Hinsegin dagar í Reykjavík - Aug 2013, Page 51

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Message from U.S. Ambassador Luis E. Arreaga to the people of
Reykjavík and all visitors to Reykjavík Pride 2013:
I am delighted to once again extend my greetings to all the participants in
Reykjavik Pride. The U.S. Embassy in Iceland is proud to return as a supporter
of Reykjavik Pride, a festival that brings together individuals and families from
around Iceland and around the world for a joyful celebration.
In the United States, forty-four years ago the fight for LGBT rights began at
the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village. From that spark on the streets of New
York City, a movement to extend basic dignity and human rights to the LGBT
community spread far and even beyond the borders of the United States of
America. Much has changed in the United States, in Iceland, and around the
world in the intervening years. With each passing year, advances are taking
place. Just in the year since we celebrated Reykjavik Pride 2012, the states of
Maine, Maryland, Washington, Delaware, Minnesota and Rhode Island have
legalized same sex marriage, joining six other states and Washington, D.C.,
that had already done so. The U.S. Supreme Court significantly extended
LGBT rights in the United States with rulings that reinstated marriage equality
in California and overturned major provisions of the Defense of Marriage Act
(DOMA), an action that Secretary of State John Kerry said increased freedom
and equality for LGBT Americans by “striking down an unjust and discriminatory law.” In the cultural realm, Jason Collins of the
Washington Wizards became the first male athlete in a major league sport to come out as gay, and most of his fellow athletes and
the public supported him for doing so.
Despite these advances, much work remains to be done. At home, President Obama continues to advocate for marriage
equality, employment non-discrimination, and enhanced work on HIV/AIDS issues, while also speaking out against bullying of
LGBT teens. Recognizing that LGBT rights are human rights, the Obama Administration has formulated a strategy to advance
equality for LGBT people around the world. While we here in Reykjavik can all join together in celebration of this day, so many
people in other countries would risk their lives in doing so. It is important for us to remember the dramatic and dangerous
struggles that still lie ahead for people in many parts of the world. As Secretary of State John Kerry affirmed recently in his
LGBT Pride Month Statement, “The United States will continue to stand up for the human rights of all people, during this
month and every month throughout the year, and we are proud to do so.” As we do so, we know we are standing side by side
with our Icelandic friends.
“We have witnessed real and lasting change, but our work is not
complete…We have a long way to go, but if we continue on this path
together, I am confident that one day soon, from coast to coast, all of
our young people will look to the future with the same sense of promise
and possibility. I am confident because I have seen the talent, passion,
and commitment of LGBT advocates and their allies, and I know that
when voices are joined in common purpose, they cannot be stopped.”
U.S. President Barack Obama, May 31, 2013
Presidential Proclamation -- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and
Transgender Pride Month, 2013
Embassy Website
http://iceland.usembassy.gov
Ambassador's blog
http://ambassadorblogiceland.blospot.com
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/USEmbReykjavik
Twitter
http://twitter.com/USEmbReykjavik
YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/USEmbReykjavik
The United States and Iceland:
A Shared Commitment to Human Rights
and Fundamental Freedoms for All