Tony Leys

tleys@dmreg.com

Hillary Clinton vowed Sunday night to protect and expand the gay rights gains made under President Barack Obama.

“We all benefit when every one of our fellow human beings can live lives of purpose and meaning without being demeaned, without being discriminated against. This is fight is for all Americans,” she declared, her voice rising as the West Des Moines audience cheered.

Clinton was introduced at Valley Southwoods school by Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign. The prominent national group, which defends lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights, has endorsed Clinton’s candidacy and has pledged to help turn out voters.

Griffin urged Iowans to vote for Clinton because she has defended gay rights and because she is the Democrat most likely to win next November’s general election.

MORE: Clinton asks Iowans: 'Who has the experience?'

“All of the progress we’ve made and all that we’re still fighting for — all of it — is on the ballot this year,” he said.

Griffin noted the dramatic gains the movement has made, including the right to serve openly in the military and the right to marry anywhere in the U.S. He said Republican candidates have vowed to reverse those changes.

“We’ve come too far,” he said. “We’ve fought too hard and accomplished too much to allow these pandering politicians to play with our rights, with our lives. And that’s why we need to mobilize and to organize, and to elect a new pro-equality champion to the White House who will fight for us each and every day.”

Griffin paused for crowd chants of “Hill-ary, Hill-ary, Hill-ary.” Then he continued. “My friends, Hillary Clinton is that champion," he said. "She’s the one we can count on to lead us as president. And she’s the one that we can count on to defeat whichever one of these wackadoodles” the Republicans nominate.

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Many in Sunday's crowd of more than 900 had stood in a cold, outdoor line for two hours or more to get through Secret Service security and file into the jammed hall. In one of the most energetic addresses she’s given in Iowa, Clinton thanked them for their support and asked them to stand up for her in the Feb. 1 caucuses.

Clinton vowed to continue pushing for rights, including the right to keep a job after coming out as gay. “We have to end the travesty that under our Constitution, you can get married on Saturday and because of it, fired on Monday,” she said to cheers. She added that she would strive to end violence against transgender people.

AT THE EVENT

SETTING: West Des Moines’ Valley Southwoods Freshman High School

CROWD: More than 900.

REACTION: Clinton repeatedly drew strong applause, including when she vowed to push for equal pay for women and when she demanded the wealthy pay more taxes. At a few points, the crowd chanted, “Hill-ary, Hill-ary, Hill-ary.”

OTHER STOPS: Clinton had appeared in Marion and North Liberty earlier Sunday.

WHAT'S NEXT: She’s to make stops in Waukee, Oskaloosa, Knoxville and Des Moines on Monday.