Compiled by Howard Israel
S/he Said
"Today, I appeal once again to you and to all Member States. We must adopt a preventive approach to human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a promise to all people in all places at all times. … Let me mention one form of discrimination that has been ignored or even sanctioned by many States for far too long: discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This has prompted some governments to treat people as second-class citizens, or even criminals. Confronting this discrimination is a challenge. But we must live up to the ideals of the Universal Declaration."
-United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a speech at the Summit of the African Union, addressing 30 African heads of state in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, about the future of African nations, http://www.un.org, Jan. 29. Homosexuality is outlawed in most African countries and discrimination against gays and lesbians is widespread on the continent.
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"I'm Lloyd Blankfein, chairman and C.E.O. of Goldman Sachs, and I support marriage equality. America's corporations learned long ago that equality is just good business and is the right thing to do."
-Lloyd Blankfein, American business executive, CEO/Chairman of Goldman Sachs, in a video for "Americans for Marriage Equality," a Human Rights Campaign project featuring prominent marriage equality supporters, http://dealbook.nytimes.com, Feb. 5.
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"When I shared a picture of my tattoo on my Twitter page and said, 'All love is equal,' a lot of people mocked me. They said, 'What happened to you? You used to be a Christian girl!' And I said, 'Well, if you were a true Christian, you would have your facts straight. Christianity is about love.' The debate resulted in a lot of threats and hate mail to people who agreed and disagreed with me. Can't people have friendly debates about sensitive topics without it turning into unnecessary threats? I believe every American should be allowed the same rights and civil liberties. Without legalized same-sex marriage, most of the time you cannot share the same health benefits, you are not considered next of kin and you are not granted the same securities as a heterosexual couple. How is this different than having someone sit in the back of the bus because of their skin color?"
-Miley Cyrus, actress and pop singer-songwriter, in her column titled "Why Miley Got Her Gay-Marriage Tattoo," Glamour Magazine http://www.glamour.com, March 2012 Issue.
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"Ellen DeGeneres is one of the most fun and vibrant people in entertainment today, with great warmth and a down-to-earth attitude. The millions who watch her on television and follow her through social media relate to her and trust what she has to say. Importantly, we share the same fundamental values as Ellen. At JC Penney, we couldn't think of a better partner to help us put the fun back into the retail experience. Moving forward, we'll be focused on being in sync with the rhythm of our customers' lives and operating in a 'Fair and Square' manner that is rooted in integrity, simplicity and respect. We're thrilled that she's joining our team to help convey the exciting transformation under way."
-Michael Francis, president of JC Penney Company Inc., in a news release, announcing the exclusive partnership between talk-show host, Ellen DeGeneres, and 110 year-old retailer, JC Penney, http://ir.jcpenney.com, Jan. 25.
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