Washington Post: Joe Biden: Americans must stand with LGBT people around the world
Joe Biden, former vice president of the United States

“…[A]ny person of conscience, regardless of their religious or partisan beliefs, should be able to agree: Violence against any person, in any form, is intolerable. No one should be killed, tortured, assaulted, or harassed because of who they are. … Progress is possible. But we cannot wait, we cannot stand by. Governments, including ours, can wield the levers of diplomacy, defense, and foreign aid to promote and protect the human rights of all people. The foreign policy community can further incorporate and highlight LGBT equality in broader conversations about global health, gender-based violence, and human rights. Business leaders, especially those at the helm of multinational companies with a footprint in countries hostile to LGBT equality, can change the terms of the debate by highlighting the economic costs of discrimination. … Together, we will work to defend and advance the human rights of all people, and we will not rest until equality, at home and around the world, is fully realized. Until then, to all those suffering discrimination and violence simply because of who they are or whom they love, know this: The American people are on your side” (5/16).