US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Birthday
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26, 1947) is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving within the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator from New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she served as First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001. In the 2008 election Clinton was a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.

A native of Illinois, Hillary Rodham attracted national attention in 1969 for her remarks as the first student commencement speaker at Wellesley College. She embarked on a career in law after graduating from Yale Law School in 1973. Following a stint as a Congressional legal counsel, she moved to Arkansas in 1974 and married Bill Clinton in 1975. Rodham co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families in 1977, and became the first female chair of the Legal Services Corporation in 1978. Named the first female partner at Rose Law Firm in 1979, she was twice listed as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America. First Lady of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and 1983 to 1992 with husband Bill as Governor, she successfully led a task force to reform Arkansas’s education system.

In 1994 as First Lady of the United States, her major initiative, the Clinton health care plan, failed to gain approval from the U.S. Congress. However, in 1997 and 1999, Clinton played a role in advocating the establishment of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Adoption and Safe Families Act, and the Foster Care Independence Act.

After moving to the state of New York, Clinton was elected as a U.S. Senator in 2000. That election marked the first time an American First Lady had run for public office; Clinton was also the first female senator to represent the state. In the Senate, she initially supported the Bush administration on some foreign policy issues, including a vote for the Iraq War Resolution. She subsequently opposed the administration on its conduct of the war in Iraq and on most domestic issues. Senator Clinton was re-elected by a wide margin in 2006.
In the 2008 presidential nomination race, Hillary Clinton won more primaries and delegates than any other female candidate in American history, but narrowly lost to Senator Barack Obama. As Secretary of State, Clinton became the first former First Lady to serve in a president’s cabinet.

Happy Birthday Hillary!!

source: Wikipedia: Hillary Clinton

Today, Secretary Clinton delivered a message for Eid-ul-Fitr.

Here is the transcript of the Secretary’s remarks:

“Hello, and Eid Mubarak. I’m delighted to celebrate the end of Ramadan by wishing all of you a happy Eid. In 1996, my husband and I were privileged to host the first ever White House Eid celebration, which has now become a tradition. And this year, I hosted an Iftar at the State Department, with Muslims and non-Muslims attending. We hope that reinforces every year that all faiths have a home here in the United States.

For Muslims all over the world, Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of a holy month of fasting and prayer. This time of self-reflection reminds us that the values of Islam – charity, community, cooperation, compassion – are values which we hold dear as Americans and which have contributed so much to American culture.

As President Obama said in Cairo, the United States seeks a new beginning with Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect. We know there is more that unites peoples of faith than divides us. So as Ramadan draws to a close, let us hold on to that spirit of community throughout the year to achieve our common goals of peace, prosperity, and stability. And I wish all of you a very happy year as well. Thank you.”

Visit the State Department’s Blog for transcript translations in these languages:
Arabic, Indonesia, Chinese, Dari, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Malay, Pashto, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Turkish, & Urdu

President William Jefferson Clinton’s Birthday
William Jefferson “Bill” Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19, 1946) served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001.

He was the third-youngest president; only Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy were younger when entering office.

He became president at the end of the Cold War, and as he was born in the period after World War II, he is known as the first Baby Boomer president.

His wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, is currently the United States Secretary of State. She was previously a United States Senator from New York, and also candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. Both are graduates of Yale Law School.

source: Wikipedia – William Jefferson “Bill” Clinton

40th Anniversary of Stonewall Riots
Today we honor our gay friends and family by observing, and celebrating, the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City.

They are frequently cited as the first instance in American history when gays, lesbians and transgenders fought back against a government-sponsored system that persecuted homosexuals, and they have become the defining event that marked the start of the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world.*

Celebrate today, but remember; its back to work tomorrow for Equality!

 *wikipedia:  Stonewall riots 
photo credit: via flickr
 

Related links:

June : This Month We’re Celebrating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month

New York State Governor David Paterson will be one of the 2009 Grand Marshals in today’s New York Gay Pride Parade (Sunday June 28, 2009)

President Obama issues Presidential Proclamation declaring June  Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month! Read the Presidential Proclamation: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month, 2009.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton releases statement recognizing June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. Read Secretary Clinton’s statement – In Recognition of Gay and Lesbian Pride Month 2009.

Yahoo News: Stonewall rebel reflects 40 years after NYC riots

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has released a statement in recognition of Gay and Lesbian Pride Month!

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
June 1, 2009

Forty years ago this month, the gay rights movement began with the Stonewall riots in New York City, as gays and lesbians demanded an end to the persecution they had long endured. Now, after decades of hard work, the fight has grown into a global movement to achieve a world in which all people live free from violence and fear, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

In honor of Gay and Lesbian Pride Month and on behalf of the State Department, I extend our appreciation to the global LGBT community for its courage and determination during the past 40 years, and I offer our support for the significant work that still lies ahead.

At the State Department and throughout the Administration, we are grateful for our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees in Washington and around the world. They and their families make many sacrifices to serve our nation. Their contributions are vital to our efforts to establish stability, prosperity and peace worldwide.

Human rights are at the heart of those efforts. Gays and lesbians in many parts of the world live under constant threat of arrest, violence, even torture. The persecution of gays and lesbians is a violation of human rights and an affront to human decency, and it must end. As Secretary of State, I will advance a comprehensive human rights agenda that includes the elimination of violence and discrimination against people based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Though the road to full equality for LGBT Americans is long, the example set by those fighting for equal rights in the United States gives hope to men and women around the world who yearn for a better future for themselves and their loved ones.

This June, let us recommit ourselves to achieving a world in which all people can live in safety and freedom, no matter who they are or whom they love.

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC