Katie Couric Talks Gay Rights With LBJ’s Daughters

Katie Couric from Yahoo Global News sat down with President Lyndon B. Johnson’s daughters to discuss the gay rights movement. For those who are familiar with Lyndon B. Johnson’s legacy as president, the subject of civil rights isn’t out of place. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlawed racial discrimination.

Fifty years later, and we still have some work to do in regards to equal rights for all. Katie Couric set out to have a discussion with LBJ’s daughters at the Civil Rights Summit which is being hosted at their father’s presidential library. The event saw four presidents and other well-known civil rights leaders celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Everyone gathered to reflect and to discuss our current issues in the United States.

Unsurprisingly both Luci Baines Johnson and Lynda Bird Johnson Robb support same-sex marriage, which is a huge issue for civil rights. According to the reports that came out of the conference, it was one of the key points that was talked about at length.

Robb elaborated on her stance on gay rights:

“We all have friends who are gay… I certainly think that, if God made you a homosexual, that you should have love and affection with somebody. And I would not want to deny anybody that opportunity to be happy.”

When the discussion led to whether or not Lyndon B. Johnson would believe the same thing, Robb seemed uneasy with extending what would or wouldn’t be in her father’s belief system, but leaned more towards her father being for same-sex marriage. Of her father Lynda said:

“It’s hard to project what Daddy would have thought about that, because that wasn’t an issue that had come upon the stage at that time. But I know he really wanted everybody to be able to live up to the best that God gave them.”

During Katie Couric’s interview, Luci Baines Johnson also agreed with her sister that gay rights would of had a spot in LBJ’s heart.

“I think my father felt very strongly that when there was bigotry anywhere, prejudice anywhere, all of us lose out. Because it’s just one more expression of hate.”

Relating gay rights to civil rights for blacks, the two told Katie Couric that there wasn’t an end in sight for more change to occur.

“I don’t know how we could have expected to have enslaved a people for 100 years and then pass a law and think instantly everything was going to be made better. It takes time.”

As for President Obama being elected president, Lyndon B. Johnson’s daughters told Couric that he would have been “proud.”

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