LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Capital Letters |
by Hastings Wyman |
Vallone Alone in Gotham Mayor's Race In this fall's mayoral election in New York City, City Council President Peter Vallone has staked out a strongly worded opposition to same-sex marriage that sets him apart from the other three major contenders in the Sept. 11 Democratic primary. Calling the other candidates' pledges to perform same-sex ceremonies at City Hall "an outrage," Vallone hopes to draw enough support from Catholic and other social conservatives to surge ahead of the liberals in the race. The other Democratic candidates, Public Advocate Mark Green, Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer, and Comptroller Alan Hevesi, all support same-sex marriage. Though the mayor of New York has no jurisdiction over this issue and it is irrelevant to governing the city, it does serve as a marker for a candidate's attitude toward the gay community. Vallone, who goes to Catholic mass every day, has long been conservative on social issues, so his stance comes as no surprise. Moreover, while Green, Ferrer, and Hevesi each has significant gay support, Vallone has little or none, so he did not risk much with his anti-gay matrimony position. Indeed, Vallone may have gained by his tactic. To win the nomination outright, a candidate must secure at least 40 percent of the primary vote. If no candidate reaches that threshold, then a runoff between the top two contenders will be held on Sept. 25. Green has been leading in the polls, but with only around 30 percent. By distinguishing himself from the other candidates, Vallone may have secured himself a spot in the runoff, although some influential conservative Democrats are backing other candidates. No polls are available on the gay vote in this contest, but Big Apple observers suggest that gay Democrats are split among Green, Ferrer, and Hevesi. Hevesi has the most gay organizations and openly gay elected officials behind him, including state Sen. Tom Duane and City Councilmember Christine Quinn. Ferrer, who is Latino, has been endorsed by the Out People of Color Political Action Club. And frontrunner Green recently held a big gay-oriented rally in Chelsea and took a campaign walk through Greenwich Village. Given the similarity of these three contenders on gay concerns, many gay voters appear to be choosing on the basis of a range of general issues and considerations. The contest isn't likely to be over in September. Michael Bloomberg, the business-news mogul, is expected to defeat ex-Congressman Herman Badillo in the Republican primary and, with his very deep pockets, will be a factor in the general election in November, especially if Havesi loses the Democratic primary, but runs as a third-party candidate. Although there is some question about neophyte Bloomberg's political skills, if there's a Democratic runoff, the Bloomberg campaign would have a head start to establish a political identity while the Democrats settle on a nominee. Bloomberg, by the way, already has a major television ad campaign underway. Bloomberg has avoided a clear stand on same-sex marriage, but has been endorsed by Log Cabin Republicans and is expected to make a significant appeal for gay support. Meanwhile, the big Big Apple news is that Hizzoner Rudy Giuliani, who is blocked from running again by term limits and is locked out of Gracie Mansion in a divorce brawl, is staying with friendsa gay couple. Giuliani, by the way, doesn't support same-sex marriage. Army "Don't Ask" Training Positive The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), which works with gay men and women having problems in the armed forces, had high praise for the Department of the Army's recently published training manual on its murky and controversial "don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue, don't harass" policy for homosexual military personnel. The recently released manual's title, "Dignity and Respect: A Training Guide on Homosexual Conduct Policy," is a major tip-off on the Army's enforcement guidelines. So is the guide's conclusion: "Harassment will not be tolerated." Secretary of the Army Louis Caldera, who served under President Clinton, apparently approved the manual, although Bush Army Secretary Thomas White did not impede its publication. The manual was published June 1 of this year, nearly six months after Bush took office. SLDN's Steve Ralls, whose group has been lobbying Pentagon officials on behalf of clear, concise guidelines for several years, told me that the Army kept the manual's development a secret. "We never received any information that [the Army] was planning this." The reason for the silence is unclear. SLDN said that while Pentagon policy on gays is unjust, as long as it's the law, "soldiers should know what the rules are and commanders should stop asking, pursuing and harassing." As for changing the law, the latest survey data, to be published by MIT this fall, shows that 55 percent of Americans favor allowing gay people to serve openly in the military. Anti-gay sentiment has also declined within the military. According to research by the Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the Military at the University of California, Santa Barbara, the percent of naval officers who are "uncomfortable" around gay people has declined from 58 percent in 1994right after "don't ask, don't tell" was adoptedto 36 percent. Similar trends have taken place in the Army and the Marine Corps. Stay tuned, but don't hold your breath. Gay Rights in the Free State The Maryland legislature's recently passed civil rights law that includes sexual orientation was supposed take effect this October. But unless a lawsuit brought by gay activists succeeds in scuttling a ballot initiative challenging the law, the legislation will be forced into a holding pattern pending the outcome of a referendum in November 2002. In their legal challenge, Free State Justice and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore, two influential gay groups, questioned whether gay-rights foes, under the banner of Take Back Maryland, gathered enough valid signatures to force a referendum. If the initiative stays on the ballot, polls indicate a close contest. While an earlier poll of Maryland voters showed some 60 percent favored a gay rights law, the latest survey, with wording based on the likely ballot language, found only 50 percent favor the gay rights statute, with 36 percent opposed and 14 percent undecided. Under Maryland law, a "yes" vote would allow the gay-rights statute to take effect, while a "no" vote would defeat it. Pollster Brad Coker of Mason-Dixon Research, which took the recent survey, notes that "anytime you have one of these 'politically correct' questions, involving race or sexual orientation, you have to question whether the undecideds haven't really made up their minds [against the socially liberal side], but don't want to say." Thus, the 50 percent support for the gay rights proposal suggests a very close race that could go either way. Coker says two key groups are African-Americans and blue-collar Catholics. If politically influential black ministers, especially in Baltimore, endorse a "yes" vote, it will give a major boost to the gay rights law, says Coker. His survey showed that some 60 percent of African-Americans support the new law. The role of the Catholic Church may be less positive. Maryland's Catholic Conference allowed sponsors of the anti-gay initiative to put their petitions on its Web site. Whether the church hierarchy takes an active part in the campaign remains to be seen. Coker notes that Maryland voters have defeated conservative initiatives in the past on abortion and gun control, but also points out that anti-gay initiatives have won in such liberal states as Maine and Hawaii. "It's a powerful issue," says Coker, "even in a progressive state." Hattaway a Harbinger? Doug Hattaway, the openly gay political operative who handled public relations for Al Gore's presidential campaign, is moving from Bostonwhere he's half of a couple with state Rep. Jarrett Barrios (D)to spend three months in Washington as director of communications for Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. Despite the fact that Daschle is "getting mentioned" more and more often as a challenger to President Bush, Hattaway tells us it's too soon for him to make plans for 2004. "I'm still recuperating from the recount," he says. Hastings Wyman publishes Southern Political Report, a nonpartisan biweekly political newsletter. He may be reached in care of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth or at HWymanSPR@aol.com. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 11, No. 12, August 24, 2001. |