With anti-gay laws taking root in nearly 80 countries, Biden and other top White House officials met with religious, human rights and HIV health care advocates in a forum dedicated to promoting gay rights internationally.īiden, who has emerged as a leading gay rights advocate within the Obama administration ever since he got ahead of the president in declaring his support for gay marriage, said that across US government agencies officials have been instructed to make the promotion of gay rights abroad a priority. 'I don't care what your culture is,' Biden told about 100 guests at the Naval Observatory's vice presidential mansion. United States Vice President Joe Biden declared Tuesday that protecting gay rights is a defining mark of a civilized nation and must trump national cultures and social traditions as the Obama administration sought to mobilize a global front against anti-gay violence and discrimination.īiden told a gathering of US and international gay rights advocates that President Barack Obama has directed that US diplomacy and foreign assistance promote the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender men and women around the world.