Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
122241952
label
[12/09/1999 – 12/12/1999]
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
122241952
contentType
document
title
[12/09/1999 – 12/12/1999]
citationUrl
collections
Presidential Electronic Mail from the Automated Records Management System (ARMS)
Automated Records Management System (ARMS) Email from the Default Bucket
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
122241952
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
otherTitles
42-t-26444787-20150017F-Seg2-027-004-2017
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
026d79ffc159453b
ocrText
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: Rex Wockner <[email protected]> ( Rex Wockner <[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN D
CREATION DATE/TIME: 9-DEC-1999 17:26:09.00
SUBJECT: NC11569: Support for gay equality increases
TO: Rex Wockner <[email protected]> ( Rex Wockner <[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN 1)
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE
PRESS RELEASE
Contact:
David Elliot, Communications Director
202-332-6483 ext. 3303
800-757-6476 pager
[email protected]
http://www.ngltf.org
1700 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC
SUPPORT FOR GAY AND LESBIAN EQUALITY ON THE RISE,
NGLTF POLICY INSTITUTE STUDY SHOWS
70 percent support right to serve in the military:
Half of Republicans, 74 percent of Democrats back anti-discrimination laws
Dec. 9, 1999 - The U.S. public overwhelmingly supports equal rights and
anti-discrimination protections for lesbians and gay men, and this support
has increased markedly during the 1990s, according to a new report on
trends in public opinion released by the Policy Institute of the National
Gay and Lesbian Task Force. The Policy Institute of the NGLTF is a
think-tank dedicated to research, policy analysis, strategy development
and coalition building to advance the equality and understanding of GLBT
people.
According to polling data from 1999, 70 percent of Americans support the
right of gays and lesbians to serve in the military, up from 55 percent in
1992. Surprisingly, while all the Republican presidential candidates
oppose anti-discrimination laws, half of Republican voters support such
laws, as do 65 percent of Independents and 74 percent of Democrats.
"From Wrongs to Rights: Public Opinion on Gay and Lesbian Americans Moves
Toward Equality 1973-1999," authored by Columbia University political
scientist Alan Yang, reveals that American public opinion is more
supportive of gays and lesbians than are most lawmakers and politicians.
The report further reveals that this support for equal rights has grown
despite a context of heightened anti-gay activism as well as increased
organizing by gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) activists to
pass pro-GLBT civil rights and hate crime laws. The report tracks trends
in public opinion as measured by questions and polls that ask the same
question over time to national, random samples of the U.S. public.
"Presidential candidates opposing anti-discrimination protections are out
of touch not only with the American electorate, but with the rank and file
of their own party," said Urvashi Vaid, Director of the Policy Institute
of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "The overwhelming trend in
American public opinion reveals that we have more allies than foes in our
struggle for basic equal rights."
Over the past two decades the GLBT community has evolved into a valued and
measurable political constituency, with 5 percent of the national
electorate identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual (GLB) in national exit
polls taken during the 1996 presidential election, and 4.2 percent
identifying as GLB in the national exit polls taken during the mid-term
election of 1998. Public opinion polls do not yet provide data on public
attitudes towards bisexuals and transgender people, and national exit
polls have asked voters to self-identify as "gay, lesbian or bisexual."
To date, 235 cities and counties and 28 states have enacted have enacted
either civil rights laws or hate crimes laws that include GLBT people. Yet
there are no federal laws outlawing discrimination based upon sexual
orientation in employment or other categories.
"From Wrongs to Rights 1973-1999" documents increased support for gay and
lesbian equality in several areas:
****Today, 83 percent support equal rights in employment and 75 percent
support equal rights in housing.
1996, 68 percent of women and 72 percent of African-Americans
supported anti-discrimination laws for gay men and lesbians. Data reveal
that women are consistently more supportive of anti-discrimination laws
than men (an average of 65 percent of women supported anti-discrimination
laws in four surveys from 1988 to 1996, versus 55 percent of men), and
African-Americans are consistently more supportive of equal employment
rights than white Americans (an average of 68 percent of blacks vs. 60
percent of whites in four surveys from 1988 to 1996).
1998, 55 percent of those surveyed reported having a gay friend or
acquaintance, up from 43 percent in 1994 and 24 percent in 1983. Such data
correlates with increasing support for GLBT rights, supporting the
conclusion that greater knowledge of openly gay or lesbian people fosters
greater tolerance and support for equal rights laws.
