J im « o u * T
withdraw support of the military’s anti-gay and
lesbian bias and tiptoeing around the AIDS issue
to avoid offending the far right. Independent
candidate Ross Perot initially promised Firm sup
port for AIDS research, but then also said he
would not appoint homosexuals to high govern
On May 19, U.S. Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D- ment positions.
Colo.) introduced in Congress the Military Free
dom Act of 1992, which seeks for the First time to
directly repeal the military policy banning gays Quayie denounces gay
from serving in the military. Schroeder called the
Department of Defense policy “stupid,” based and lesbian parents
solely on anti-gay prejudice, adding that numer
Speaking to a national convention of Southern
ous court actions and direct appeals to President Baptists, Vice President Dan Quayie asserted that
George Bush or Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney it is “wrong” for gay and lesbian couples to be
have been unsuccessful.
parents. “The cultural elites respect neither tradi
The bill preserves rules and policies regarding tion nor standards,” Quayie said. “They believe
sexual misconduct by military members regard moral truths are relative and that all lifestyles are
less of sexual orientation. “The issue is not equal. They seem to think that the family is an
whether gay men and lesbians should serve,” said arbitrary arrangement of people who decided to
openly gay Rep. Gerry Studds (D-Mass.); “they live under the same roof, that fathers are dispens
always have, and they always will. The question able, and that parents need not be married or even
is whether they will be able to do so openly, with of opposite sexes. They are wrong!”
dignity and with pride.”
The 16,000 Baptists burst into vigorous ap
Recently, active Navy pilot Lt. Tracy Thome plause. Earlier, the delegates overwhelmingly
came out on ABC’s Nightline program, citing a passed a resolution banning local churches that
“ripe political climate," adding that he had seen “afFirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behav
“too much discrimination” in the military to re ior.” The Southern Baptist Convention is
main silent any longer. Over 14,000 service America’s largest Protestant convention, with 16
personnel have been discharged since 1982 for million members.
their sexual orientation. The most noteworthy
recently was of decorated Vietnam veteran and
Washington National Guard Colonel Margarethe Perot representatives
Cammermeyer, one of the highest ranking sol
attempt to soften
diers ever removed for homosexuality.
Landmark House bill
challenges military
anti-gay bias
Human Rights Campaign
Fund endorses
Clinton for President
The nation’s largest lesbian and gay political
organization, the Human Rights Campaign Fund,
has announced its support for Bill Clinton for
President of the United States, the first time in its
11 year history that it has endorsed a presidential
candidate. Noted Fund co-chair Laura Altschul,
“After 12 years of ignorance, inaction, and indif
ference, the choice in 1992 is too important for
our community to stand on the sidelines.”
Fund executive director Tim McFeeley added
that Gov. Clinton had been among the first candi
dates to answer a detailed questionnaire on les
bian and gay issues, and “On issues ranging from
discrimination in the military to AIDS education.
Bill Clinton is on the side of lesbian and gay
America.”
While candidates, particularly Democratic
hopefuls, have met with and raised money from
the gay community in the past, they have never
done so as publicly as they have been recently, a
trend at least partially attributed to the spread of
the AIDS virus. An estimated one out of every
four Americans now knows someone with AIDS.
On May 18, while addressing a large audience
of lesbians and gays in front of a dozen television
cameras, Clinton’s eyes Filled with tears when, as
he later told a friend, he realized that many of
these young professionals carried the HIV virus
and would die before their time. Clinton has led
the way in making gays, lesbians and AIDS
activists part of his campaign, stating, “We can’t
afford to waste the capacities, the contributions,
the hearts, the souls, the minds of the gay and
lesbian Americans.”
Republicans have been far more reticent in
supporting lesbian and gay causes, refusing to
homophobic remarks
Gay and lesbian activists met with representa
tives of the H. Ross Perot campaign in Washing
ton, D.C. following the uproar caused by Perot’s
“insulting and offensive” comments on gays in
the military and the Cabinet. During a 20/20
interview on May 29, Perot stated that he would
not hire openly gay or lesbian cabinet members
• and opposed lesbians and gays serving in the
military. “It will distract from the work to be
done,” Perot told ABC’s Barbara Walters, add
ing, “I don’t think it’s realistic” for gays to serve
in the military.
Representatives from the National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force, Queer Nation, and the Hu
man Rights Campaign Fund met at the District of
Columbia Perot petition office on June 8, but were
locked out of the office by Perot staffers in the
presence of the national media. During the meet
ing outside the office, activists called on Perot to
renounce his earlier homophobic stands, to pub
licly condemn discrimination based on sexual
orientation, and to endorse the five-point United
for AIDS Action platform on AIDS leadership,
care, research, education, and discrimination.
“I believe Mr. Perot is very sensitive to this
issue,“ said Jim Brown, regional Perot represen
tative and liaison to the Perot Dallas office. “Any
effort to exclude anyone is wrong.” However,
Perot representatives on several occasions stated
that they cannot speak for Mr. Perot.
NGLTF is notifying its 18,000 members to
contact the Perot Campaign office in Dallas and
urge him to support gay and lesbian civil rights.
Activists are urged to contact Perot at H. Ross
Perot Petition Committee, PO Box 517025, Dal
las, TX 75251-7025, phone (800) 685-7777 or
(800) 826-9540, fax (800) 925-1300. Act Up
suggests sending gay positive material through
the fax, or simply put the bite on Perot’s pocket-
book by calling his 800 numbers.
Jim Hunger
REPORT HOMOPHOBIC VIOLENCE
July f9 9 2 T 9
3.5" x 3.5" Vinyl Removable
Anti-OCA Bumper Stickers
$ 1 each
Send SASE to: J. Otis
• sp ecializin g in deep m uscle
m assage
• red u ce stress and an x iety
• h ourly rates: in-$30 • out $35
13807 SE McLoughlin Blvd., Box 121
Milwaukie, OR 97222
Up to 20 can be shipped in one envelope
HAL JONES AUTOMOTIVE
JOY ENTERPRISES
We love our just out
customers.
We join you in
celebrating Lesbian
and Gay Pride Month.
5111 NE Fremont
Portland, OR 97213
281-7831 # 4016 N.E. Fremont
288-1130
G ary L uckey
Gary Luckey , Portland's first non-tipping salon.