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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 2001)
^ ____________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __ ___________ i — àm ?i, moi i ju st “ •*115 irriiiTTTiWTiineivs Tff f you are fiscally and socially conservative and a member of the sexual minorities community, where do you party when it comes to politics? Gay, lesbian, hi and trans people fac ing this dilemma are forced to choose between the lesser of two evils. Some think they have nowhere else to turn hut to the Democrats despite their liberal leanings. Others are working from within the Repub lican Party to convince fellow conservatives that there is nothing “special” about wanting the right to work and live without being harassed and ostracized. To many Democrats, however, this is tantamount to betrayal. This is the vituperation that sexual minority Republicans wade against. And it is widespread. Jerry Keene, a Dorchester Conference board member who twice narrowly lost races for the Oregon Legislature, says the basic philosophy of gay, lesbian, hi and trans Republicans is to recognize that the source of bigotry is frequent ly ignorance. They quietly are influencing senior political leadership by personalizing the issue— by showing them sexual minorities are just people. “1 remember going to the Dorchester C o n ference dinner with my partner of 13 years,” Keene says. “If my partner didn’t show up to this dinner, fellow Republican political leaders would have asked, ‘Where’s your partner?’ If you see yourself as a victim, you get treated like one.” When Keene came out during his candidacy, longtime Republican leader Larry Campbell thought about it and quipped, “ Hell, it’s proba bly an advantage.” The rhetoric appears to be softening. After Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson blamed the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on gay men and lesbians, among others, the outcry was intense. Even President Bush condemned the remarks. HRC E ndorses S mith Oregon Republican gets nod for co-sponsoring hate crimes legislation by Jim Radosta . A “We hope our support will help them, as they have helped us, to form a win ning, bipartisan coalition in support of equality.” Sm ith received the endorse Sen. Gordon Smith ment for supporting a number of of Oregon for re- H R C ’s key legislative priorities; he election in 2002. He was the only co-sponsored the Employment Republican on the list. Nondiscrimination Act, the Ryan H RC released its initial Senate W hite Com prehensive A ID S endorsements Dec. 10. According Resources Emergency A ct and a to political director Winnie bill to extend Medicaid coverage to Stachelberg, the election will have Gordon Smith those living with HIV. The organi a significant impact on legislation zation also says he fought hard for promoting equality for gay and les James Hormel’s nomination as ambassador to bian U.S. citizens. Luxembourg. “We are proud to endorse these 15 terrific Most notably, according to H R C Smith has candidates, all of whom have been reliable advocates and allies on Capitol Hill,” she said. s expected, the Hu man Rights C am paign endorsed U .S. messages," Keene says. “If you listen to the words that are being sent out, you are not hearing this anymore.” The Log Cabin Republicans is the nation’s largest gay and lesbian GO P organization, with more than 50 chapters across the country. It was run mostly as a grassroots political group until the mid-1990s, when it became a lobbying organization in Washington, D.C. Some in Oregon think the Log Cabin Republicans has been hijacked. Lee Coleman served as executive director of the Oregon chap ter until January. “When they endorsed that all-purpose bigot [U.S. Attorney General John) Ashcroft, I had had enough,” he says. “Ashcroft gave ’em 20 minutes (for a meeting] and said to them that the laws that are on the books will stay there, but there will be no new laws. They’ll kiss any ass in Washington.” Keene steers a different course. “These guys in Washington have done a great job working with the White House and Congress," he says. “They do a ton of behind- the-scenes work that nobody ever sees, and then people say that nothing happened. I don’t think people realize what a significant course change the White House made when it decided to keep Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh said, “Suggestions of this kind are one of the rea most if not all of the Clinton administration sons why all conservatives get tarred and feath policies on gay rights.” But is maintaining the status quo a fair stan ered with this extremist, bigoted, racist, sexist, dard by which to judge an organization’s success? homophobic label or image that isn’t true.” Ear lier this month, Robertson resigned as head of “If gay Republicans were not out there making things happen, if there was only one party for us, the Christian Coalition. the Democrats, things would be a lot worse, “There is a subtle shift away from anti-gay because control keeps switching back and forth,” Keene says. galvanized support within his own party for the The Log Cabin Republicans mission is to Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act. He is steer the party of President Abraham Lincoln a lead sponsor of the hate crimes measure and each day enters incidents into the Congressional back toward its inclusive roots. Meanwhile, the G O P faces a huge image problem: Only the Record to highlight the problem. party extremists are vocal; everyone else prefers “Gordon Sm ith has earned our support by to whisper. working for fairness and speaking out against Those voices might grow louder as the polit discrimination,” Stachelberg said. “His record shows that he is a true friend and a depend ical pendulum continues to oscillate slightly toward the right. With Bush reportedly gamer able ally who has the courage to go against ing 25 percent of the gay vote in the agonizing the grain when necessary and do what is ly close 2000 presidential race, the evidence is right.” clear and somewhat surprising. H R C also endorsed incumbent Democratic The Log Cabin Republicans will tell you Sens. Max Baucus of Montana, Joseph R. this actually is helping the cause. The way Biden of Delaware, Jean Carnahan of Mis they see it, if more sexual minorities join the souri, Max Cleland of Georgia, Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, Tom Harkin of Iowa, John j GOP, more people will become aware that F. Kerry of Massachusetts, Mary L. Landrieu of character is what counts, not who you sleep with. Louisiana, Carl Levin of Michigan, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Robert Torricelli of New Jer Winston Churchill once said, “ Politics sey and Paul Wellstone of Minnesota. In addi begins in the nursery." It’s now apparent that it doesn’t stop in the bedroom. J H tion, the organization supports challengers Tom Strickland o f Colorado and Gov. Jeanne KELLY R eilly is a professional journalist living in Port Shaheen of New Hampshire. land. Her e-mail address is kelly_reilly@hotmail.com. W ish in g Y o u Peace, Pride & P ro sp e rity in 2002 one good frame! 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