As familiarity with openly gay and lesbian people has increased,
disapproval of same-sex relations has consistently declined since the
early 1990s. Gallup reports a drop in disapproval from 57 percent in 1992
to 46 percent in 1999. The National Opinion Research Center tracks a
decline in disapproval from 73 percent in 1990 to 58 percent in 1998.
percent of Americans supported the hiring of gay and lesbian high
school teachers in 1999, up from 27 percent in 1977. In 1997, 63 percent
said school boards shouldn't be able to fire a teacher because he or she
is gay.
****75 percent support the hiring of gay and lesbian doctors in 1999, up
from 53 percent in 1992 and 44 percent in 1977.
****57 percent of self-described conservatives supported the right of gays
and lesbians to serve in the military, as did 70 percent of moderates and
91 percent of liberals, according to a 1996 National Election Study. In
1999 70 percent of all respondents told Gallup that they supported gays
and lesbians serving in the armed forces, up from 55 percent in a National
Election Study poll in 1992. This sharp increase in support occurred
against the backdrop of increased purges of homosexual servicemembers
since the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy was adopted in 1993. Discharges
for homosexuality increased 86 percent from 1993 to 1998, according to the
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.
****Solid majorities support Social Security benefits for the same-sex
partners of gay and lesbian people, as well as inheritance rights for
same-sex spouses.
The Yang study also documents lower levels of support for the rights of
gay and lesbian couples to marry and adopt children. Less than one-third
of respondents support the right to civil marriage for same-sex couples,
according to two 1998 polls (29 percent and 33 percent). And only 36
percent support the right of same-sex couples to adopt children. Put into
context, Vaid noted, these results are not that surprising. "Same-sex
marriage and same-sex couples adopting children are issues new to the
public's consciousness, just as openly gay people teaching or being
doctors were new concepts 20 years ago. Over time, there is every reason
to believe that this trend will change and that support for gay adoptive
parents and for the rights of same-sex couples will continue to increase."
Vaid cited the fact that same-sex unions are allowed by several European
countries as a sign that governments internationally are changing their
policies. "The marriage issue is one that will be with us into the next
century and one that is of critical importance to many GLBT people," Vaid
said. "We believe that public opinion will change as the debate
continues."
Copies of the report are available on the NGLTF web site at
http://www.ngltf.org or may be purchased for $10 by calling 202-332-6483.
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: [email protected] ([email protected] UNKNOWN
CREATION DATE/TIME:10-DEC-1999 14:55:54.00
SUBJECT: Articles 12.10.99.5
TO: "undisclosed-recipients:;"@eop.gov ("undisclosed-recipients:"@eop.gov UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
1. SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Bill Would Add Teeth To Laws on Hate Crimes
2. SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS States urged to collect names among HIV data
3. SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE Editorial: Proof of the Failure Of Don't Ask,
Don't Tell'
4. NEW YORK POST Gay it ain't so! Hill eyes St. Pat's march
5. SEATTLE TIMES Parents of slain soldier say 'don't ask, don't tell'
fails
SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, December 10, 1999
P.O. Box 867, Salt Lake City, UT, 84110
(Fax 801-237-2022 (E-MAIL: [email protected] )
(http://www.sltrib.com)
Bill Would Add Teeth To Laws on Hate Crimes
STEPHEN HUNT, THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
The 2000 Legislature will have a chance to enact a hate-crimes law that
would have the teeth to make prosecutors happy but avoids the references to
sexual orientation that historically have made legislators cringe.
Seven years ago, the Legislature -- unwilling to pass a law that
specifically protected gays -- passed a vague and watered-down hate-crimes
statute that has proved unenforceable. Just last week, a 3rd District judge
called the law "incomplete" and dismissed hate-crime charges against two
alleged gay-bashers.
But the law also has proved useless in alleged hate crimes committed
against other types of victims. Only a handful of people have been charged
under the law since 1992, and most have been allowed to plead to lesser
charges.
This week, attorney G. Fred Metos said he plans to challenge the
existing
hate-crimes law on behalf of his client, a self-proclaimed white
supremacist
charged with threatening a black woman, on the grounds that the language of
the law is too vague.
