Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 18, 1994)
10 ▼ n o v «m b « r 18. 1804 ▼ Just out H A M I D ’S national news J en n y ’s Florist & Garden C enter HRCF butts heads with GOP PERSIAN RUGS Portland's Finest Selection of New/Old Persian & Other Oriental Rugs. Tribal Kilims, Bags & Pillows Unique gifts from around the world Tim McFeeley makes “hyperbolic” statements regarding the Kennedy race in Massachusetts 1200 NE Broadway WE BUY OLD RUGS 248-9511 901 SW WASHINGTON ST. Mon-Sat 10-6 Sun 12-5 / Complete selection of cut flowers and exotics (503) 284*2818 T * by Bob Roehr 8605 SW Beavertori'Hillsdale Hwy (503) 297*5021 B R A D L E Y J. W O O D W O R T H ATTORNEY AT LAW 920 CROWN PLAZA • 1500 S.W. FIRST AVENUE PORTLAND, OREGON 97201 (503) 273-9146 • Free Initial Consultation SERVING THE LEGAL NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS: • ACCIDENTS & INJURIES • WILLS & ESTATES (NO RECOVER Y, NO FEE) • BUSINESS LAW AND LITIGATION • CRIMINAL LAW & DUII • REAL ESTATE • DIVORCE AND CUSTODY • LITIGATION IN ALLSTATE AND FEDERAL COURTS H a w t h o r n e A rea V ic t o r ia n C o n c o r d ia l 1/2 LOTS $ 1 1 2,500 $94,900 ' epublicans, as a party, do nothing h ■ for the gay community, and the Log Cabin people are kidding themselves and our community if „ ^ ^ ^ ^ t h e y believe the Republican Party cares about us,” said Tim McFeeley, outgoing executive director of the Human Rights Cam paign Fund, in the Oct. 17 issue of the Boston gay and lesbian paper In Newsweekly. “It has to be the height of political irresponsi bility not to endorse Senator [Ted] Kennedy,” he said. “Calling for the defeat of Senator Kennedy is asking for the lesbian and gay community to be lynched in this country.” The Republican National Committee took “strong issue” with those statements, calling them “short-sighted.” “Comments such as yours don’t promote the dialogue and education that needs to take place on both sides of this issue [of homosexuality],” wrote co-Chair Jeanie Austin in a letter dated Oct. 25. She labeled the remarks on Kennedy’s elec tion “horribly hyperbolic,” and said they “only diminish the ability of the Human Rights Cam paign Fund to live up to its stated mission as a bipartisan organization.” McFeeley admitted the language was hyper- anti-gay rhetoric in their campaigns. Congress man James Inhofe (Oklahoma), who vowed to discriminate against gay people in hiring for his congressional staff, is running on a platform of ‘god, gays, and guns.’ Oliver North (Virginia) continually uses alarmist rhetoric about the ‘radi cal homosexual lobby.’ The list goes on. The party has shown no leadership in distancing itself from such inflammatory rhetoric or in promoting policies that would protect gay people from dis crimination.” McFeeley said HRCF has contributed $31,000 to Republicans so far in this election cycle. By one measure, that is a lot of money. But as HRCF’s report of contributions through Sept. 9 shows, Republican candidates received less than 5 per cent of total contributions. T wice that amount had been given directly to the principal national cam paign committees of the Democratic Party; more, to individual Democratic candidates. “It’s a self-fulfilling prophesy,” said Rich Tafel, executive director of the national Log Cabin Re publicans. “You have to cultivate the parties, especially if you are a bipartisan organization. Do you meet with them? Do you talk to them? The reality is, you reap what you sow. If you don’t talk to somebody, they aren’t going to be good.” “It has to be the height o f political irresponsibility not to endorse Senator [Ted] Kennedy. Calling fo r the defeat o f Senator Kennedy is asking fo r the lesbian and gay community to be lynched in this country. ” When it comes to your real estate needs, I’m O U T ahead —Tim McFeeley T\ • J David B’Zillion Dollar Club S tan W iley Inc* R ealto rs • M etro B ran ch • 281*4040 1730 NE 10th 6*. Broadway • Portland, OR 97212 bolic but said the race is “so important for gay people, that sometimes you have to scream to say, this is different.” He cited Kennedy’s continued leadership in the Senate “on the few significant victories we have had,” such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, Ryan White [AIDS] autho rization, and the rejection of Sen. Jesse Helms’ discriminatory amendments on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. “The Campaign Fund has long supported fair- minded Republicans who believe that the promise of America belongs to all people,” McFeeley wrote to Austin on Oct. 28. “Unfortunately, a number of Republican officeholders and candi dates do not support ending discrimination based on sexual orientation, and are even now using “I’m not trying to take anything away from Kennedy,” said Tafel. “But the reality is, a bipar tisan organization’s goal should be to have two good candidates, so that whoever wins, the com munity doesn’t lose.” He is bitter that some have tried to label Kennedy’s pro-gay and -lesbian Republican opponent Mitt Romney as being a member of the radical right. Tafel said, “Republicans will some day have a majority, and we will have a Republican president again. We can’t keep hoping we are only going to be protected during those years of a Democratic reign and if a Republican comes in, we are victims again to this terrible onslaught.”