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Bob Hattoy, a prominent American activist who also fought hard for LGBT and HIV causes, died Saturday in Sacramento, California. Hattoy arrived on the US national scene in 1992, when he spoke at the Democratic National Convention and became the first out gay person to address the national convention of a political party.
In his historic speech, Hattoy spoke eloquently about being an HIV-positive American.
The speech went as follows:
Bob Hattoy: "Thank you. I love you. Thank you, California. Thank you, Gay and Lesbian community. Thank you, Congresswoman Pat Schroeder. Thank you, Aretha Franklin, God.
I am here tonight because of one man's courage and conviction, one man's dedication and daring and yes, one man's true kindness. He's my boss, Bill Clinton.
You see, I have AIDS. I could be an African American woman, a Latino man, a 10-year old boy or girl. AIDS has many faces. And AIDS knows no class or gender, race or religion, or sexual orientation. AIDS does not discriminate, but George Bush's White House does.
AIDS is a disease of the Reagan-Bush years. The first case was detected in 1981, but it took 40,000 deaths and seven years for Ronald Reagan to say the word "AIDS." It's five years later, 70,000 more dead and George Bush doesn't talk about AIDS, much less do anything about it.
Eight years from now there will be 2 million cases in America. If George Bush wins, we're all at risk in America. It's that simple. It's that serious. It's that terrible."
Hattoy served as a political appointee in both Clinton administrations, but he was vocal about his opposition to President Clinton's "don't ask, don't tell" military policy.
After critiquing the Administration, Hattoy was reassigned to the Department of the Interior. Despite their disagreements, Hattoy remained close with the Clinton family, according to the National Stonewall Democrats, the national LGBT Democratic advocacy group, of which Hattoy was a member.
"Bob wasn't afraid to champion the Democratic Party and to do so loudly," Jo Wyrick, executive director of the group, said in a written statement. "But just as he unequivocally championed Democrats, he also unapologetically challenged them."
In addition to his national appointments, Hattoy served as a consultant to numerous political campaigns, as an environmental activist, and as a delegate to several Democratic national conventions. Source: uk.gay.com |
