Bill Clinton

William Jefferson “Bill” Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III; August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president from the baby boomer generation. Before becoming president he was the Governor of Arkansas, serving two non-consecutive stints from 1979 to 1981 and from 1983 to 1992. He was also the state’s Attorney General from 1977 to 1979.

During his presidency, Clinton implemented “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, a policy prohibiting openly gay men and women from serving in the U.S. armed forces. The controversial policy was repealed in 2011. In 1996, Clinton signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Section 3 of DOMA had codified the non-recognition of same-sex marriages for all federal purposes. More than ten years later, Section 3 of DOMA was found unconstitutional in eight federal courts, including the First and Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and on June 26, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court declared Section 3 of DOMA unconstitutional.

Despite “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and DOMA, Clinton, who was the first President to select openly gay persons for Administration positions, is generally credited as the first President to publicly champion gay rights. [ Wikipedia ]