“The – not quite 10 days have passed since the early hours of June 12th in Orlando. And that is obviously not enough time for healing or for moving beyond the terrible realization that we are more shocked than truly surprised by the events of that morning. The memory of those who were lost will, above all, live on in the minds and the hearts of their loved ones long after the killer’s name is most likely forgotten. But as Stuart Milk put it, these victims of a hate crime targeting an LGBT club had their futures stolen, their dreams stolen, their future potential contributions stolen from us all in an abhorrent act that is a scar on some of our nation’s policies and certainly on our hopes and dreams.”
John Kerry, Remarks at the Gay and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies’ Pride at State Event, June 21st 2016
US Secretary of State condemned violence against LGBT people in the USA and the rest of the world in his address to the Foreign Affairs Pride State Event in Washington on Monday the 21st of June. He quotes Stuart Milk, international Human Rights advocate and founder of the Harvey Milk Institute, in honour of his eponymous uncle, who was the first elected openly gay councillor before his murder in 1978.
Stuart is a friend of Schools OUT UK and has spent time in England during the past two LGBT History months visiting schools and speaking at our LGBT History Festivals. He is now returning from a trip where he supported Baltic Pride in Latvia.
John Kerry went on to condemn all atrocities against LGBT people – and particularly those among the trans community – throughout the world, including those sanctioned by the state.
In particular he condemned the recent murder of gay human rights campaigner Xulhaz Mannan in Bangladesh:
“So we have a distance to travel when, in April, gunmen burst into the apartment of a champion of human rights like Xulhaz Mannan, a local employee of our embassy in Bangladesh. Xulhaz was brutally murdered for being gay and for founding a magazine showing pride in that identity.
The State Secretary also a new UN initiative:
“It is why we’re giving our full support to a resolution before the UN Human Rights Council that seeks to establish and report on a mechanism to combat violence and discrimination against LGBT persons. It’s why Ambassador Power will lead the U.S. delegation to an upcoming major LGBT rights summit to take place in Montevideo.”
Unexpectedly perhaps, John Kerry even found an opportunity to quote Churchill, “…our determination in support of equality is absolute. As Winston Churchill advised, “There is only one duty, one safe course, and that is to try to be right and not to fear to do or say what you believe to be right.”
To hear the whole speech by John Kerry go here