As it happens, Metos helped draft the proposed law.
"The bizarre thing about [the existing hate-crime law] is that the
intent
must be to deprive someone of a constitutional right," Metos said. "The law
has nothing to do with race."
The law mentions no class of victims at all, because the 1992
Legislature
jettisoned clarifying language in order to make sure gays were excluded. In
contrast, hate-crimes laws in many other states list race, religion,
national
origin or sexual orientation as protected classes.
The proposed law avoids the pitfall of making lists by protecting any
victim targeted "primarily because of bias or prejudice against a group."
Metos said that provision would be applicable to a variety of
situations,
including, for instance, a church bombing. And, he added, the bill should
be
moreworkable because it clearly states that a defendant must have intended
to
harm someone because of prejudice.
The proposed law also would enhance the penalty for such a crime by one
degree. For example, aggravated assault, normally a third-degree felony,
would be raised to a second-degree felony if prosecutors believed it to be
motivated by hate.
The existing law enhances only certain misdemeanors -- such as simple
assault and criminal mischief -- by raising them to third-degree felonies.
The proposed law already has the unanimous approval of the Utah
Sentencing Commission, which makes recommendations regarding criminal law
to
the government.
"We think that a crime based upon bias or prejudice deserves enhanced
penalties because it sends a message of hatred and poisons society," said
commission director Edward McConkie. "The injury goes beyond what the crime
causes in and of itself."
McConkie said the proposed statute will be presented to the Senate
Judiciary Committee prior to the legislative session, which begins Jan. 17,
to "give it some exposure." A copy of the bill has already been given to
Gov.
Mike Leavitt.
"The Legislature wants a hate-crimes bill," McConkie said. "We are
trying
to make one that's usable."
Meanwhile, the Attorney General's office is reviewing last week's
dismissal of hate-crime charges against Brian Hitt and Jason Millard. The
A.G. has 30 days to decide whether to appeal 3rd District Judge William
Barrett's ruling.
Hitt and Millard, both 25, still face counts of misdemeanor assault and
criminal mischief for allegedly beating two men and terrorizing three
others
because the defendants believed they were gay.
In Metos' case, 36-year-old Mark Olsen Sloan is charged with
threatening
to kill a black South Salt Lake woman and her 6-year-old daughter. Metos
also
contends that Sloan and the woman were engaged in an ongoing neighbor
dispute
that had nothing to do with race.
Sloan's preliminary hearing began Thursday before 3rd District Judge
Roger Livingston, but was postponed on a technicality until Jan 6.
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, December 10, 1999
750 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, CA, 95190
(Fax 408-471-3792 (E-MAIL: [email protected]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/)
States urged to collect names among HIV data
The government issued new guidelines Thursday instructing states to
collect data on HIV cases with patient names or identifying codes attached
a measure that has alarmed some AIDS activists.
The guidelines are the latest step in an effort by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention to track where and how the AIDS virus is
spreading.
The CDC estimates that up to 900,000 Americans are living with HIV, and
about 297,000 of them actually have AIDS.
Testing sites would report HIV cases and patient names or identifying
codes to state health departments, which would pass case data on to the
CDC.
Names and other identifying information would be kept at the state level.
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, December 10, 1999
901 Mission St., San Francisco, CA, 94103
(Fax 415-896-1107 (E-MAIL: [email protected])
(http://www.sfgate.com
)
Proof of the Failure Of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
A HATE crime of immense proportions occurred at Fort Campbell in
Kentucky
this year, and if the tragic incident doesn't change President Clinton's
opinion about "don't ask, don't tell," maybe his wife's wise counsel
will.
Pvt. Calvin Glover, an 18-year-old from Oklahoma, apparently thought
the
worst insult he could suffer was to have been bested in a fight by a fellow
soldier who was rumored to be gay. Glover was found guilty on Wednesday of
the premeditated murder in the bludgeoning death of Pfc. Barry Winchell, a
21-year-old Missourian, who had found career happiness in the Army but
reportedly was terrified of being forced to acknowledge his homosexuality.
According to testimony and published reports, Winchell endured taunts
and
other harassment by some soldiers who suspected that he was gay. He refused
to complain because he did not want to risk being booted out of the Army.
