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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 3, 1995)
ju s t o u t ▼ n o v e m b a r 3 , 1 9 9 5 ▼ 7 Inch by inch The finest imported coffee beans, teas, chocolates, and beverage brewing accessories S ince 1980 Clinton’s endorsement of ENDA is another step toward ending job discrimination against lesbians and gay men ▼ by B ob R oehr THE BROADWAY COFFEE MERCHANT Zingale, chief lobbyist with the HRC. He called resident Bill Clinton has endorsed a changes made to the bill this year pretty modest. bill offering limited federal protec ‘T he language has always protected religious tion for gay men and lesbians in the rights. It did then and it does now. Apparently the workplace. The move came in an Oct. White House agrees with us now.” 19 letter to Sen. Ted Kennedy (D- HRC’s executive director Elizabeth Birch char Mass.), a co-sponsor of the Employment Non- acterized Clinton’s endorsement as a “historic Discrimination Act. step forward in our movement for equal rights.” Reaction from the community was positive. Log Cabin Republican executive director Rich But for many, it was tempered by the fact that Tafel noted the political implications of the tim Clinton did not support the bill when it was first ing of Clinton’s move. It came a day before introduced last year. Democrats then controlled Stephanopoulos addressed the National Gay and both houses of Congress and chances for passing Lesbian Journalists Association convention and the bill were better. as the White House begins to switch into cam- ENDA represents a strategic retreat from an omnibus gay civil rights bill. That type of measure— cov ering employment, housing, public accommodations, and other areas— was first introduced in 1974, but went nowhere over the next 20 years. In 1993 lesbian and gay political leaders, under the leadership of the Human Rights Campaign, began to reassess their efforts. They turned to a more limited bill covering just employment. With this new approach, they were able to gain sup port for the legislation from the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. The coali tion of more than 185 groups has been the chief legisla tive force behind all civil rights legislation over the last three decades. ENDA was introduced in June 1994 as an LCCR- backed measure. It would prohibit job discrimination on the basis of sexual orien tation. It would not cover the military, businesses with fewer than 15 employees or D... . ... .... .. J .. Bill Clinton religious institutions or the paign mode. The gay and lesbian community is sectarian schools they run. It would not confer health, domestic partnership or other workplace believed to have supplied 1 in 7 of the votes benefits. Clinton garnered in 1992, and it may be crucial to his re-election. The Senate held a hearing in July 1994. Both But Tafel called the endorsement “the right the form and co n ten t o f the C linton thing to do, and I don’t want to take anything away administration’s response troubled gay and les from that.” bian leaders. They had pushed for active testi Los Angeles Republican Jim Baird was mony in support of the measure, but they got far less. harsher. Clinton “didn’t endorse it when his party controlled both houses of Congress and there Deval Patrick, assistant attorney general for might have been a chance of passage with at least civil rights, did not appear, nor did any other some Republican support,” he wrote in an on-line member of the administration. Patrick submitted posting. He called the move political pandering. written testimony. He expressed the Clinton Openly gay Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) administration’s support for the concept of non discrimination in the workplace but withheld en praised Clinton but said the bill “won’t even get a dorsement of the specific bill. hearing” before the Republican-controlled Con gress. White House advisor George Stephanopoulos, speaking the day after Clinton’s endorsement of Zingale is more optimistic. “I don’t think we the bill, explained: “The president was concerned can rule out hearings this session. We are one about the exemption for religious organizations short of a majority [of co-sponsors] in the Senate [which] has now been strengthened.” Labor Committee.” That number includes lead It was a curious explanation, as LCCR is a sponsor Jim Jeffords (R-Vt.) and all of the Demo crats on the panel. coalition dominated by religious groups. It had worked long and hard to draft language that Longer term prospects may be long indeed. “It satisfied the concerns of its religious members. took 19 Congresses to pass the women’s right to And LCCR heartily embraced the original bill. vote,” Zingale noted. “We are way ahead of “We have always felt that ENDA respects schedule.” people of faith in a profound way,” said Daniel P 1637 N.E. Broadway 284-9209 THE HAWTHORNE COFFEE MERCHANT 3562 S.E. Hawthorne 230-1222 HIV+? These groups are available for you: Imagery/Visualization Sex Addiction; Meditation Yoga; Aromatherapy Health Management Nutrition Frot^ram Strong Feelings & Change Fundamentals Pe La Imageria Guiada Other Croupe also available are Individual therapy appointments with Lusijah Marx, RN, PsyD Graham Harriman, MA PROJECT QUEST a Healing Community 241-6448 Groups can be covered through Ryan White vouchers/grante for those who qualify WHEEL ALIGNMENTS & TIRES ( 503 ) 232-3600 2454 E. BURNSIDE • PO R TL A N D . 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