just out ▼ august 19. 1994 ▼ 9
national news
Jesse Helms runs amok
Helms and Sen. Bob Smith use the Senate floor as a stage for their political gay-bashing
by Martha Allen
Jesse Helms
he U.S. Senate voted Aug. 1 to cut off
federal funds to any school district
offering programs that encourage or
promote “homosexu
ality” as a positive
lifestyle. The amendment, spon
sored by senators Bob Smith (R-
N.H.) and Jesse Helms (R-N.C.),
also bans counseling or other ser
vices on school grounds, or refer
ral of a pupil to an organization
that affirm s a “hom osexual
lifestyle.”
The amendments were tacked
on to the Elementary and Second
ary Education Act that passed the
Senate with a 63-36 vote. The
Washington Post theorized that
over half of the 63 senators voting
“yea” did so expecting the amend
ment to be taken out in the confer
ence on the bill between the Sen
ate and the House. By adding the
discriminatory language to a bill
that provides $ 12.5 billion in fed
eral money to the nations’ public schools, Helms
and Smith used the Senate floor as a stage for their
political gay-bashing, some Washington insiders
say.
‘T he Smith-Helms amendment, if signed into
law, will have direct and disastrous impact on
gay, lesbian and bisexual youth,” said National
Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director
Peri Jude Radecic. “Studies indicate that gay
youth are more likely to attempt suicide because
of societal prejudice and hatred exemplified by
senators Smith and Helms.
“We need senators to show courage and stand
up to Helms,” Radecic said. “This amendment
puts gay youth in jeopardy. It will have a devas
tating effect on the lives of living, breathing
human beings. Gay youth seeking counsel at
school will be turned away under this measure.”
One senator speaking out against the amend
ment voiced those same concerns. Sen. Paul
Wellstone (D-Minn.) condemned the Smith-
Helms amendment, saying, “This amendment has
the effect of making it impossible for our schools
and our counselors to provide support for these
for other senators to stand up to Helms. In a
statement issued following the vote, HRCFspokes
man Douglas Hattaway said, ‘The United States
Northwest senators
split their votes on the
education amendment.
In Oregon, Republican
Mark O. Hatfield
voted yes, while
Republican
Bob Packwood
voted no.
Bob Packwood
young people who need that support.”
The Human Rights Campaign Fund called
Helms’ maneuvering “vicious attacks on the free
dom of American citizens.” The group also called
Senate bowed to the hateful rhetoric of Sen. Jesse
Helms and adopted an amendment.. .that targeted
gay youth, their families and their schools for
discrimination. Adding the Helms amendment to
What you can do
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has produced an August Congressional
Action Kit that offers information on the recent Senate actions. The kit offers
information about Helms’ amendments to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act
and his action on the health care reform bill, issues which both impact dramatically the
lives of gay men and lesbians. To obtain the kit, write NGLTF, 2320 17th St. NW,
Washington, DC 20009, or call (202) 332-6483, ext. 3327. The group’s e-mail connec
tion is babngltf@aol.com.
The kit offers advice on how to talk to members of Congress, and includes all the
information necessary to make your point for gay and lesbian civil rights.
You may also call your senator and representative directly. Call the U.S. House
Switchboard (202) 225-6514, or the U.S. Senate Switchboard (202) 224-3207.
the education bill was a harsh and mean-spirited
attack on vulnerable young people who need
support.”
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), in an attempt to
equalize the Helms-Smith amendment, tacked
another amendment on to the bill which bans the
promotion of all sexuality. That amendment passed
unanimously.
The education bill is not the only one Helms
has targeted. In recent months, the senator has
added homophobic amendments to an agriculture
appropriations bill, to National Endowment for
the Arts funding, and to legislation dealing with
public employees and veterans.
Some sexual minority civil rights groups fear
that Helms and his allies plan to attack a provision
of the health reform bill that would prohibit dis
crimination based on sexual orientation and health
status. No federal law protects lesbians and gay
men from being denied medical services or from
other discrimination related to health care. The
health care reform bill introduced by George
Mitchell (D-Maine) would prohibit such discrimi
nation by hospitals, insurance companies and
health care professionals.
“No one should be denied access to quality
health care because of sexual orientation,” said
Daniel Zingale, public policy director for HRCF.
“Helms has been attaching anti-gay amendments
to everything from agriculture department fund
ing to the education bill. Now he and his allies are
after our right to quality health care.”
"Helms is taking to the Senate floor with a
slew of new attacks,” said Hattaway. “Helms is
running amok on the floor of the United States
Senate, waging a campaign of hate and discrimi
nation. These divisive battles are wasting pre
cious time and taxpayer money that should be
spent addressing the real problems facing this
country.”
Northwest senators split their votes on the
education amendment. In Oregon, Republican
Mark O. Hatfield voted yes, while Republican
Bob PackwixKl voted no.
In W ashington state,
Democrat Patty Murray
voted no, while Repub
lican Slade Gorton voted
yes.
Norma Paulus, su
perintendent of the Or
egon D epartm ent of
Education, says that the
amendments will have a
minimal effect in Or
egon. “Schools in Or
egon do not promote or
encourage sexual activ
ity, w hether h etero
sexual or homosexual,”
said Paulus.
The bill has been in
corporated with HR 6,
the House version of the
bill, which is similar yet
not identical. In September, a Senate and House
conference committee chaired by Sen. Kennedy
and Rep. Bill Ford (D-Mich.) will decide the fate
of all the amendments and will release a compro
mise version for both the House and the Senate to
vote on.
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defa
mation plans an intensive campaign to repudiate
the Senate’s endorsement of the legislation.
GLA AD spokesman Al Kielwasser said the group
would join other civil rights organizations to
oppose the bill, which must gain final approval
from President Bill Clinton.
"This legislation is nothing less than a death
sentence for gay youth,” Kielwasser said. “Be
cause of our society’s unrelenting homophobia,
lesbian, gay and bisexual youth suffer from low
ered self-esteem, which can often lead to suicide.
The question now is whether Bill Clinton will
veto this hateful and ignorant legislation, or
whether he will carry out the death sentence.”