Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton spoke out against the Trump administration attacks on the LGBT people, warning that progress on LGBT rights could be rolled back.
Clinton spoke last week in New York after accepting the Trailblazer Award from The Center, an LGBT community organization, during their fundraising dinner.
The former Democratic candidate had been recently speaking on the issues that have been troubling the Trump administration after her unsuccessful 2016 presidential bid.
Trump administration targeting the LGBT community
During her address, Clinton said: “We may not ever be able to count on this administration to lead on LGBT issues.”
“When this administration rescinded protections for transgender students, my heart broke,” Clinton said.
“When I learned about the proposed cuts in funding for HIV and AIDS research, I thought about all of our efforts to try and achieve an AIDS-free generation,” she added.
She also slammed Trump’s decision to nominate Senator Mark Green, a critic of transgenders, to replace Army Secretary Eric Fanning.
Clinton tagged Green as an “outspoken opponent of” LGBT rights. Meanwhile, Fanning was the first openly gay man to be posted in that position by the Obama administration.
“Some of the changes that we’re seeing should seem small, but they matter a great deal if you’re the person affected. Others carry historic significance, like the future of the Supreme Court,” Clinton said.
She also joked about her loss in the last elections, saying: “I know the election hit a lot of us hard. I can tell you this: Even when it feels tempting to pull the covers over your heads, please keep going.”
Hillary: Resist Trump administration
The former First Lady likewise said that LGBT advocates should focus efforts on the next congressional elections.
“Let’s remember 2018, the midterm elections,” she said, adding: “We need to resist, insist, persist and enlist and make sure our voices and our votes count. So we’re going to keep fighting together side by side for equal rights.”
She also urged continued support for LGBT rights organizations like The Center: “We need to dedicate these next years to supporting these organizations advocating for the best of American values around the world and here at home, and we have to win elections to make it clear where our community stands.”
Clinton was given the Trailblazer Award for her support of the LGBT community, along with fashion designer Marc Jacobs, who was given the Visionary Award.
Founded in 1983, The Center was established during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Since then, the organization has successfully supported policies that benefit the LGBT community around the country.