Under the military's ``don't ask, don't tell" policy, gays may serve as
long
as they keep their sexual orientation to themselves and do not engage in
homosexual acts. In addition, commanders may not inquire about a service
member's sexual orientation, although a sergeant reportedly was investi
gating Winchell.
After a barroom fistfight with Glover that Winchell won, Glover
reportedly vowed to kill Winchell and said later to one acquaintance, ``I
won't let a faggot kick my ass."
Glover was found guilty of beating Winchell to death with a bat as
Winchell slept two nights after the fight.
If Winchell had been free to complain about harassment -- which would
not
be tolerated against anyone else -- without risk of serious repercussions
to
himself, his murder might have been averted. Far from providing equality
for
gays in the military, ``don't ask, don't tell" has had the effect of
sanctioning the most brutal harassment of gays.
Senatorial candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton said this week that "don't
ask, don't tell" has been a failure and that "fitness to serve should be
based on an individual's conduct, not their sexual orientation." Her
husband
espoused the same philosophy and vowed to end the ban on gays in the
military
when he took office in 1993. But he compromised with ``don't ask, don't
tell."
The tragic death of Pfc. Winchell is a grave reminder of the menace of
setting a double standard.
NEW YORK POST, December 10, 1999
1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, 10036
(Fax 212-930-8546 (E-MAIL: [email protected] )
(http://www.nypost.com)
GAY IT AIN'T SO!
HILL EYES ST. PAT'S MARCH
By ROBERT HARDT Jr.
Gay rights took center stage in the Senate race yesterday as Hillary
Rodham Clinton said she would march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade, while
Mayor Giuliani remained mum on the military's "don't ask, don't tell
policy."
Appearing with a group of Irish-American leaders at a Manhattan restaurant,
the first lady raised eyebrows when she said she would likely march up
Fifth
Avenue in next March's St. Patrick's Day Parade.
Since 1989, the event has been boycotted by many Democratic officials
because organizers have barred gay and lesbian groups from marching.
Protesters have been arrested every year.
When asked if she would march, Clinton -- seemingly unaware of the
controversy -- said: "I would hope so."
Looking at the small group of supporters by her side, she added: "As
long
as I've got lots of good company, I'll certainly march in the St. Patrick's
Day Parade."
But the Irish and Lesbian Gay Organization, which has been at the
flashpoint of the dispute, is already gearing up for this year's march. The
group's answering machine tells callers: "For our 10th anniversary, we want
to organize our largest protest ever."
Democratic and gay supporters quickly called on Clinton to change her
position.
"We would urge all people of conscience to stay away from the parade as
long as it is excluding certain Irish groups," said Brendan Fay, co-chair
of
the Lavender and Green Alliance, a gay Irish group.
"We would be greatly disappointed if any candidate for the United
States
Senate participated in a parade that was not inclusive," said Kevin
Finnegan,
president of the Gay and Lesbian Independent Democrats.
But Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson noted: "As a general statement of
principle, not everything you do is going to make every person happy."
Of the city's major Democrats, only City Council Speaker Peter Vallone,
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, and former Mayor Ed Koch have been fixtures at the
parade.
Clinton made her position known on a day when The New York Times
reported
that she opposes her husband's administration's "don't ask, don't tell"
policy toward gays in the military.
The first lady reiterated the position she first took Tuesday night at
a
private fund-raiser, telling reporters the policy "has not worked."
"I don't believe it is ultimately the policy we should have in our
military," she said.
Although Giuliani generally has been supportive of gay rights, he
wouldn't say whether he would support a change in "don't ask, don't tell."
"We'll take a look at it. I don't let other people set my agenda not
even you," he lectured a reporter.
Wolfson quipped that the mayor "must think that the 'don't ask, don't
tell' policy applies to him."
Clinton also took a dig at Giuliani, saying: "There are people who
disagree with me on one or more issues, but that doesn't mean I'm going to
call them names or refuse to see them or not deal with them."
Asked if she was talking about the mayor, the first lady said: "Let
people draw their own conclusions."
SEATTLE TIMES, December 10, 1999
P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA, 98111
(Fax 206-382-6760 (E-MAIL: [email protected])
(http://www.seattletimes.com)
Parents of slain soldier say 'don't ask, don't tell' fails
by James Prichard, The Associated Press
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. The mother and stepfather of a soldier bludgeoned
to
death in his barracks say the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy
failed to protect their son, who was rumored to be gay.
