GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE November 3, 2000

letters tothe editor

I fear for our safety under Bush

To the Editors:

At no time in my 40 years in politics have I felt that an election is so crucial. We literally have the Senate, House, presidency and the Supreme Court at stake.

me.

But, that is not the most important thing to

There is no question that as your family member, friend and co-worker that my life will be dramatically changed under a Bush administration. I deeply feel that I will literally be fighting for my survival as a gay man under a Republican Senate, Republican House and Republican president.

I am truly concerned for my civil liberties, my civil rights and my ability to receive the rights of citizenhood granted every other citizen. I fear for the safety of gays and lesbians and my own in an atmosphere that will create anger and intolerance to gays and lesbians.

I urgently and deeply urge you to vote this November 7, and to vote in a way that gives life to so many of us. Please read the following and vote. If you agree with me, I beg you to pass this on to your friends, co-workers and neighbors.

Governor Bush's record on lesbian and gay civil rights is really, really, awful. And this affects me in a very personal way.

Here's the Bush record and my future, if he becomes president:

• Bush publicly stated that being openly gay would not be compatible with serving in his administration, and therefore, there would be no opportunity for me to participate at any level.

• Bush has gone on record saying "Gays would be inappropriate parents"—and openly opposed a measure to let gay and lesbian couples be foster parents. We have friends here in Los Angeles who are foster parents, as well as adoptive parents, and I'm terribly worried about Bush's stand on same sex adoption and foster parenting.

• In five years as governor of Texas, Bush never once publicly addressed the AIDS epi-

demic. He never even uttered the word.

•

Despite 40 brutal murders of gays and

lesbians since Matthew Shepard, Bush opposes all hate crime laws.

• Bush pledged his allegiance to the Texas Christian right by vowing to support laws criminalizing sodomy in their state.

• In 38 states you can be fired for being gay, and Bush opposes employment protection of gays and lesbians.

• Bush is adamantly against same-sex partnership rights, and I believe he would work to overturn the civil union legislation in Vermont.

• Bush opposes sex education promoting safer-sex.

• Gov. Bush's Texas Republican Party refused to give space to gay Log Cabin Republicans at the GOP state convention, three times.

• As governor, Bush refused to adopt an administration non-discrimination policy that included sexual orientation.

• As governor, Bush publicly opposed adding "sexual orientation" to the Texas hate crime law.

• Our next president will appoint up to four new Supreme Court justices whose decisions will profoundly affect our lives for the next 20-30 years.

David Mixner Los Angeles, California

Please get out and vote

To the Editors:

I am a retired nurse, and as an African American, never would I have thought that at my age I would have to beg my African American brothers and sisters to please get out and vote.

This is the most important election of all. It seems that they have forgotten the struggle we fought to be able to go and vote. This is a message I hope all African Americans read. Please get out and vote.

Calvin "Kitty" Johnson Cleveland

The NRA's dream come true

To the Editors:

You may have heard it said that in states that allow carrying concealed weapons, the crime rate has dropped. That's true. However, in states such as Ohio that do not allow carrying concealed weapons, the rate has dropped even more.

As a matter of fact, in Texas, firearms deaths were dropping considerably until Governor Bush signed a bill to allow carrying concealed weapons, and then signed another bill to make certain the guns could be carried into churches, hospitals and amusement parks. It has since stopped dropping and leveled off.

Mark A. R. Kleiman, a professor of policy studies and director of the drug policy analysis program at UCLA, examined the harm caused by loose gun laws in Texas. Kleiman cited 1999 statistics that showed some 1,700 guns used in crimes in other states were traced back to Texas.

That put Texas at number four on the crime gun export list. Virginia, which used to be ranked third in crime gun exports, tackled the problem by passing a law limiting gun purchases to one per person per month. A similar bill, Kleiman noted, was proposed in Texas, but killed by Bush.

Bush has such a dismal record of firearms legislation that a spokesperson for Texans Against Gun Violence has said: "Gov. Bush has been a dream come true for the National Rifle Association. What the NRA wants, Gov. Bush supports. What the NRA doesn't want, Gov. Bush defeats."

