The humanity of all Americans is diminished when any group is denied rights granted to others.

Marriage is a civil right. If you don't want gay people to marry in your church, good for you. But you can't say they can't marry in your city.

The First Amendment means everything to me.

Discrimination is discrimination no matter who the victim is, and it is always wrong. There are no special rights in America, despite the attempts by many to divide blacks and the gay community with the argument that the latter are seeking some imaginary special rights at the expense of blacks.

I don't think of myself as a Negro. I'm a Southerner. I just like the Southern way of life.

The humanity of all Americans is diminished when any group is denied rights granted to others.

People see America through particular lenses, either their profession, their race or their gender. So the party that speaks to our racial perceptions and offers solutions to the racial difficulties which we face is the party that's going to be rewarded with our votes.