The parents of Pfc. Barry Winchell spoke out yesterday after a military
jury sentenced an Army private to life in prison for the slaying.
"We knew Barry could be deployed and come into harm's way for our
country. We never dreamed that he would be killed by labeling, prejudice
and
hatred at home," Pat and Wally Kutteles said in a statement. "Don't ask,
don't tell, don't pursue' did not protect our son. It won't protect anyone
else's child. This policy must end."
Gay-rights activists called the case a tragic failure of the military's
policy toward gays and lesbians.
Pvt. Calvin Glover, 18, has the possibility of parole. He was convicted
of premeditated murder Wednesday in a court-martial.
Glover used a bat to kill Winchell, 21, as he slept at Fort Campbell.
There had been rumors that the native of Kansas City, Mo., was gay, and
prosecutors said Glover was driven by hatred of gays.
Glover, from Sulphur, Okla., apologized in court, saying he was drunk
at
the time of the crime and since has found God.
Gay-rights activist C. Dixon Osburn, co-executive director of the
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network in Washington, said the case proves
that
the Pentagon's policy doesn't work.
"I think this case shatters any illusions that 'don't ask, don't tell,
don't pursue' is somehow a benign policy," he said. "This is a policy of
violence."
Under "don't ask, don't tell," gay members of the military can continue
to serve - and their superiors cannot investigate and expel them - as long
as
they keep their sexual orientation to themselves.
Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon said the Defense Department is working
on new training programs to ensure a fair enforcement of the policy on
gays.
He said the Clinton administration's policy has succeeded in ending the
previous practice of excluding gays from the military.
Glover never addressed the allegation that he despised homosexuals. His
attorneys argued that another soldier, Spc. Justin R. Fisher, goaded Glover
into the attack. Fisher, 25, of Lincoln, Neb., will be tried in January as
an
accessory.
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: [email protected] ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN
CREATION DATE/TIME:10-DEC-1999 18:37:04.00
SUBJECT: Articles 12.10.99.8
TO: "undisclosed-recipients:;"@eop.gov ("undisclosed-recipients:;"@eop.gov. [ UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
1. HONOLULU STAR-BULLETIN State high court nixes same-sex marriage, but
the
lawyer for three couples who sued says the issue isn't over
2. HONOLULU ADVERTISER Sidebar: Sequence of Events (surrounding same-sex
marriage case)
3. THE GUARDIAN (U.K.) Obituary: Barry Jackson, 53, gay activist and
corporate and public affairs manager
4. FEEDBACK CBS's "60 Minutes" to Air Show on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell,
Don't
Pursue" Sunday night (12/12)
5. CINCINNATI ENQUIRER Northern Kentuckyy lawmakers' bill would prohibit
local gay-rights laws
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, December 10, 1999
P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawai`i 96802
Box 3080, Honolulu, HI, 96802
(Fax 808-523-8509 (E-MAIL: [email protected]
(http://www.starbulletin.com)
STATE HIGH COURT NIXES SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
But the lawyer for three couples who sued says the issue isn't over
By Debra Barayuga Star-Bulletin
Three same-sex couples who sued the state in 1991 ? and any other
same-sex couple seeking to marry ? won?t be able to get a marriage license
in
Hawai`i.
The Hawai`i Supreme Court ruled today that a 1998 constitutional
amendment which gave the state Legislature the power to reserve marriage to
opposite-sex couples has rendered their complaint ?moot.? The justices
said
the state law outlining the requirements of a valid marriage contract ?must
be given full force and effect.?
The marriage amendment is ?self-effectuating,? said Deputy Attorney
General Dorothy Sellers. ?It means the issue of same-sex marriage is over
in
Hawai` i.?
The case now will be sent back to Circuit Court for an entry of
judgment
in favor of the state and against plaintiffs Ninia Baehr and Genora Dancel;
Tammy Rodrigues and Antoinette Pregil; and Pat Lagon and Joseph Melillo.
However, Dan Foley ? the attorney for the couples, who sued in 1991 for
being denied the right to marry ? said the decision only resolves the issue
of marriage licenses.
