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OCR Page 1 of 9THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
GAY AND LESBIAN PRIDE CELEBRATION, 1998
Warm greetings to everyone taking part in the 1998
Gay and Lesbian Pride Celebration.
As Americans, we can be proud of our diversity. Striving
together, people of different ethnicities, backgrounds, races,
beliefs, and sexual orientation have contributed to the success
of our nation, reflecting the profound truth that this rich
diversity is one of our greatest strengths. But we must face
the reality that sometimes our differences divide us; sometimes
the voices of hatred and prejudice drown out the harmony in our
national life. Events like the Pride Celebration help us to
recognize anew that working in a spirit of community is not a
hope but a necessity, and that our individual dreams can only
be realized by our shared efforts.
Our ideals and our history hold that the rights guaranteed
us as Americans are inalienable. They are embedded in our
Constitution and amplified over time by our courts and legisla-
ture, and I am bound by my oath of office and the burden of
history to reaffirm them. Our nation stands to lose if we
let prejudice and discrimination stifle the hopes or deny the
potential of a single American. And we stand to lose when any
person is denied or forced out of a job because of sexual
orientation.
I commend each of you for your dedication to working for an
America that celebrates our diversity, builds on our strengths,
and fulfills our fundamental values of mutual respect and compas-
sion. Working together, I am confident that we can enter the
21st century as One America.
Best wishes for a wonderful celebration.
Bin Clinton