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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 1999)
november 5. 1999 » Ju « t •* * ’21 ^ ‘l i i i h v n i n e u / s Is S he or I sn ’ t S he ? Donna Brazile has stepped to the helm of Al Gore's campaign— and into a flurry of speculation about her orientation by Bob Roehr umors are swirling around Al Gore’s new campaign manager, Donna Brazile. Is she a lesbian or isn’t she? “I think her appointment is wonderful,” says Carl Schmid, a lobbyist for Log Cabin Republi cans. “She’s an extremely able person, she works long hours...so she is perfect for the campaign job, because it is a 24-7 job.” “I’ve never asked her, and it is A CT UP activist Wayne Turner says: “I’ve not on our employment application here,” says always been able to work very well with her and Kiki Moore of the Gore campaign. I like her. In some ways I think that she has too Brazile’s elevation from political director to much integrity to be surrounded in the Gore campaign manager came in October. It coincid camp.” ed with the shift of Gore’s headquarters from the Rick Rosendall, past president of the Gay nation’s capital to Nashville, Tenn. and Lesbian Activists Alliance, adds: “Donna is A press release announcing the promotion known as a hard taskmaster, which I’d say Gore’s noted Brazile is African American and has a team needs. She is lib strong reputation as a eral, loyal and aggres grass-roots organizer. It A press release sive in pursuit of her failed to mention that causes. But the best announcing she served on the hoard thing about Donna is of directors of the Mil the promotion that she laughs at my lennium March on jokes.” noted Donna W ashington, the gay San Francisco rights demonstration activist Michael ^ Brazile planned for April 2000. Petrelis recalls: “The "As far as I know, first time that I heard African American every member of the the name Donna and has a strong reputation Brazile was during the board is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgen- 1988 campaign. A as a grass-roots organizer. dered,” says Malcolm member of ACT UP Lazin, interim execu It failed to mention that she served Boston told me that tive director of the she was a closeted les on the board o f directors o f the march. He served on bian but that she was the board with Brazile Millennium March on Washington, basically good.” and thought she still sat Brazile was working the gay rights demonstration on the board. on the presidential But the Gore cam campaign of Michael planned for April 2000. paign says Brazile has Dukakis at the time. resigned from the She was later fired for saying that Republican opponent George Bush march board. “1 believe three months ago,” spokesman “owes it to the American people to ‘fess up’” about rumors of a sexual affair he allegedly had. Roger Salazar asserts. Moore says: "W hen a civil rights activist sits Hastings Wyman, whose political column on a hoard of an organization that is concerned appears in a number of gay and lesbian newspa about civil rights, it’s a sign that they are a civil pers, lived across the street from Brazile for years. rights activist and that’s it. Does everybody who “I never saw anything that suggested to me sits on the board of the American Cancer Soci that she is a lesbian, nor anything that ruled it out," he says. ety have cancer?” Moore, meanwhile, states: “1 just think that Brazile, 39, was chief of staff for the District of Columbia’s delegate to Congress, Eleanor this is nothing for people to write about.... I Holmes Norton. (She took a leave of absence to don’t think the rumors are relevant one way or another.” join the Gore campaign.) Norton is a knowledgeable and forceful advocate of gay-related issues, and Brazile has ■ B o b ROEHR is a free-lance reporter based in been her right hand, drawing praise from all Washington, D C . points of the political spectrum. R Coventry’ Cycle (V W orks M an’s Best Friend A BOUTIQ UE FOR DOGS FAciliry o f ITS k in d is t U e N ort U w est «... K a th e r in e ’s Body Piercing Salon ■ I 243-1127 17657745 / THE 2 0 % OFF TH RO COMPLETE PAIRS U GH NOVEMBER & TH O SE WHO LOVE T H E M . The Iif.it L ittle Bicycle Shop Now offering Petsitting & Dog Walking. Call for details about the “Howliday Inn." in the Whole Wide World 3445 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR In the h eart o f the H aw thorne D istrict (COME SEE WHY!) Open Tuesday-Sunday 2307723 2025 SE Hawthorne O p e n M on-Sat: 10-6 ♦ Sun: 11-5 503-230-0237 www.citysearch.com/pdx/mansbestfriend 6 2 5 NW 23RD A v e • 2 2 1 -6 5 3 9