?The way I read the opinion is that same-sex couples now are entitled
to
all the rights and benefits of marriage, and if the Legislature doesn?t
extend it to them, the state will be litigating into the next millennium,?
Foley said.
Foley had argued that sexual orientation is protected under the
equal-protection clause of the state constitution, as is race, and the
state
cannot discriminate without showing a compelling interest.
After a two-week trial in 1996 that could have resulted in Hawai`i
being
the first in the country to legalize same-sex marriage, Circuit Judge Kevin
Chang ruled that the state failed to show any compelling reason to ban
same-sex marriages and ordered it to grant the couples marriage licenses.
Chang stayed his order for a year to allow the state to appeal. The
state appealed, but before the Supreme Court could rule, residents in
November overwhelmingly voted in favor of the constitutional amendment.
Of the three same-sex couples who sued, only one remains in Hawai`i.
Honolulu Advertiser, December 10, 1999
P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, Hawai`i 96802
(Fax 808-525-8037) (E-MAIL: [email protected])
SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
December 1990: Department of Health said it would deny marriage
licenses
to three gay couples, based on an opinion by then-Attorney General Warren
Price.
May 1, 1991: Three gay couples sued the department, alleging their
rights were violated when they were denied marriage licesnses.
Sept. 9, 1991: Circuit Court Judge Robert Klein threw out the lawsuit,
ruling that homosexual marriage was not a fundamental right under the state
constitution. The ruling was appealed.
May 5, 1993: The Hawai`i Supreme Court reinstated the lawsuit and
ruled
that the state's denial of marriage licenses to three same-sex couples was
unconstitutional unless the state could show a "compelling state interest"
to
justify the ban.
Dec. 3, 1996: Circuit Court Judge Kevin Chang ruled that prohibiting
same-sex couples from marrying violates the state constituion's equal
protection clause, and that the state Department of Health cannot deny
marriage licenses on the basis of gender.
April 29, 1997: The Legislature authorized a voter ballot on an
amendment to the Hawai`i Constitution that would give state lawmakers the
power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples.
Nov. 3, 1998: Hawai`i voters, 70 percent to 30 percent, approved the
constitutional amendment.
Dec. 9, 1999: Supreme Court unanimously overturned Chang's 1996
decision.
The Guardian, December 10, 1999
Obituary: Barry Jackson, gay activist and corporate and public affairs
manager, born October 17 1946; died October 25 1999
By Nick Partridge
It was fitting that Barry Jackson, who has died of leukaemia aged 53,
was
centrally involved in the staging of this year's London Mardi Gras. The
lesbian and gay festival brought together many strands in his life:
activism
with business acumen, politics with fun and style, an arts programme with a
cutting edge and London with Sydney, two cities he loved. Born in south
London, Barry read mathematics at the University of Sussex from 1966-69.
There he was active in the student union, quickly learning to defuse
arguments, and in student journalism.
In 1975, he went to work for North West Arts in Manchester, and then
became development director of the Arts Council of Great Britain. He
joined
the University of Westminster in this role in 1990, before moving to the
committee of vice-chancellors and principals as director of corporate
affairs. There he ran campaigns to increase public funding for university
research, to stop planned cuts in other areas of funding and to enhance
recognition of the contribution universities make to regional and
international competitiveness.
In 1994 he joined the board of the Actors Touring Company, and toured
Greece when it presented simultaneous productions of Euripides's Ion in
English and Greek.
While in Manchester, Barry became involved with the Campaign for
Homosexual Equality, the first of a number of lesbian and gay groups which
would benefit from his campaigning, communications and fundraising skills.
His understanding and good humour in the often difficult circumstances
created by prejudice and intolerance were later evident in his work at
London
Lesbian and Gay Switchboard. Between 1980-98, Barry spoke to many
thousands
of lesbians and gay men, their families and friends who had phoned, often
in
fear and confusion.
He also helped organise the first national conference on Aids in 1983,
encouraged and supported the development of the Terrence Higgins Trust, and
went on to be involved in a number of Aids organisations.
Most of this he did with his closest friend, Mike Rhodes, who died
suddenly in 1991. Barry helped set up the Mike Rhodes Trust, which makes
an
annual award to an individual who has "contributed most to promoting
understanding of lesbian and gay life".
