( CNN ) -- As Hillary Clinton makes a whirlwind round of appearances in her last days as secretary of state , one groundbreaking aspect of her work deserves a moment in the spotlight : In a bold departure with tradition , Clinton made the promotion of equality for gay people a core value of U.S. foreign policy . That is a transformative change , one that advances the cause of human rights around the world -- not just for gays and lesbians , but for everyone . The way governments treat their LGBT ( lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender ) citizens can tell us much about their overall approach to human rights and democracy . Mistreatment of sexual minorities is a microcosm of greater repression . Take a look at the gruesome spectacle of young gay men executed by the government of Iran in the streets , for all to see . Or , look at the new anti-gay laws coming into effect in Russia 's increasingly authoritarian regime . It is no accident that the growing repression of LGBT Russians coincides with a dramatic deterioration of political freedom and what the nonpartisan Freedom House called `` the return of the iron fist in Russia . '' It is clear that gays and lesbians are the canaries in the coal mine of human rights . When gays live under pressure , everyone should worry . That , however , is not how Clinton explained it 14 months ago , when she stood before the Human Rights Council in Geneva , in front of an audience filled with representatives from Arab and African countries , from places where homosexuality is a crime , even one punishable by death , and declared that gay rights and human rights `` are one and the same . '' Gay people , she explained , deserve equality simply because everyone does . It was Human Rights Day , the commemoration of the signing of the 1948 U.N . Declaration of Human Rights , and she used the occasion to send a message to the world on behalf of the United States . She declared unequivocally that there is no exception for gay people when it comes to human rights . Opinion : President Hillary Clinton ? If she wants it . She admitted that the U.S. record on human rights for gays and lesbians `` is far from perfect . '' But by proclaiming , without caveat or qualification , the American stance on the issue , she sent a signal to the rest of the world that , while equality for gay people is far from reached , the rightness of the goal is beyond debate , much like it is with equal rights for women or for racial minorities . In doing this , she announced it was now the official policy of the U.S. government to promote the rights of LGBT people everywhere . Clinton has always been a couple of steps ahead of President Barack Obama when it comes to gay rights . It 's a safe bet she persuaded him to jump on board and put the full force of the administration behind this new policy . In Geneva that day , she announced that the president had instructed all U.S. government agencies working in other countries to `` combat the criminalization of LGBT status and conduct '' to help protect vulnerable LGBT , helping refugees and asylum seekers and responding to abuses . Today , American diplomats , as part of their official mandate and as an explicit tenet of U.S. values , must speak up for the rights of individuals experiencing persecution on the basis of their sexual orientation , as when a couple were sentenced in Cameroon for `` looking '' gay . News : Hillary Clinton talks future 'adventures ' America may be not as influential as it once was , but no country carries more weight ; there 's not even a close second . America 's opinion matters if you want foreign aid or political assistance . But it matters even more to people on the ground , eager , perhaps desperate to make their case before the authorities , their boss or their family . In the latter case , that it was the popular and respected Hillary Clinton making the argument undoubtedly made a difference on a personal level , even if dictators did not relent . Clinton also noted that `` being gay is not a Western invention ; it is a human reality , '' and noted nations that have enacted protections for their gay citizens , including South Africa , Colombia and Argentina . It was a rebuke to that tragicomic moment in 2007 , when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told an audience in New York , `` In Iran , we do not have homosexuals like you do in your country , '' prompting an explosion of laughter from the crowd . Of course , gay people live in Iran , where homosexuality is punishable by death . America 's stance , promoted so passionately by Clinton , is gradually becoming the global standard for human rights . Under intense lobbying from America , the usually feckless and frequently counterproductive U.N. Human Rights Council adopted a measured entitled `` Ending Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity , '' and another supporting equality , important symbols that this is a standard for the entire world . Clinton moved the issue of equality for members of the LGBT community to the front of America 's diplomatic agenda ; in the process , she gave a boost to human rights for all and a considerable nudge to the inexorable progress of freedom . Let 's hope her successor does n't let up . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Frida Ghitis .
Frida Ghitis : As secretary of state , Clinton made equality for gays a foreign policy value . She says treatment of LGBT citizens is a microcosm of a nation 's human rights approach . She says Clinton used U.S. sway to advance LGBT rights as global standard . Ghitis : Clinton gave a boost to human rights for all and nudge to process of freedom .