Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013, March 17, 2000, Page 17, Image 17

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    march 17.2Û0Ü » juts* ant.
n T iT T n T T iT t n e iv s
ay politicos and their allies packed
into a grand Victorian townhouse
in Washington, D.C., for a Feb. 29
gathering sponsored by the Gay
and Lesbian Victory Fund, a
national organization whose sole mission is to
increase the number of openly gay and lesbian
public officials.
Donna Shalala, secretary of Health and
Human Services, was on hand and praised spe­
cial guest Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Demo­
crat and the first lesbian to serve openly in C on­
gress.
H igh - level H obnob
Gay group stresses the importance of a seat at the table by Bob Roehr
cizing its endorsements to inform the voters
about qualified openly gay and lesbian candi­
dates, the group invites direct contributions
from its members to the campaigns of their
choice. The organization then
bundles those contributions and
“I can’t tell you how important it is to have
somebody sitting in that Republican caucus
meeting when our issues are discussed,” noted
Bond.
Another priority is re-electing freshman
Baldwin, who looks to
—
From left: Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-YVis.; Victory Fund’s Brian Bond; Julian Potter of the White House;
former Clinton appointee Bob Hattoy; and Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala
“She’s a natural leader, she’s smart, she
clearly knows the issues,” Shalala told the
approving crowd.
“The Victory Fund started in 1991,” said the
group’s executive director, Brian Bond. “Since
that time we have tripled the number of openly
G LB T elected officials in the country.”
The fund has done so by raising more than
$2.5 million for queer candidates. Beyond publi-
sends 100 percent of the assistance to the cam­
paigns. In addition, the Gay and Lesbian Victo­
ry Fund’s political action committee makes its
own direct donations to candidates.
“It is important for us to have our own at the
political table,” said Bond, who added that one
of his group’s priorities is to see U.S. Rep. Jim
Kolbe, an Arizona Republican, get re-elected.
Kolbe, a gay man, is facing a tough battle.
MF*
have an easier race. Bond presented her with a
$10,000 check— the maximum contribution
allowed under federal campaign finance law.
“When I get the honor of walking onto the
floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, I am
mindful of the fact that I go there with a little
piece of every donor, of every voter, of every vol­
unteer,” said Baldwin. “It is the congregate effort
of those people that got me to Congress.”
11 around the world, unacceptable violations of human
ights have taken place against individuals solely on the
j C j L rit
basis of their real or perceived sexual orientation,” said Rep. Tom
Lantos, D-Calif., at a March 1 news conference outside the
Capitol building in Washington, D.C. “These ongoing persecu­
tions against gay people include arbitrary arrest, rape, torture,
imprisonment, extortion and even execution.”
Lantos was introducing Congressional Resolution 259,
which “condemns all violations of internationally recognized
human rights norms based on the real or perceived sexual orien­
tation or gender identity of an individual.”
The measure, which has 23 cosponsors, demands equal pro­
tection of all human rights.
“Some states fail to prosecute, or even investigate [crimes]
because of [the victims’] sexual orientation. These abuses are not
Gav
u c iy r Friendly
i i v i i w j Travel
iih v v i
only sanctioned by some states, but often they are perpetuated
by agents of these states,” Lantos said.
He cited cases: A lesbian couple in Brazil was tortured and
sexually assaulted in a police station. In Uganda, the president
ordered police to arrest all gay people.
“As a nation, our founding was derived from the respect that
our founders had for universal human rights,” said Rep. Dennis
Kucinich, D-Ohio. “Today we have an opportunity to make
good on that commitment, which is as old as America itself.”
Rep Lynn Woolsey, D-Calif., added: “The United States is
the remaining superpower. We have an obligation, therefore,
not just as an economic or military leader but as a moral leader.
We must show the world that gay rights are human rights. We
must speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves.”
Openly lesbian Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., cited the 1948
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■ C ontact the G ay and L esbian V ictory F und
(jo v em n
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Making Vacation
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True!
“We can now say that millions of people
have walked into a voting booth and pulled the
lever for an openly gay or lesbian candidate.
That is transformative in this country,” she said.
Also in attendance was Julian Potter, White
House liaison to the queer community.
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which
she said “articulated a common understanding of the rights of
every citizen of the world.”
“We must use our moral suasion whenever possible to ensure
that all of our worlds citizens can live their lives with the free­
dom and dignity that is everyone’s birthright,” Baldwin added.
“It is pretty basic stuff; that you shouldn’t rape and murder
and kill people in the name of the state is not controversial, one
would think,” assessed Nancy Buermeyer, a lobbyist with the
Human Rights Campaign, a national gay political group.
Still, she acknowledged, getting CR 259 approved is going to
“be tough with the [Republican] leadership being the way it is”
in Congress.
“Depending on how the elections go, it could be [passed] in
fairly short order next session,” Buermeyer said.
‘G ay R ights A re H u m a n R ights ’
“ A
She spoke of how “the naysayers, the cynics,
and the keepers of the status quo said you can’t,
you shouldn’t, you won’t succeed. They said you
are too young, you’re a woman, you’re a lesbian,
you’re too progressive.”
Part of the challenge, Baldwin said, is “gain­
ing the confidence that we actually can run and
99
win.
Baldwin also praised the Victory Fund for its
support, which she said helps “level the playing
field.”
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