LOS ANGELES, April 21 (UPI) -- Former President Bill Clinton said in Los Angeles his daughter, Chelsea, helped make him more sympathetic to the cause of civil rights for homosexuals.
Speaking at a gala for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Clinton said the former first daughter has some homosexual friends and together they reminded him that all people should be treated equally.
"Over the years, I was forced to confront the fact that people who oppose equal rights for gays in the marriage sphere are basically acting out of concern for their own identity, not out of respect for anyone else," said Clinton, who accepted GLAAD Advocate for Change award Saturday night.
The award was in contrast to the Defense of Marriage Act, which Clinton signed as president and denied federal benefits to same-sex couples. On the other hand, The Hollywood Reporter said, Clinton appointed 150 openly gay people to high government posts and increased funding for AIDS research.
