SEPTEMBER 2, 1994 · GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE 11
COMMUNITY GROUPS
Cincinnati's Winburn helps map radicals" "Victory Road"
by Bill Henderson
On September 16 and 17 the Christian Coalition will hold its fourth annual "Road to Victory" national strategy conference in Washington D.C. Among the scheduled speakers is Cincinnati councilmember Charles Winburn, discussing conservative organizing in African-American communities. Winburn was a major player behind the November 1993 anti-gay ballot initiative.
Which brings us back to Winburn. If the Christian Coalition could put its support behind presidential candidates who have openly opposed affirmative action to end racial discrimination, what is he doing hanging out with this crowd? What is Winburn getting in return for organizing against Constitutional protections that end discrimination? I'll bet George Voinovich's financial backer and "King of the Queen City" Carl Lindner could tell us how Winburn has been persuaded to organize against the intent of the Constitution.
OUTVoice
The Christian Coalition, founded by politico-religious ty-. coon Pat Robertson in 1989, is now organized in all 50 states and has an annual budget of
$15 million provided by over one million members and donors. It has orchestrated state Republican Party takeovers in Texas and Iowa this year and is poised to do the same in a dozen more states. The stated goal of the Christian Coalition is to become the most potent political power in America and to control, by 1996, more neighborhood precincts than the secular Republicans and Democrats combined.
There has been a major shift in the coalition's strategy and communications in order to appeal to a wider voter base. For the first time, Pat Buchanan is noticeably absent from the roster of speakers. At past "Road to Victory" conferences, Buchanan had been the whip and flail to the moderate Republicans. (You'll recall his charge to the 1992 Republican convention in Houston for a "Culture War" to recapture America from liberals and homosexuals.) At the 1993 "Road to Victory", following Bush's loss, he exhorted the hundreds attending, "If the (Republican) party turns its back on us now, it's time for a new party."
It appears the Christian Coalition will not have to strike out on its own, yet. Replacing Buchanan as lead speaker this year are the Republican Party presidential frontrunners for 1996, Sen. Robert Dole and former Reagan "drug czar" and education secretary William Bennett. Also scheduled to speak is Dole's wife Elizabeth, director of the American Red Cross and former transportation secretary under Reagan. No other couples are both addressing the "Road to Victory" this year. No Quayles. For Dole, this is no small potatoes.
Dole clearly has better "aesthetics" as a candidate than Bennett, who in the recent past supported Jesse Helms' attacks on affirmative action to end racial employment discrimination. Of course, that only counts among Republicans closer to "mainstreet Americans" who support the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1991. Many leaders of the core Radical Right organizations do not.
Clearly, "The Road to Victory" is not a party to be missed, so we will bring you the details.
Highlights from last year included sustained booing of speaker David Wilhelm, Democratic National Committee chair, because he stated, "You can be a good Christian and support a woman's right to choose," and, "A person's sexual orientation is not to be discriminated against." Of course, there were cheers for Buchanan, who, railing against multi-cultural education, said, "Our culture is superior. Our flag did not fly over slave quarters... it flew over battlefields!"
This meanspiritedness (anti-Christ behavior according to my pastor) is not going to fade away. The Radical Right counts on us feeling that none of them could really be serious about all of this. They love that sort of "cover". So, our jobs, to procure and preserve freedom from their bigotries, are to turn the spotlight back onto the Radical Right.
You, personally, will have to stand up for your rights, speak out about how and by whom you are denied freedom to work, live, and enjoy your life, and be out as an equally entitled American seeking protection under our Constitution. Stay closeted, stay quiet, do not protect yourself and those you love, and the radicals are fully prepared to take away your rights—and more.
You will not be standing alone. To join Out Voice, send $25 annual dues ($10 limited income) to:
Out Voice, 1487 West 5th Avenue Suite 226, Columbus, Ohio 43212.
To support local candidates who like us just as we are, send any size donation to:
Ohioans Against Discrimination, Susan Bader, Treasurer, 395 East Broad Street Suite 310, Columbus, Ohio 43215.
Out Voice presentations about the Radical Right in Ohio and networking meetings are scheduled for several dates in September and October. To arrange for a presentation to your group, or for information about scheduled events, call 216-651-2341.
Henderson is vice-chair of Out Voice.
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