LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Capital Letters |
by Hastings Wyman |
Gay voters have three significant election choices The first, which will appeal to the majority of lesbians and gay men, is to vote for Al Gore and Joe Lieberman. If you are fairly liberal on most issues and believe the legislation favored by most gay leaders across the country is important, then you should vote for Gore. The vice-president supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), hate crimes legislation and changes in the military's policy on gay service members. Moreover, the strong role played by gay and lesbian political activists in the Democratic campaign guarantees a significant degree of influence for the gay point of view in a Gore administration. But while issues such as ENDA and hate crimes are central to most gay activists' outlook, they are much lower on the nation's agenda. Gay issues did not get mentioned until the second presidential debate, and some observers believe they came up in the vice-presidential debate only because Dick Cheney's daughter, Mary, is a lesbian. So while Gore's stands are much more in line with most gay voters on gay issues, don't be shocked ifshould the going get tougha President Gore fails to push all of the gay agenda. Hate crimes is a likely winner, ENDA a possibility, reform of gays-in-the-military a long shot. The outlook for such policies is better under a Democratic administration, but not certain. We all remember don't-ask-don't-tell. The second gay choice is to vote for Bush. If one agrees with the Bush-Cheney ticket on a wide range of non-gay related issuestaxes, energy, social security, health care, and foreign policythen it becomes difficult to vote for Gore-Lieberman, even if one believes their gay positions are more palatable. This year, that choice is somewhat more attractive for many gay conservatives and moderates because Bush and Cheney have signaled a personal tolerance that suggests a GOP administration would not hold back the evolving national consensus in favor of gay liberation. But gay Republicans should take note that when Bush used the words "special rights" in the debate, he was repeating the religious right's code words for civil rights for gays. This suggests a continuing willingness on Bush's part to keep the social conservatives happy at our expense. Moreover, the anti-gay pressure from the religious right will continue, perhaps even intensify, in a Republican administration. Thus, gay voters who decide to vote for Bush on the basis of his non-gay agenda must simply accept that gay concerns will not be addressed as positively in a Republican administration as they will in a Democratic one. That trade-off may be acceptable to some. Just don't feel let down if Bush wins and ENDA and hate crimes bills languish, few gay folk receive federal jobs, and those who do are in positions where they can't influence policy on gay issues. The third choice is to vote for Ralph Nader. Some gay voters are disappointed with the Gore-Lieberman ticket because it holds back on same-sex marriage, because it has ties to some big business interests, because Gore is a tarnished idealist on campaign finance reform, and because Lieberman has some socially conservative views. They note that Nader has taken not only a greener set of positions, but much more lavender as well, including support for gay marriage. If you believe that pushing a liberal agenda for the long run is more important than pushing a less liberal agenda for the short term, then a vote for Nader makes some sense. However, make no mistake about it: A vote for Nader, especially in a battleground state, makes it easier for Bush to win. If that's okay with you, fine. If it isn't, you'd better take another look at your decision. High Water Mark for Gays As this year's political campaigns come to a close, gay causes and concerns are on the national agenda as never before and gay activists are involved at unprecedented levels. The Democratic Party has embraced gay and lesbian America as a major constituency in its coalition of key voter groups. The Republican Party has mostly abandoned its past homophobia and has exhibitedalbeit cautiouslya friendly face to gay people. For the Democrats, Al Gore and Joe Lieberman have endorsed most governmental initiatives supported by gay and lesbian leaders across the countrythe Employment Non-Discrimination Act, hate crimes legislation, a change in the Pentagon's "Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell" policy on gays in the military, and some form of civil unions for same-sex couples. In return, gay and lesbian voters continue to give major support to the Democratic