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y resident Bush’s
proposal
to
create a Homeland
Security Depart
ment perpetuates a
double standard for
gay, lesbian and bi
Coast Guardsmen
that should be
removed, accord
ing to Service-
members
Legal
Defense Network.
In making the
announcement
June 6, he suggested
the U .S. Coast
Guard be moved
from the Trans
President Bush prepares for his June 6 speech about the Homeland Security
portation Depart
Department with counselor Karen Hughes at the W hite House
ment to the new
gay and lesbian individuals and couples are capa
Cabinet-level agency. Under his plan, Coast
ble of meeting the best interest of the child and
Guardsmen would work alongside officials from
should he afforded the same rights and should
the Secret Service, Customs Service and the Immi
accept the same responsibilities as heterosexual
gration and Naturalization Service, among others.
parents.”
T h e plan, however, would mean C oast
Association president Newell Fisher took a
Guardsmen are the only members o f the new
firm stand against discrimination in adoptions.
department who would continue to be fired on
He criticized opponents who distort the truth.
the basis o f sexual orientation under the m ili
“It is disturbing to hear about cases in which
tary’s “don’t ask, don’t tell" policy. All other
gay or lesbian parents are being denied custody
agencies would be covered by an executive
or the right to adopt solely on the basis of their
order, implemented by the C linton administra
sexual orientation,” Fisher said. “T h at’s discrim
tion and still in effect under the Bush adminis
ination. T h e American Psychoanalytic Associa
tration, prohibiting discrimination on the basis
tion
deplores such discrimination and is espe
o f sexual orientation.
cially troubled when psychological findings are
“The president’s propositi presents a unique
distorted, misrepresented or blatantly ignored,
opportunity for the White House and Congress to
as is so often the case in these legal decisions.”
free the Coast Guard from the military’s policies of
anti-gay discrimination,” said Sharra E. Greer,
-$»
SLDN legal director. “The Department of Home
ignity/USA, the nation’s foremost organi
land Security will recruit America’s best and bright
zation of queer Catholics, reacted with
est, including linguists and intelligence officers.
cautious optimism to the U .S. Catholic Bishops
“There is no question that lesbian, gay, bi
Conference draft policy on pedophilia June 5.
sexual and transgender Americans have been,
T h e document contained no mention of sexual
and will continue to he, a part of our nation’s
orientation as a factor, contrary to earlier state
defense. In his proposal to Congress, President
ments from Vatican leaders.
Bush should recognize their contributions and
“The church and the victims of sexual abuse
free this new agency from the hypocrisy o f a
have been waiting for the bishops to acknowledge
dangerous, anti-gay double standard."
their own fault in perpetuating a system of abuse
Greer noted that almost as many members of
and cover-up,” Dignity/USA president Mary
Team Coast Guard are protected from anti-gay
Louise Cervone said. “They finally seem to he
discrimination by executive order as are subject to
admitting that they were a big part of the problem."
“don’t ask, don’t tell” in the first place. “Already,
Dignity/USA acknowledged that the exclu
Coast Guardsmen serve alongside openly gay peo
sion of blame on gay men is not a final resolu
ple as they protect our nation,” she said.
tion to the conflict begun by Vatican spokesman
Novarro-Vails in March.
•9»
“Repeated, unsubstantiated slurs against gay
he nation’s leading group of psychoanalysts
priests— and, by extension, the entire gay com
announced May 28 that the best interest of
munity— have persisted for months and have
the child— not sexual orientation— should he the
come from some of the most powerful men in
determining factor in parenting decisions regard
our chu rch,” executive director M arianne
ing conception, child rearing, adoption, visitation
Duddy said. “We continue to demand a full
and custody disputes. The organization also gave a
retraction
of all statements linking homosexual
strong endorsement to same-sex parenting, saying
ity and child abuse."
gay people can he just as capable as other parents.
“Acc umu late d
evidence suggests the
best interest of the
child requires attach
ment to committed,
nurturing and com
petent parents,” the
Am erican
Psycho
analytic Association
said in a statement.
“Evaluation o f an
individual or couple
for these parental
qualities should he
determined without
prejudice regarding
sexual orientation. Demonstrators protest anti-gay comments by Catholic officials April 27
APsaA believes that at St. Patrick’s Cathedral
<§>oul Tending
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