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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 16, 1995)
just ou t T Juno 10. 1005 T O P in k elep h an t fro lic GOP members o f Congress and major supporters o f Log Cabin Republicans convene in Washington D.C. , by Bob Roehr L nied the reports and, even though redistricting og Cabin Republicans held its first pitted him against another sitting congressman, “Washington Weekend” for about 40 won re-election by a surprisingly large margin. members of the Lincoln Club, the Rich Lazio’s Long Island district includes the group’s major supporters. The event gay enclave of Fire Island. Lazio spoke of in drew an impressive retinue of mem creased bers of Congress for briefing on issues, and visi partisan polarization in the House with surviving Democrats being more urban and lib tors found a warm reception in Congressional eral than before: “It appears that the conservatives offices, where discussion focused on AIDS legis are in control but the reality is that things are much lation and funding. more broadly based.” He is one of four leaders of Massachusetts Gov. W illiam Weld, often the Tuesday Lunch Bunch, a group (30 to 50 called the most pro-gay governor in the nation, depending on the issue) of moderate Republicans. and openly gay Wisconsin Rep. Steve Gunderson Lazio spoke of efforts to reform federal hous were featured guests at a June 7 kick-off recep ing from his key position as subcommittee chair tion. It was held at the Capitol Hill Club, the man. He criticized local authorities for not effec Republican bastion run by the national party. tively using HOPWA funds and promised that Briefings the next morning took place in a “HOPWA will be protected, fenced off and reau hearing room of the powerful House Ways and thorized” in restructuring the Department of Hous Means Committee. Log Cabin Executive Direc ing and Urban Development. tor Rich Tafel announced that Sen. Mike DeWine Sen. Alan Simpson (Wyo.) told the luncheon (Ohio) had agreed the previous day to become the audience he didn’t think the 58th co-sponsor of a reau 1996 Republican Conven th o rized R yan W h ite1 tion would reprise the gay CARE Act. “That hap bashing of 1992. “I still hear pened because there were people say they did not like six people from all over Ohio” in his office talking at all the tone of what Pat Buchanan said in Houston.” with DeWine, Tafel said. He closed by praising the “ M uch of what we group for “conducting] have accomplished [on AIDS] over the last two or yourselves with great pride in what I know must be a three months we really very difficult situation.” would not have done with David Boaz provided out the help of Log Cabin,” the red meat at the lun M ark B arnes told the cheon. He is the openly gay group. He is executive di executive vice president of rector o f AIDS Action Council, the nation’s prin The Cato Institute, an in creasingly influential lib ciple AIDS lobbying arm. ertarian think tank. “T h ese guys [Log Cabin lobbyists] went to “We ought to be talking the matón HOPWA [hous about why, in a free soci ing for people with AIDS] and saved almost all of ety, we have turned something as important as it in a House-Senate conference. The point is,” retirement over to the federal government,” he said in a blistering attack on Social Security. For Barnes said, “President Clinton did not save gay men and lesbians in particular, “Greater so HOPWA, in the end it was Chris Shays [R-Conn.] and Kit Bond [R-Mo.] who saved HOPWA.” cial diversity means that a monopoly bureaucratic Barnes noted the “big change on Nov. 8, system is increasingly outmoded.” which many in the AIDS community...tradi He believes one of the major problems the gay tionally so identified with the D em ocratic community has is that most of its prominent and Party...have not quite understood. They are, in most widely quoted “leaders” are socialists. many ways, in denial. Our challenge as a commu “People need to stand up to this notion that the gay leadership wants to define gays as a marginalized nity is in how we respond to that change in a constructive way, to embrace the agenda of class and suggest that their political salvation lies change.” in being allied to the other marginalized classes Rep. Jim McCrery (La.) spoke from his per like welfare recipients and the inner city poor.” spective as a senior member of the Ways and Lobbying efforts, which began earlier in the Means committee. He outlined some of the radi week for many delegations, continued that after cal changes in tax policy being discussed, ac noon. Frank Ricchiazzi, a political appointee of knowledging their preliminary nature and con Gov. Pete Wilson to the number-two slot in the cluded that “we are a long way from getting to 9,000-employee California Department of Motor where we need to go.” He did foresee a new tax Vehicles, led representatives from his state to code if the Republicans retain control of Congress meetings with 10 California Republican con and win the White House in 1996. gressmen. “We cannot continue to sustain 10 to 12 per “Unbelievably positive, just very supportive," cent annual increases in Medicare and Medicaid,” is how he described those sessions. He noted the he said. McCrery hoped that Congress would “be three openly gay employees working in conserva honest” with the American public and say, “We tive Dana Rorabacher’s office. cannot afford to take care of every nut and bolt.” “We are helping them understand how to He saw part of the solution as moving people into protect their flanks,” explained Ricchiazzi. “Be managed care. “But we can’t, won’t and shouldn’t cause these groups will come in and say, oh, we move everyone into managed care.” want you to do this, and we want you to do that, McCrary’s mere presence at a gay event was but when it comes to election time, they will turn interesting in light of a 1992 cover story by The to every one of these Republicans and say, screw Advocate alleging several homosexual affairs by you. I’m supporting the Democrat.” the then recently married congressman. 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