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| Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton |
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Hillary
Clinton's presidential campaign was endorsed Tuesday by the nation's
largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights
organization.
But
the campaign of her main rival, Bernie Sanders, disputed the group's
decision, pointing to the Vermont senator's record on gay rights.
The
Human Rights Campaign announced its endorsement for the Democratic
front-runner, which she is expected to accept at an event in Iowa next
Sunday ahead of the state's leadoff Feb. 1 caucus.
The organization's board of directors, comprised of 32 community leaders
nationwide, voted to endorse Clinton, the group said in a statement
outlining plans to mobilize its 1.5 million members on her behalf.
"Too
many LGBT Americans still face discrimination — in employment, in
housing, in education, in health care — because of who they are or who
they love," Clinton said in a statement Tuesday. "The stakes in this
election couldn't be higher."
Clinton's
views on gay marriage have evolved over time. She opposed gay marriage
as first lady, New York senator and as a 2008 presidential candidate but
backed it in 2013 after leaving the State Department. She has
maintained strong political ties to members of the gay community, who
point to her record on gay rights as secretary of state.