FEEDBACK from [email protected]:
60 MINUTES will air a show on Sunday, December 12, 1999, on "Don't Ask,
Don't Tell, Don't Pursue." The correspondent will be Ed Bradley. 60
MINUTES
has interviewed (1) the family of Barry Winchell, the soldier murdered at
Ft.
Campbell because he was perceived as gay; (2) another soldier and SLDN
client
from Ft. Campbell who faced severe anti-gay harassment; (3) SLDN client
Steve
May, the openly gay Arizona State Representative whom the Army called back
to
the active reserves in February only to seek his discharge based on
comments
made in carrying out his public duties; and (4) SLDN Co-Executive
Director,
Dixon Osburn. If the program is good, please be sure to write 60 MINUTES
with your thanks. If the program omits significant facts, please be sure
to
send in your comments.
Cincinnati Enquirer, December 10, 1999
312 Elm St., Cincinnati, OH, 45202
(Fax 513-768-8610) (E-MAIL: [email protected])
( http://enquirer.com)
N.Ky. lawmakers' bill would prohibit local gay-rights laws
BY PATRICK CROWLEY, The Cincinnati Enquirer
TAYLOR MILL ? Two Northern Kentucky state lawmakers will lead a
bipartisan push to prohibit local governments from enacting ordinances
designed to prevent discrimination against gays.
Reps. Tom Kerr, D-Taylor Mill, and Joe Fischer, R-Fort Thomas, say they
will co-sponsor the bill during the General Assembly session that begins
Jan.
4.
The legislation is prompted by passage of so-called gay-rights
ordinances
in Louisville, Lexington, Jefferson County and Henderson.
Louisville banned discrimination in employment. Henderson, Lexington
and
Jefferson County went further, outlawing discrimination in employment,
housing and public accommodations such as restaurants and hotels.
So far, no cities in Northern Kentucky have dealt with the issue. But
the lawmakers want legislation that would make such ordinances illegal in
Kentucky.
Such a law is needed, the legislators argue, because gays do not belong
to a group that deserves or needs special rights.
?Civil rights are the inalienable endowments of God, and they should
not
depend on what city or county one lives in,? Mr. Fischer said. ?Civil
rights
are universal things, and should be treated as such under the law.
?If some folks get special rights, then everybody is entitled to
special
rights,? he said.
Mr. Kerr said gay-rights ordinances give special rights to homosexuals.
?It's granting rights to a group that is not recognized in federal or
state law as a group which is deserving of protection, that needs
protection,
under the law,? he said.
?I'm normally in favor of local control, and for the most part I hate
to
see the state tell cities they can't do certain things,? Mr. Kerr added.
?But we've done that in other cases, like in gun control legislation that
doesn't allow cities to make their own laws. And I think it's appropriate
with this issue as well.?
Mr. Kerr has asked the Legislative Research Commission, the
administrative arm of the General Assembly, to draft a bill that would ban
local governments from passing or enacting gay-rights ordinances.
But a Democratic lawmaker from Lexington is drafting a bill that would
afford protection for gays under state law. Rep. Kathy Stein has proposed
legislation that would prohibit discrimination against gays in housing and
employment.
?A majority of Kentucky citizens recognize that it is not right to
discriminate against any of our citizens based upon sexual orientation,?
Ms.
Stein said.
However, with a strong conservative faction of both parties in the
General Assembly, and the Senate now under control of the Republican Party,
Ms. Stein admits that her bill may have a hard time.
?More than likely, we will go forward with it, but I'm not for sure,?
she
said.
Sen. Dick Roeding, R-Lakeside Park, who will be elected to Senate
majority leadership when the legislature convenes, thinks the bill being
drafted by Mr. Kerr and Mr. Fischer will be approved.
Supporters of the bill are concerned about equity and aren't promoting
the bill because they oppose a homosexual lifestyle, he said.
?I don't think any group should have special rights,? Mr. Roeding said.
?It appears that (the bill) probably wouldn't run into much opposition
from either party,? Mr. Kerr said.
Mr. Kerr added that he is not sure how the bill will affect the
gay-rights ordinances already in effect. ?That's something we're going to
have to find out.?
Gay-rights advocates say they will watch the bills closely.
?The focus is really looking toward Frankfort right now,? said Maria
Price, spokeswoman for the Kentucky Fairness Alliance, a gay-rights
organization based in Louisville.
