Trump’s victory is so shocking that it’s easy to forget just how historical Hillary Clinton‘s campaign really was. And it’s also easy to forget she won the popular vote. So, America is actually on our side. Barely. The Electoral College was not.
In the end, there was no shattering of the glass (at least in politics) ceiling for women in politics as she suffered a humbling defeat to a man who should not be elected dog catcher and who made the humiliation of women, Muslims, immigrants and every other vulnerable group into a sick game.
Instead, there was a shattering of hopes. Chief among there was our own. For all the lack of enthusiasm about Clinton as a candidate, one fact is indisputable: she was the most pro-gay presidential nominee ever. No major party presidential candidate was completely on board with our issues in the way that Hillary Clinton was.
Yes, she’s taken hits for being slow to the party, but there’s no reason to have doubted the sincerity of her commitment–even though lots of voters, including LGBTQ voters, obviously did. And calling Clinton the most pro-gay nominee is not a veiled criticism of Obama, to whom we owe an enormous debt. But Clinton had the potential to do a lot even more than Obama.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Here are seven reminders of just how much lost with Clinton’s defeat. In order to move on, we need to come to terms with the enormity of this loss.
1. Clinton would have been the first president-elect to enter the White House 100 percent behind marriage equality
That’s no knock on Obama. But Obama took office as an opponent of marriage equality. He only changed his (public) stance in 2012 and perhaps a little ahead of schedule because of Joe Biden’s off-the-cuff endorsement. Of course, Clinton has taken heat for the speed of her own evolution. But she’s been very vocal in her support since then. Which leads to the second proof point…
2. Clinton made being pro-gay a qualifying issue for a Supreme Court appointee
In the third presidential debate, Clinton made a point of saying she wanted to appoint a Supreme Court nominee who would protect marriage equality. No other candidate has ever said that protecting our rights is an issue worth vetting a potential justice for.
3. A big gay and lesbian campaign staff would have meant a big gay and lesbian White House staff
The Clinton campaign was rife with gay and lesbian staffers, starting right at the top, with campaign chief Robby Mook. That would have translated into high-level positions in the White House. Mook was in line to be named senior adviser, which would have made him the highest-ranking gay official within the West Wing.
4. She made LGBT rights a centerpiece of the Democratic convention
The Democratic convention has been a showcase for gay and lesbian speakers and issues dating back to Bill Clinton. But with Clinton calling the shots, this year’s convention was a prime-time pride parade.
5. She’s was the first nominee to march in a pride parade
Clinton seemed to be having a blast at the New York parade last June. Not even Obama has stepped out with us either before or during his White House stint.
6. She elevated gay rights to an international issue
In many ways, Clinton is extending the progress that Obama made. But on this issue, she really deserves special credit for forging a new path while she was Secretary of State. Her amazing speech at the UN was a landmark for gay rights. As Secretary, she didn’t just raise visibility. She raised the bar by making LGBT rights a human rights issue.
7. She could have pushed our agenda so much further
Even with Republican obstructionism, Clinton had the potential to advance our rights significantly by interpreting federal protections against gender discrimination to include sexual orientation as well. The Obama administration used gender discrimination to extend rights to trans people. Clinton could have used the same reasoning to extend protections in housing and the Affordable Care Act.
Of course, now we’ll never know. But as we contemplate what a Trump administration looks like, don’t forget the might-have-beens of the Clinton presidency.
joeyty
LOL. Pro-gay ????? Leave it to the site which says Northern Ireland is Catholic.
Stilinski26
Lol no she isn’t
Paul Nadolski
No, she isn’t. She NEVER did anything for us as Senator, Secretary of State, or First Lady (aside from cheering on her husband when he signed DOMA). All she wanted was our vote…and she didn’t get mine (but my state was solidly blue so it didn’t matter anyway).
http://dailycaller.com/2016/07/06/hillary-clintons-lgbt-hypocrisy/
s
You delusional loons gave us Trump. It’s never getting any better now.
ErikO
No she was not the most pro-gay/LGBT candidate. She fought long and hard for DADT and DOMA and had those passed, and she and Bill received millions of dollars from countries where LGBT people and women are executed, murdered by our family/friends/peers/governments, and where women and girls are basically sex slaves.
Sukhrajah
With all due respect to Queerty – I’ll hold to my standard. You’re not real journalists, so I can’t hold you fully responsible. To a real journalist – I would say, you are to blame. Where were you? Why is this a surprise? Why we were not more aware of the issue at hand? How much longer will the superficial, fluff pieces override the truth and tension simmering below?
