|uly 6.2001 • just Mtj23
rWTTTI news
For instance, as the U.S. District Court
explained, local school districts are not
required to “endorse, participate or solicit oth
-S-
ers to participate in Boy Scouts activities.”
he Human Rights Campaign praised the Gay rights advocates say the Helms amend
U.S. Agriculture Department on June 20 ment seeks to intimidate school officials into
continuing to offer the Boy Scouts these spe
for its new effort to hire program specialists to
foster workplace diversity, including a special cial privileges, even if their discriminatory
ist to handle gay and lesbian issues. It is the policy conflicts with a community’s values
first time a U.S. administration has sought to and standards.
hire a specialist to handle such issues in
the federal workplace.
“The USDA’s efforts will ensure a more
equitable workplace as well as help the
government recruit and retain the most
highly qualified and talented Americans,”
said Elizabeth Birch, HRC executive
director. “This bold, intelligent move mir
rors the highly effective human resources
practices of corporate America and will
help create a more efficient and effective
federal government.”
The agency’s move to hire a specialist
on gay-related workplace issues is part of
a larger effort to attract the most quali
fied workers by creating a more diverse
and equitable workplace. The agency
also is advertising for program specialists
to represent women, Native Americans,
Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans
and African Americans.
The jobs are posted on the Internet
site of the federal Office of Personnel
Management. The career opportunities
evolved from a series of employee adviso
ry councils created last year by Agricul
ture Secretary Dan Glickman and inher
ited by Ann Veneman, his successor in
the Bush administration.
The “gay and lesbian program special
ist” will help carry out policies recom
mended by the agency’s gay and lesbian
employee council and adopted by the Scout’s Honor tells the story of Steven Cozza, who is
agency. Primary responsibilities involve working to overturn the organization’s anti-gay policy
representation, policy development,
♦5»
implementation, training and evaluation of
wo anti-gay organizations launched a cam
employment and workplace issues related to
paign last month to stop the airing of
equal opportunity for gay and lesbian employees,
according to the job description posted on the Scout’s Honor on PBS’ P.O.V. program June 19.
The acclaimed documentary, which chroni
Internet site.
cles efforts to change the Boy Scouts of Ameri
-5-
ca policy banning gay Scouts and Scout leaders,
he U.S. Senate passed an amendment won the Audience Award for best documentary
June 14 sponsored by Barbara Boxer, and the Freedom of Expression Award at this
D-Calif., to offset a previous anti-gay amend year
’s Sundance Film Festival. Concerned
ment offered by Jesse Helms, R-N.C. The Boxer Women for America and the American Family
Association sent out action alerts calling on
amendment, which passed 52-47, ensures all
members to contact their local PBS stations and
federally chartered organizations are guaranteed
access to school facilities regardless of their pressure them not to air it.
The Washington Times, a conservative news
stance on sexual orientation.
paper,
quoted CWFA’s Peter LaBarbera as say
Earlier in the day, the Senate voted 51-49 for
passage of the Helms amendment, which pro ing: “It’s one thing if [the documentary’s produc
hibits federal funding to schools if they "deny er, Tom Shepard] were to produce a film on his
equal access” to Boy Scout troops because of the private dime. But when you bring the taxpayer
national group’s discriminatory policy banning money in...to undermine the Boy Scouts of
gay Scouts. Both amendments now are expected America, it changes things. Then it becomes a
to go to a conference committee, where lobbyists concern of taxpaying Americans.”
Joan M. Garry, Gay and Lesbian Alliance
will work to remove the anti-gay Helms language
Against Defamation executive director, said:
from the bill.
“
This is absolutely about both public broadcast
The courts al
ing and taxpayer funding. PBS has a mandate to
ready have ruled
represent the full diversity of this country, and
that school dis
that includes acknowledging and respecting the
tricts must allow
diverse community of LGBT taxpayers. Scout’s
the Boy Scouts,
Honor is a fair, accurate and inclusive look at the
like any other
divisiveness
caused by one organization’s deci
group, to have
sion to discriminate. It’s a story that informs and
equal access to
educates not only the LGBT community but
public facilities.
also the American public, advancing the cultur
But school districts
al debate that has played out in the courts and
still are entitled to
in the media for a number of years.” JF1
deny the Boy
Scouts special ben
Compiled by Copy Editor JlM RADOSTA, who can
efits not offered to
1
be reached at jim@justout .com.
other groups.
Barbara Boxer
ened by violence, and 17 percent had experi
enced physical attack.”
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