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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 2005)
nrnrminews Q ueers C autious A bout M iers Lawyer called alternately moderate and White House crony by Sarah Dougher administration, Miers was a lawyer in private practice for 27 years, mostly handling business cases, and served as the first female president of both the Dallas Bar Association and later the State Bar of Texas. She also served one term on the Dallas City Council. Miers is single and has no children. Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht has been described as her “companion” and “on-again, off-again boyfriend”; he has known her for more than 25 years. Valley View Christian Church in Dallas was Miers’ church from 1980 until she moved to Washington, D.C., to work for Bush. The church is evangelical. While being independent, Valley View is associated with the Restoration Move ment Christian Churches/Churches of Christ. Ron Key, a former senior pastor at Valley View, has been Miers’ pastor since the early 1980s. Because Valley View cut back on mis sionary work, parishioners were split last sum mer, and Key found a new church with Miers and others. When asked about Miers’ views, Key said: “Her personal views are consistent with that of evangelical Christians.... You can tell a lot about her from her decade of service in a conservative church.” If Miers holds the same or similar beliefs of her former church, then she is likely to be an evangelical Christian. Miers is a former board member of Exodus Ministry, a Dallas-based nondenominational Christian organization established to help ex offenders and their families “become produc tive members of society by meeting both their spiritual and physical needs.” It should not be confused with the “ex-gay” ministry Exodus International. jn rganizations working for equal do know is that right-wing to tell about Miers’ record rights for queer Americans were extremists are unhappy with and position on civil cautious about the nomination the mere possibility that Miers rights as they affect queer of lawyer Harriet Miers to fill the is fair.” Americans. In a statement shoes of departing U.S. Supreme Many particularly left released Oct. 3, he said: Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. leaning politicians and organi “Log Cabin looks forward The Washington Post reports that Miers went zations were frustrated by the to a thorough and on record favoring equal civil rights for gays lack of forthcoming details thoughtful review of when she ran for Dallas City Council and that from President Bush’s most Harriet Miers’ nomination she said the city had a responsibility to pay for recent court appointment, to the United States AIDS education and patient services. Chief Justice John Roberts. Supreme Court. Recogniz Speaking to Miers’ completion of a 1989 Eleanor D. Acheson, director ing the importance and survey on gay and lesbian rights, Human Rights impact of the Supreme of public policy and govern Campaign president Joe Solmonese said: “This ment affairs for the National Court, we support the An avowed evangelical Christian, is only a small window into Harriet Miers’ Gay and Lesbian Task Force, confirmation of all fair- Harriet Miers confounds critics and minded jurists to. the thinking 15 years ago, but it raises the possibili notes: “This time, the White allies alike. bench. Given the lack of a ty that she is more fair-minded than our oppo House and nominee must be nents are hoping. We will be closely watching public record on Ms. Miers, the confirmation more forthcoming. The stakes are simply too how the White House responds to this news, hearings will be a critically important part of the high. Indeed, the person who succeeds O’Con confinnation process. Log Cabin will carefully and it will be a good test of whether the extreme nor will likely provide the swing vote on critical right wing has hijacked the process on nominat cases that will affect the rights of Americans for study Ms. Miers’ testimony during this confirma tion process, particularly as it relates to questions generations to come. ing a Supreme Court justice. of basic fairness for gay and lesbian Americans.” “She wrote she supports ‘civil rights’ for gay “The administration and Harriet Miers each Given the fact that anti-choice and anti-gay Americans but that she would not support have a duty to tell the American people about organizations are also showing reticence in repealing a law that criminalized consensual sex her role in and views on the numerous legal putting their full weight behind the nominee, between same-sex couples. That is a contradic matters she has had any responsibility with political spectators should get ready for a lively tion that the Senate should investigate. Still, in related to her several positions in the executive debate in the Senate hearings. 1989 she supported AIDS funding and recog office of the president, in addition to the Miers is the White House counsel to Bush. nominee’s obligation to make public her views nized the importance of AIDS to the whole She was deputy chief of staff for policy prior to on the constitutional and other legal issues community,” added Solmonese. “There are her appointment as White House counsel to i more questions than answers when it comes to raised to now Chief Justice Roberts.” News Editor S arah D ougher can be reached at replace Alberto Gonzales when he became her stance on civil rights for gay, lesbian, bi Log Cabin Republicans president Patrick attorney general. 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