Chargé d'Affaires ad interim
Chargé Levine’s Remarks at the Gay Pride Festival Opening
Művész Cinema, Budapest
August 30, 2009
It is an honor for me to be here tonight and to have this opportunity to express our support for Hungary’s gay and lesbian community. It is also an honor that you have selected “Stonewall” to be shown this evening. Stonewall is a fictionalized account of the Stonewall riots that gave birth to gay activism in the United States.
Speaking about Stonewall, President Obama said “we have come a long way; we still have a lot of work to do.” At the center of the gay rights issue, Obama said, “is about who we are as Americans. It’s about whether the United States is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect.”
I’d also like to use this opportunity to pay special tribute to Senator Edward Kennedy, who died last week. Following his death, the Human Rights Campaign – the oldest gay civil rights organization in the United States – said “There was no greater hero for advocacy of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality than Senator Edward Kennedy. From the early days of the AIDS epidemic to our current struggle for marriage equality, he has been our protector, our leader, our friend. He has been at the core of the unfinished quest for civil rights in the United States."
Senator Kennedy and your supporters everywhere believe that equal rights mean equal rights for everyone. That equal opportunity means equal opportunity for everyone. And that equal protection means equal protection for everyone.
It was a privilege for the Embassy of the United States to join together with twelve other embassies in Budapest to publish a statement of support for the Budapest Pride Festival. And it is a privilege for me personally to have the opportunity to express that support tonight.
You are not alone in your struggle for equal treatment and respect. Progress is being made every day. You should all be very proud that your voice is being heard and your efforts are bringing results. I wish you the greatest success with the festival, with the Parade next Saturday and with your continuing demand for full civil rights. Thank you again for the invitation.