The time is now approaching to elect our country's leaders. Responsible citizens of our country, those who do not own guns and those who do, have awakened to the idea that firearms violence is something that can be

greatly reduced by the judicious application of effective laws. Let's not elect someone whom the NRA considers their best friend in politics.

Stephanie J. Beckman Toledo

Don't turn back the clock

To the Editors:

The choice is clear.

Al Gore has proven that he has the intelligence and experience to be a president who focuses on the details necessary to continuing and enhancing the prosperity and low unemployment we've enjoyed over the past eight years.

He will improve our children's education by keeping money in the public schools instead of giving it to private schools, and holding teachers accountable for actually teaching our children instead of just "teaching to the test."

Gore will make sure that our environment is clean and safe by not easing up on polluters; and he will assure that we have continued Social Security benefits and a prescription drug plan for all seniors. He will assure allies that the United States will continue in its role as a power the world looks to both in peace and in strife.

We cannot afford to turn back the clock to the high inflation and high unemployment of the prior Bush administration, which is what will surely happen if we put another Bush in the White House.

This election is critical, and I urge you to consider the country as a whole and make the right choice the only choice Al Gore and Joe Lieberman.

speakout

Karen Evans Westerville

Nader has no bona fides

on GLBT issues

by Daniel McGlinchey

The fact that Ralph Nader can't be elected president isn't the only thing that keeps him from being the perfect candidate..

Nader enters the fight for gay and lesbian equality in the year 2000 with absolutely no bona fides on the subject. His first public utterance on the question of fairness for gays and lesbians, just four years ago, was infamously dismissive. During the debate on the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, he refused to discuss it, and instead ridiculed the gay rights movement as "gonadal politics."

Now as a presidential candidate, in an effort to draw votes from Al Gore, Nader claims not only to have converted, but also to have catapulted way ahead of Gore in his support for gay equality.

Let the voter beware.

Last month, in an interview in the Washington Post, Nader said, "The left has become heavily concentrated on identity politics— gender, race and homophobia. It's devolved into grievances:"

Supporters of efforts to end homophobia, violence against GLBT people, and the ban on gays in the military should be alarmed that Nader thinks we're concentrating too hard on these rightful claims for justice.

While Nader has consistently tried to outdo Gore's great support for fairness for gay and lesbian Americans, his greatest disagreement on our issues appears to be with his own party. The Green Party platform supports gay marriage, but Nader has consistently refused to directly answer questions concerning gay marriage, despite several public opportunities to do so.

During an interview on Meet the Press last May, when host Tim Russert asked Nader if

he supports gay marriage, Nader dodged the question, responding: "I think homosexuals have the right of civil union."

In August, again on Meet the Press, Russert again asked Nader whether he supported samesex marriage, and Nader again evaded the question.

"Yes. Civil unions and equal rights, equal responsibilities,” said Nader.

During his acceptance speech for the Green Party nomination last June, Nader referred to "sexual preference" once, and that was only in a catalogue tracing various social justice movements in the United States. Nader did not express support for a single pro-gay public policy measure, although he did speak out strongly against junk food and obesity.

George W. Bush, of course, also never expressed support for the rights of gay and lesbian Americans in his nomination speech in Philadelphia, but that's not surprising because Bush doesn't pretend to be a friend.

While Nader pretends to be a friend, he sometimes misapplies consumer advocacy principles in his quest for votes. He referred to sexual orientation as a "preference," as though our sexual natures are something we bargainshop around for, and then wisely choose one over the other.

The goal of a consumer advocate is to ensure that we get what we pay for, but supporters of Ralph Nader will end up paying dearly for what they get: George W. Bush as president.

And helping to elect George W. Bush would be a complete betrayal of the values progressive Americans care about.

♡

Daniel McGlinchey is political director of the gay and lesbian National Stonewall Democrats.

GAY PEOPLE'S

Chronicle

Volume 16, Issue 18

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Patti Harris, Martha Pontoni

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