tune 15. 2001 *
rTÎTTTTmnews
NATIONAL
he shift in control of the U.S. Senate will
create an enviionment more favorable for
issues important to the queer community and to
progressive allies, according to the National Gay
and Lesbian Task Force.
Vermont Sen. Jim Jeffords’ decision to with
draw from the Republican Party, become an
Independent and vote with the Democrats on
organizational matters effectively gives the party
a 51-49 majority. They officially took control of
the chamber June 6, and South Dakota Sen.
Tom Daschle was named majority leader.
“1 had serious, substantive reservations about
that budget and the decisions it sets in place for
today and the future,” Jeffords said. “Looking
ahead, 1 can see more and more instances where I
will disagree with the president on very fundamen
tal issues: the issues of choice, the
direction of the judiciary, tax
and spending decisions,
missile defense, energy and
the environment, and a
host of other issues, large
and small.”
Because of the shift, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.,
replaced Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, as chairman
of the Judiciary Committee, which votes on Presi
dent Bush’s judicial nominations. Sen. Edward
Kennedy, D-Mass., became chairman of the
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Commit
tee, which considers a number of issues important
to the queer community, including nondiscrimina
tion laws, school safety and H1V/A1DS programs.
Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., replaced Sen. Jesse
Helms as chairman of the Foreign Relations
Committee. The North Carolina Republican is
one of the senators who held up the nomination
of James Hormel to be ambassador to Luxem
bourg during the Clinton administration.
“The new composition of the Senate will
serve as a brake on Bush’s more radical proposals,”
said Tim McFeeley, NGLTF political director. “It
will mean that Bush’s nominees, particularly for
the judiciary, will receive more careful scrutiny. It
will mean that pro-GLBT measures, like the pro
posed hate crimes law, safe schools legislation,
bans on discrimination and pro-GLBT immigra
tion measures could stand a better chance of at
least being aired for debate. All in all, this change
will make the U.S. Senate more com
passionate and less conservative.”
-5-
ervicemembers Legal De
fense Network hailed the
recommendation of a commis
sion reviewing the Uniform
Code of Military Justice to
repeal the military sodomy
statute, also known as Arti
cle 125. Calling military sodomy prosecu
tions “arbitrary, even vindictive,” the Cox
Commission recommended Congress repeal
the statute and replace it with one governing
sexual abuse similar to laws adopted by many
states and in Title 18 of the U.S. Code.
The commission published its findings
May 30 in commemoration of the 50th
anniversary of the uniform code. The
report is the first comprehensive review of
the code since its enactment.
“The commission is appropriately urg
ing Congress to step into the present and
do right by our men and women in uni
form,” said C. Dixon Osburn, SLDN exec
utive director. “The military’s sodomy law
is antiquated and should be repealed.”
SLDN submitted comments to the
commission urging it to recommend repeal
President Bush doesn’t believe in “politicizing
of Article 125. Legal director Sharra E.
people’s sexual orientation”
Greer represented SLDN at a public hear
custom established in 1999 by Bill Clinton.
ing held by the commission March 13.
“Just as it is wrong for President Bush to
“Article 125 is a throwback to English common
exclude gays and lesbians from equal employ
law that has long since been abandoned by the
ment and hate crimes laws, it is disheartening to
militaries of the original NATO countries,
think that he would turn down an opportunity
including Great Britain, on whose law ours
to
recognize the community’s impressive role in
relies,” she said.
our nation,” said Terry McAuliffe, Democratic
The commission’s recommendations have
National Committee chairman. “This is the
been forwarded to Defense Secretary Donald
type of divisive politics and discrimination that
Rumsfeld, who has ordered a comprehensive
review of Pentagon personnel policies. The
is detrimental to the progress of our country.”
report also will be shared with the chairman and
Bush thinks all people should be treated with
dignity
and respect but doesn’t believe in
ranking members of the Senate and House
“politicizing people’s sexual orientation,"
Committees on Armed Services and to the
according to White House spokesman Scott
Code Committee on Military Justice.
McClellan. Since he became president in Janu
-5*
ary he has signed proclamations designating
resident Bush is under fire for refusing to honor
Continued on Page 22
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