August 21, 1992

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

Page 9

GOP moderates are reluctant to turn their back on gays

by Peter Freiberg

While opposition to gay rights seems to be emerging as an important theme of the Bush-Quayle campaign, the Republican Party does not appear ready to totally close the door on gay voters and potential gay contributors.

On the one hand, the party--most notably through Vice President Dan Quayle--is seeking to shore up its far-right fundamentalist base by emphasizing opposition to gay rights and indulging in what gay activists say is verbal "gay-bashing."

At the same time, some GOP officials-especially those in the moderate wing-seem to realize that they continue to need the votes, money and activism of gay Republicans.

"The Republican Party is schizophrenic, which represents the struggle going on there between the right wing and religious groups and more moderate forces," said Rich Tafel, president of the National Federation of Log Cabin Clubs, which includes 25 gay GOP organizations and is expected to decline to endorse Bush for re-election.

"There are some really good people working on the Bush campaign," said Tafel, "who could care less about the gay issue one way or the other. There are other people whose number one issue, bar none, is ending the gay civil rights movement.

In late July, two developments demonstrated that split--as well as the fact that despite the differences, the far-right, antigay forces are at least temporarily triumphant in the GOP.

In one incident, Tyler Franz, an openly gay staff member of the Bush-Quayle campaign, filed a complaint with the D.C. Office of Human Rights charging he was removed from his job "because of my sexual orientation and... personal belief of the basic civil rights of gay employees."

the religious consultant to the campaign, Roy Jones, wanted him removed. Jones's reason, Franz said, was "because I am a gay man" and because Franz favored inclusion of gay rights in the GOP platform and dissociation from the fundamentalists' anti-gay stance.

On July 14, Franz said, the Bush-Quayle campaign's personnel director told him that Mimi Dawson, director of National Coalitions, wanted him out of the campaign because of his "ideological differences with the religious right."

Two days later, Franz said he was offered a new position as assistant for building services. His $16,500 a year salary would not have changed, but the new job was a "demotion in duties and responsibilities," he claimed. On July 17, Franz resigned, contending that the "demotion" was due to his sexual orientation.

Franz's story, if borne out by a District of Columbia Office of Human Rights investigation, reinforces reports of a growing farright influence in the Bush-Quayle campaign.

Franz could not be reached for comment, but in an appearance on ABC-TV's Nightline, he said, "My belief is that the religious right was taking such a strong hold in the campaign that they were virtually taking over the campaign's direction."

Also in late July, a brouhaha developed over an invitation by the Republican National Committee to the Human Rights Campaign Fund, a national gay political organization, to send a representative to a GOP breakfast meeting Wednesday.

The meeting, the RNC said, was "to discuss the plans for the upcoming elections, the Republican Convention and the Republican Convention Gala (fund-raising affair)." But the Washington Times reported Wednesday that right-wing, antigay groups expressed outrage that an invi-

man Robert Mosbacher--who has an openly lesbian daughter--met with representatives of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force last Feb. 13.

"The Bush campaign better get its act together," said Gary Bauer, director of the Family Research Council, a far-right group. "You can't keep asking for and expecting traditional voters to support you when ther are these constant efforts to play footsie with the gay rights movement.'

Confronted by this criticism, RNC spokesperson Gary Koops insisted to the Times that the invitation to the HRCF was a "mistake" by a fund-raising firm.

"We, as a general policy, do not solicit financial support from groups, with which we are philosophically opposed," said Koops, who did not return calls from this reporter for comment.

But HRCF spokesperson Gregory King dismissed the "mistake" explaination as "nonsense" saying, "The reason they invite us is because they know that... HRCF has made significant contributions to Republican candidates." In the election cycle two years ago, King noted, HRCF contributed $80,000 to pro-gay Republicans--and will contribute additional money this year.

Just this week, King said, HRCF received another invitation--thsi time from the National Republican Congressional Committee, seeking funds for current candidates.

Even before the flap over the breakfast invitation, HRCF had decided not to attend. In a letter to Republican National Committee chairman Richard Bond declining the invitation, HRCF executive director Tim McFeeley cited a long list of Bush administration positions on gay and AIDS issues that the gay group opposes.

In addition, said King, "It would have been a complete waste of time. It was not something where the media would be

the Republican functionaries on the issues that concern our community.'

HRCF has endored Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton for president, the first time the group has ever backed a presidential candidate. But there are thousands of gay GOP activists who are still on the fence, and the Bush campaign has indicated ambivalence about writing them--and many more inactive gay Republicans--totally off.

When asked in recent months, BushQuayle campaign spokesperson have given general statements about wanting everyone's support, including gays. Gettin that support may be even more difficult now, especially in light of the Franz complaint, which received wide media publicity.

The effect of the Franz disclosures is likely to increase disaffection among gay voters generally from Bush's re-election effort and in particular the alienation of gay Republicans, who will nevertheless continueto support pro-gay Republicans on the local level. The Log Cabin Federation will meet in Houston this month to decide its presidential postion.

Tafel acknowledged that even the Bush campaign has not totally slammed the doors on gays. "They won't say we don't want gay support, and the fact is that a lot of gay Republicans give money, and they know that," said Tafel.

But keeping the door a little bit open will not bring gay Republicans into the BushQuayle fold, say Tafel and other gay Republicans, including Frank Ricchiazzi, executive director of California Log Cabin Political Action Committee.

"The gay community is beyond the point where we accept winks and nods,” said Tafel. "We're just too sophisticated for that. [They] need to be absolutely clear on [supporting gay issues]."

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