Hillary Clinton selects pro-LGBT+ Senator Tim Kaine as her running mate for US Presidency
Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has named Senator Tim Kaine as her running mate.
Her selection of Senator Kaine comes as a stark contrast to Republican candidate Donald Trump’s running mate Governor Mike Pence, due to their stances on equality.
Senator Kaine has been a long-time advocate for LGBT+ equality. He was one of the original sponsors of the Equality Act, and in 2006 on becoming the Governor of Virginia he signed an executive order to protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Trump recently appointed Indiana’s anti-LGBT Governor Mike Pence as his running mate. Pence stirred up international outrage last year when he signed the controversial ‘Religious Freedom Restoration Act’, which gives businesses the right to discriminate against gay people on the grounds of religion.
Governor Pence has previously suggested that HIV prevention funding be drained in order to fund state-sponsored ‘gay cure’ therapy, and earlier this year appeared unable to answer when asked whether it should be legal to fire people because of their sexuality.
Mrs Clinton’s ticket was celebrated by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) as possibly the most LGBT+ friendly in history.
“While Donald Trump doubled down on discrimination by picking Mike Pence, Hillary Clinton has bolstered her campaign’s historic commitment to LGBTQ equality by choosing Tim Kaine,” said HRC President Chad Griffin.
“Having proven time and time again that they have the experience, determination, and leadership needed to move equality forward for all Americans, we are confident Clinton and Kaine will tear down the walls of discrimination that hold all of us back. The stakes for LGBTQ people in this election couldn’t be higher, and the choice for pro-equality voters couldn’t be clearer.”
Hillary Clinton was pictured yesterday visiting the site of the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, laying a wreath of flowers, and vowing to make changes to protect the LGBT+ community.
On Thursday night, Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump claimed he’ll do “everything in his power” to protect LGBT people – despite his actively anti-LGBT stances.
The reality TV star-turned-Presidential hopeful made the comments in his acceptance speech after officially becoming the Republican candidate for President.
In the speech he claimed to be a champion of the LGBT community in the wake of the Orlando massacre – after previously suggesting a Clinton victory would lead to the mass murder of gays.
