t u n t o ut ., 7
C A M P A I G N 2 0 0 0 ik ik ik ik
FR IEN D S IN NIGH PLA CES
r
he Human Rights Campaign said Nov. 8
that the election results have made it clear
that Congress will be a more hospitable place for
moving forwarjJ on gay and lesbian issues. HRC
played a key role in shaping the makeup of Con­
gress, winning 90 percent of the organization’s
210 endorsed races in this election cycle.
“The near-parity between Republicans and
Democrats in the House and the Senate shows
that the American people have rejected extrem­
ism and have embraced the center,” executive
director Elizabeth Birch said. “The combination
of moderate Democrats and Republicans has
created a fair-minded majority that will help
guard us against harm and may help us pass key
legislation such as the Hate Crimes Prevention
Act and the Employment Non-Discrimination
Act. Our work is cut out for us, but we will con­
tinue to play a vital role in the U.S. Congress.
“We will expand our statewide partner­
ships and educational programs around the
Elizabeth Birch
nation. H RC will never back down in our
quest for equality.”
approved measures attacking gay, lesbian, bisex­
The Republican Party remained in control of ual and transgendered people and their families.
both the House and Senate, although its major­
“When we have sufficient local infrastructure
ity has narrowed in each chamber. “Given the
to reach out and communicate to voters the real­
narrow margin of GOP Senate control, HRC-
ity of our lives, we are more competitive and able
endorsed Republicans, such as Rhode Island
to win, and that’s the good news,” said Elizabeth
Sen. Lincoln Chafee, Vermont Sen. Jim Jeffords Toledo, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
and Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe, will play a key executive director. “The bad news is that when
role in advancing gay and lesbian equality,” the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgen­
political director Winnie Stachelberg said.
dered people are subject to the will of a transito­
ry Election Day majority, we still face uphill bat­
AN D N O W , TN E BAD N E W S ...
tles, sometimes against tremendous odds.
oters narrowly rejected an effort to make
“The election results do show how much
Maine the 12th state in the country to ban work we have to do. We must dedicate ourselves
discrimination based on sexual orientation. And
to building local movements and making sure
voters in Nebraska and Nevada overwhelmingly local activists have the support and resources to
V
do the very important
ballot box in order for it to become law.
work of reaching out
GOP: GAY OLD PAR TY?
to voters.”
In Maine, the bal­
he Log Cabin Republicans are bragging
A that Texas Gov. George W Bush cap­
lot initiative would
have amended the
tured more than 1 million votes from self-
state’s Human Rights
identified gays, lesbians and bisexuals,
Act to forbid discrimi­ according to exit polling published by several
nation on the basis of news networks.
sexual orientation. To­
Both CNN and A BC reported that the gay
ledo noted that ac­ vote made up 4 percent of the national total,
cording to a 1999 na­ with the Republican nominee capturing 25 per­
tional survey, 74 per­ cent of the gay vote, compared with 70 percent
cent of Democrats, 65
for Democratic Vice President A1 Gore and 4
percent of indepen­ percent for Green Party candidate Ralph Nader.
dents and 49 percent The exit polls did not report a state-by-state
of Republicans sup­ breakdown of the result.
ported anti-discrimi­
The national exit polls contrast sharply with
nation laws.
a widely reported national poll conducted by
the Washington Blade in October predicting
“Public opinion
polls consistently dem­ Gore would win 80 percent of the gay vote,
onstrate overwhelm­ Nader would take 11 percent and Bush would
ing public support for capture 2 percent. The Blade poll also predicted
nondiscrimination ordinances, so it’s our job to the gay vote would be 3.7 percent of the total.
translate that support into real votes,” she said.
“We worked hard to turn out the gay and
“2001 will likely see more anti-GLBT ballot ini­ lesbian Republican vote across the country,
tiatives and more crises for our communities but and the final result clearly shows we succeed­
also more opportunities as we confront these ed despite dramatic predictions to the con­
crises by building strength and infrastructure.”
trary,” said Kevin Ivers, Log Cabin Republi­
In Nebraska, voters approved a proposal to out­ cans public affairs director. “It is a positive
law same-sex marriages, civil unions and govern­ development for our movement and for our
ment recognition of domestic partner benefits. party, ~nd we will continue to work hard on
The wording of the initiative all but invites a court behalf of over 1 million gay and lesbian Amer­
challenge on constitutional grounds, according to
icans who share our vision, and we will repre­
Evan Wolfson of the New York-based Lambda sent them in the Republican Congress and in
Legal Defense and Education Fund.
what may be a Republican White House for
And in Nevada, voters approved a ban on
the next four years. ” j n
same-sex marriage. Under the state’s constitu­
tion, the measure must be approved again at the
Compiled by J im R adosta
Catch the
Holiday Spirit!
with the
Portland Gay Men's Chorus
Featuring special guest conductor, Ray Elliott, director of Satori
Men's Chorus.
Celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Solstice, Kwanzaa and the New
Year with a concert of music sure to put you in the Holiday
Spirit! This show is rate "G" for "Great for the whole family."
Saturday, December 16, 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 17, 2:00 p.m.
Kaul Auditorium, Reed College
3203 SE Woodstock, Portland
Tickets: $20/$15/$12
Don't miss our Classical Matinee
on Sunday, February 25, 2 p.m.,
at The Old Church
503/224-TIXX
Regional Arts &
Culture Council
www.pdxgmc.org
Financial
Advisors