Case in point – if Queerty had a journalistic bone it is corpse, I would summon; why do we have a million reddit posts, instead of the hard-hitting, nail-biting, fact-finding pieces about the real homophobia, the real misogyny, the real racism, the real hate, the real crimes – happening all around us? Instead of fantasizing about some ‘straight’ dude – why not ask, share, and incorporate more of the real experiences of some of the real readers of your own site?
But then again, Queerty fails to qualify as a journalist. In doing so, they failed us – as a community as well.
Brian
Hillary was about estrogen – the privilege of estrogen, to be exact.
I doubt that she understands male homosexual desire (MHD). She understands gay identity politics but not MHD.
Trump understands MHD a lot more because he’s about TESTOSTERONE.
Xzamilloh
Okay, Queerty, keep talking to us like we’re idiots. We all have the Internet and can use it, and she was flat out pandering with no chill, and it blew up in her corrupted bitch face. And now we have Agent Orange in the white house. She couldn’t even put her saltiness over almost losing to Bernie Sanders aside and add him to her ticket, all but guaranteeing a win for. No, she goes with Tim Kaine. WHO THE FUCK IS TIM KAINE???
Paco
@Brian: Brian said: “Hillary was about estrogen – the privilege of estrogen, to be exact.
I doubt that she understands male homosexual desire (MHD). She understands gay identity politics but not MHD.
Trump understands MHD a lot more because he’s about TESTOSTERONE.”
——
LOL! You should tweet that to Trump and his supporters and see what kind of responses it gets. I bet they wouldn’t be pretty.
joeyty
@Xzamilloh: That’s what it comes down to. Enough people had enough sense to know she’s a professionally lying politician. They want someone fresh (even though a bigmouth) to shake up the system.
Juanjo
I love the Clinton haters going after her over gay rights. Meanwhile Pence gave an interview today and he explained how Trump would be fucking over gay people over the next four years.
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-pence-transgender-students-aa32ee93cdb7#.8z83whpgp
Bob LaBlah
The anger of the American people is unbelievable. They have clearly become fed up with having no future to look forward to. Everyone knows its now a hustlers nation as far as jobs, housing and retirement. Nothing is secure and all that was needed was an outsider like Trump to exploit their fears.
I’m willing to bet that half of the eligible gays who could vote didn’t. Some one had to win and it was him. It was just that simple folks.
joeyty
@Bob LaBlah: That’s all part of it. With Hillary it would have been the same old thing to so many of those Americans. Too entrenched in the political world, to where she doesn’t even realize she’s fibbing anymore. As Obama had seemed so fresh, Trump now seemed fresh. (Just my own opinions).
captainburrito
@ErikO: Not defending her but why is it wrong for the Clinton foundation to take money from said countries? I’m of the belief you can take someones money even if you hate them. Even better when you take their money and spend it in ways that gives them the finger, ie on groups they oppress. Spending it on the vulnerable is also still laudable.
joeyty
@ErikO: http://listverse.com/2016/09/23/10-dark-secrets-of-hillary-clinton/ pretty shocking
Mandrake
The Fault lies with the Media. They created and nurtured Trump’s image for their ratings, and when they realized the monster they’d created, it was too late. Had they given Hillary half the limelight they gave Trump, she’d be the President-Elect today.
1EqualityUSA
Any one of the three debates should have eliminated Trump.
Deviant
@Juanjo: what are you talking about?? in that report he only says that question of transgenders bathrooms usage in schools should be resolved on state level. what is homophobic in that statement? me as a gay man 31 yrs old would vote against that proposal. i am sorry but me (as do many gay man i know) have much more in common with so much hated “white heterosexual man” than with transgenders. And i would raise a question if man dressed like a woman goes to toilet with my 7 yrs old niece. and no, i am not suffering from self hating syndrome i do not have secret desire to be str8 or to be accepted by anyone, i just tell it like it is , from my point of view. And all that bs “lgbt vote for this and that, blacks vote for that, hispanics vote for this”….what is that? do we have collective mind? why the hell i would think the same as some other gay man or lesbian? thats the most insulting thing i hear all the time specially from democrats.
Deviant
@captainburrito: because no money comes without strings attached or you are so naive that you think that saudi arabia is so altruistic but misunderstood by the cruel judgmental world.
1EqualityUSA
So the KKK with their pointed hats, present at the inauguration, won’t be unseemly?