s Removal In Committee.” “In December 2010, the State Department led efforts at the UN General Assembly to reinsert language on sexual orientation into a resolution on extrajudicial, summary, and arbitrary executions, after the language’s removal in committee. The amendment was approved by a 93-55 margin.” [State Department, 12/6/11] …AND INSTITUTED LGBT PROTECTIONS AT STATE DEPARTMENT CNN’s Frida Ghitis: Thanks To Secretary Clinton, “Today, American Diplomats, As Part Of Their Official Mandate And As An Explicit Tenet Of U.S. Values, Must Speak Up For The Rights Of Individuals Experiencing Persecution On The Basis Of Their Sexual Orientation.” “In doing this, she announced it was now the official policy of the U.S. government to promote the rights of LGBT people everywhere. Clinton has always been a couple of steps ahead of President Barack Obama when it comes to gay rights. It's a safe bet she persuaded him to jump on board and put the full force of the administration behind this new policy…Today, American diplomats, as part of their official mandate and as an explicit tenet of U.S. values, must speak up for the rights of individuals experiencing persecution on the basis of their sexual orientation, as when a couple were sentenced in Cameroon for ‘looking’ gay.” [Frida Ghitis, CNN, 2/7/13] New York Times: Secretary Clinton “Asked American Diplomats To Raise The Issue Wherever Harassment Or Abuse Arises And Required A Record Of Them In The State Department’s Annual Report On Human Rights.” “The administration’s announcement formalizes several steps that Mrs. Clinton has already ordered. She has asked American diplomats to raise the issue wherever harassment or abuse arises and required a record of them in the State Department’s annual report on human rights. On Tuesday, she also announced a $3 million program to finance gay-rights organizations to combat discrimination, violence and other abuses.” [New York Times, 12/6/11]