ticket. Independent sources estimate that gay and lesbian groups have contributed nearly $5 million to the Democratic Party this year. The Democratic National Committee's Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council has 150 members at $10,000 a pop. The group, under the leadership of Paul Yandura, has hosted 13 events, raking in $3 million for the DNC and its political activities. The group's recent luncheon in Dallas, for examplewhere President Clinton spent an hour and a half speaking, meeting, and greetingraised $400,000 from 60 gay guests ("big dollar queens," says a Big D source). The DNC teams, consisting of a paid staffer and up to 12 volunteers, are heading for the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan, Ohio and Missouri to stress getting out the gay vote. Thus, the early emphasis on comparing the gay-issue records of Gore and Bushwith newspaper ads in the gay press, leaflets at gay gatherings, etc.is giving way to get-out-the-vote programs using direct mail and telephone calls to gay and lesbian voters. There's also been a large e-mail effort among gay Democrats. In San Francisco, the Harvey Milk and Alice B. Toklas clubs, both National Stonewall Democratic Federation groups, worked the Folsom Street and Castro Street fairs. In Fresno and San Diego, Stonewallers worked pride events and are conducting a major direct mail/telephone campaign aimed at gay voters. In Floridaa key battleground stateStonewall is distributing 20,000 Gore-Lieberman rainbow bumper stickers, and its clubs in Key West, Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Orlando, Sarasota, and Miami are engaged in a get-out-the-vote effort. Major Stonewall activities for Gore are ongoing in Missouriin both Kansas City and St. LouisOhio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, especially Chicago. In New York, Stonewall clubs are working for Hillary Clinton's Senate race, and in Vermont, for openly gay Ed Flanagan's Senate bid. The Gore-Lieberman campaign's been a boon to Stonewall. Executive Director Michael Colby reports they're adding new clubs at a rapid rate. In Georgia, for example, they've long had a club in cosmopolitan Atlanta, but now new ones have formed in Athens, Macon and Savannah. On the Republican side, Log Cabin Republicans, with far less to work with, are still a potent force in this campaign. This year, the LCRs are more visible than ever. They've launched a $250,000 radio campaign highlighting past anti-gay votes by Gore and noting the national GOP's new-found tolerance, citing Jim Kolbe's convention speech as an example. The ads are being run in up-for-grabs states, including severalMaine, Ohio, and Washingtonwhere Ralph Nader is expected to draw votes from Gore, thus giving Bush a better shot. The ads, which are designed to appeal to women, independents, and suburbanites, as well as gays, have also been targeted to help moderate, pro-gay Vermont GOPer Jim Jeffords in his race against Flanagan and several moderate GOP nominees in hotly contested congressional contests in New York, California, and Illinois. In addition, Log Cabin is running ads in 11 gay papers around the country. The importance of the gay vote to both parties was apparent in the vice-presidential debate. When Bernard Shaw asked about the rights of same-sex couples, a careful listener might have noticed that Joe Lieberman endorsed specific gay rights legislation and Dick Cheney did not. Otherwise, Lieberman and Cheney sounded equally tolerant, though both stopped short of endorsing gay marriage. Indeed, when this campaign is over, gay and lesbian America will be recognized as one of the nation's major political forces. Hoo-rah! Queer and There * In Texas, homophobia has raised its ugly head in the hot congressional contest between incumbent U.S. Representative Pete Sessions (R) and challenger Regina Montoya Coggins (D). Sessions, the son of ex-FBI director William Sessions, attacked Coggins because President Clinton endorsed her candidacy at a Dallas gay fundraiser. "Her base is the gay and lesbian agenda," said Sessions, who has also criticized the "huge gay and lesbian population" in the Oak Lawn section of his district. Shame on him. * In Virginia, where U.S. Senator Charles Robb (D) has been a consistent supporter of gay causeseven opposing the Defense of Marriage Acthis campaign caught some homophobic flak for a "YouGoRobb.com" Web site sponsored by "lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered Virginians." Robb's opponent, former Governor George Allen (R), has at least one pro-gay stand: He's for hate crimes legislation. 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. 10, No. 14, Oct. 20, 2000. |