I g Jam — t s fabruary 2 .2QÛ1
ÜTiTTTTTm news
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United Church of Christ
A
1126 SW PARK AVENUE
228-7219
Bridges
Vocal Ensemble
W
part of the lesbigay community
,
Guest Choir performing
with the church’s jazz combo
P D X A uto m o tive Is a ce rtifie d
E co -Logical Business.
February 25, 2001
10:25 a.m. Sunday Service
( 503 ) 282-3315
An open, affirming church where everyone
is welcome — including straight, lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender people.
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NATIONAL
ctivists vowed Feb. 1 to hold Attorney Gen
eral John Ashcroft accountable for the new,
more moderate positions he professed during his
divisive nomination. The Senate voted
58 to 42 to confirm his nomination.
“It is clear a different man turned
up for this job interview,” said Eliza
beth Birch, Human Rights Campaign
executive director. “To win confirma
tion, Ashcroft recognized he had to
turn himself into an inclusive moder
ate, an image in stark contrast to his
settled record and past.”
Elizabeth
Although Ashcroft received enough
votes, his nomination galvanized an unprecedent
ed coalition that opposed confirmation based on
his dismal human rights record and because it
doubted his ability to enforce the nations laws
fairly. The civil rights community opposed him for
a multitude of reasons, including the many anti
gay statements he made during his career in pub
lic service and his opposition to laws that would
protect sexual minorities from discrimination.
Ashcrofts anti-gay record became a flash point
during his confirmation hearing when he was ques
tioned on his role in blocking a vote on President
Clinton’s openly gay nominee for ambassador to
Luxembourg. During sworn testimony, he said
James Hormel’s sexual orientation had nothing to
do with his opposition, but previous statements he
made to the media contradicted his testimony.
Ashcroft misled the Senate Judiciary Commit
tee when he said that he opposed Hormel based on
the “totality of his record” and that he “knew”
Hormel more than 30 years ago while a student at
University of Chicago Law School, where Hormel
was a dean. But he refused to elaborate on what
part of Hormel’s record he opposed, and his sug
gestive inference of “knowing” Hormel belied the
fact that the two had never had a conversation.
To separate himself from his anti-gay record,
Ashcroft said he would not take sexual orienta
tion into account in hiring and “couldn’t imag
ine" asking a prospective employee about his or
her sexual orientation. A Georgetown University
professor, however, said at a news conference that
he was asked about his sexual orientation during a
job interview with the governor of Missouri.
According to Paul Offner, the first question
Ashcroft asked him was, “Do you have the sex
ual preference of most men?” Offner said he
believed that giving the wrong answer would
disqualify him from the job.
“It is important that the nation’s highest-
ranking law enforcement official tell the truth,”
said Elizabeth Toledo, National Gay and Les
bian Task Force executive director. “Ashcroft
seems to be experiencing either amnesia or an
inability to be forthright.”
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U
.S. Rep. Barney Frank wants the Bush
administration to put its money where its
mouth is. The Massachusetts Democrat filed
legislation Jan. 24 to comply with the policy on
the definition of marriage expressed by Dick
Cheney during his debate with Joe Lieberman.
When asked Oct. 5 by Bernard Shaw about
same-sex relationships, the vice president
replied: “People
should be free to
enter into any kind
of
relationship
they want to enter
into... the
next
step, then, of
course, is the ques
tion you ask of
whether or not
there ought to he
some kind of offi Cheney and Shaw
cial sanction, if you will, of the relationship or if
those relationships should he treated the same
way a conventional marriage is. That’s a tougher
problem...I think the fact of the matter, of
course, is that matter is regulated by the states. I
think different states are likely to come to differ
ent conclusions, and that’s appropriate.
1 don’t think there should necessarily be
a federal policy in this area.”
Frank said this position directly
contradicts the Defense of Marriage
Act, which Congress adopted in 1996
and President Clinton signed into law.
His legislation would repeal Section 3,
which establishes a national definition
Toledo of marriage.
“I welcome Vice President Cheney’s
recognition that the ‘appropriate’ policy is for the
states to decide for themselves whether or not to
give official sanction to same-sex unions,” Frank
said. “I should note that I offered an amendment
to strike this provision in 1996 when the House
considered the bill, and while it was heavily
defeated, it did receive 35 more votes than were
cast in opposition to the overall CXDMA.”
L
awmakers in Arkansas and Indiana intro
duced bills last month to ban adoption
and foster parenting by homosexuals, while
Texas is likely to face similar legislation during
its short session this year.
“These bills are a growing danger to fami
lies,” said Robin Kane, advocacy director of the
Family Pride Coalition, which is monitoring the
legislation’s movement. “The public debate sup
porting them attacks G LBT parents and harms
children. When they pass, families suffer real
economic and legal harm while our opponents
gain momentum to attack us elsewhere.”
In Arkansas, Republican Rep. Randy
Minton introduced House Bill 1026, which
would prohibit the Department of Human Ser
vices from “placing any child with any adoptive
or foster parent who is a homosexual.” State
regulations already prohibit agencies from plac
ing children with foster parents who are gay.
Arkansas Equality Network; Parents, Fami
lies and Friends of Lesbians and Gays; and other
groups are leading efforts to defeat that measure.
Similar legislation died in committee during the
last session two years ago.
In Indiana, Republican Sen. John Waterman
introduced Senate Bill 144, which “prohibits
homosexuals from adopting or being foster par
ents.” Similar legislation has been introduced in
the past and has failed.
Meanwhile in Texas, parents, family and
friends across the state are preparing for another
legislative battle regarding adoption. In 1999,
lawmakers introduced two bills to ban adoption
and foster parenting by gay people.
One of them focused on “homosexual behav
ior” and “deviate sexual behavior." Those bills
did not pass.
ARIZONA
H P he Army announced Jan. 15 it will not pur-
i sue its planned discharge of Lt. Steve May,
a Republican in the Arizona Legislature, for
alleged violations of “don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t
pursue, don’t harass.” He will continue to serve
in the Reserve until May 11, when his
two-year obligation is complete.
The Army initiated discharge proceed
ings after learning of remarks May made
about his sexual orientation during a
debate on domestic partner benefits for
state employees in the Legislature. At
the time, he was on inactive duty.
May was called hack to duty after mak
ing the remarks and after winning re-elec
tion as an openly gay candidate, so his
sexual orientation was a matter of record
at the time. He served as executive officer of his
Reserve unit.