The Associated Press contributed.
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: LGBT Activists List <[email protected]> (LGBT Activists List <[email protected]> [
UNKNOWN ])
CREATION DATE/TIME:10-DEC-1999 21:24:08.00
SUBJECT: Hillary will march in parade that excludes gays
TO: [email protected] [[email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
Associated Press
December 9, 1999
Mrs. Clinton Talks on Gay Issue
By BETH J. HARPAZ
NEW YORK (AP) - On a day when Hillary Rodham Clinton scored a hit with the
gay community by criticizing the military's "Don't ask, don't tell"
policy, she then stepped into the middle of a local controversy by saying
she'd march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade.
The parade excludes the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization and many
Democratic politicians steer clear of it.
Some of the first lady's gay supporters said her criticism of the "Don't
ask, don't tell" policy was far more significant than her plans to march
in the parade. Others said she should have known better.
"These are the minefields that come with New York," said Matt Foreman,
director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, which had been thrilled to hear
Mrs. Clinton state her views on "Don't ask, don't tell" at a private
fund-raiser earlier this week.
Foreman added that even though it is important that public events like the
parade be open to homosexuals, ``we also have really big legislative issues
facing our community in Washington that she can take a leadership role
on."
Mrs. Clinton plans to run for U.S. Senate in New York. Her likely
Republican opponent, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, always marches in the parade
and expressed no clear opinion on the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy,
saying Thursday: "I'm going to take a look at it."
ILGO members were unhappy with Mrs. Clinton. "The idea that Hillary would
march or even that she doesn't know the issue is outrageous," said Anne
Maguire.
"If she marches, Hillary will be a lone Democrat walking side by side with
Giuliani," said Emmaia Gelman.
Mrs. Clinton spoke about the parade and the "Don't ask" policy at a news
conference with Irish-American supporters, including several members of
Congress and the state Legislature.
``I don't believe 'don't ask, don't tell' has worked and I don't believe it
is ultimately the policy we should have in our military," she said. ``I
believe Americans willing to serve their country should be allowed to do
so. There are already gay and lesbian Americans who serve with distinction
in the military. They should be able to do so without discrimination and
harassment.
The first lady said she had no problem staking out a position that put her
at odds with President Clinton, who is responsible for the "Don't ask,
don't tell" policy.
"I'm going to be a candidate for the Senate of New York," she said. "I'm
going to be stating my positions that will be from time to time different
from the White House."
She has before. In September, Mrs. Clinton opposed the president's pardon
of members of a Puerto Rican terrorist group.
After being praised by her Irish supporters for her visits to Ireland and
her work on behalf of the Clinton administration's efforts to broker peace
there, Mrs. Clinton was asked if she plans to attend the parade.
``I would hope so," she said, adding as she looked around: ``As long as
I've got lots of good company, I'll certainly march in the St. Patrick's
Day Parade."
Her spokesman, Howard Wolfson, later said: "She plans to march, and
believes all such parades and celebrations should be inclusive.
The item above is being distributed as a free, non-profit informational
service to a limited number of individuals who have expressed interest in
this topic for educational and research purposes only. Please do not
redistribute or post copyrighted material anyplace on the Internet
accessible to the public without attribution and permission from the
author. Please note that distribution of this item does not necessarily
constitute endorsement of the content; in fact, often items are distributed
as "opposition research."
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: LGBT Activists List <[email protected]> (LGBT Activists List <[email protected]> [
UNKNOWN
CREATION DATE/TIME:10-DEC-1999 21:17:10.00
SUBJECT: Hillary Clinton says "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is a failure
TO: [email protected] ([email protected] [ UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
Associated Press
December 9, 1999
Mrs. Clinton Faults Gay Policy
NEW YORK (AP) - Hillary Rodham Clinton told gay contributors that her
husband's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, intended to make it easier for
homosexuals to serve in the military, is a failure, The New York Times
reported today.
Mrs. Clinton told a private, Manhattan fund-raiser Tuesday that if elected
to the U.S. Senate she would work to overturn the policy.
The Times learned of Mrs. Clinton's comments from participants at the
fund-raiser sponsored by the Empire State Pride Agenda, which supports
equal rights for gays.
The newspaper said her comments were confirmed in a statement from Mrs.
Clinton's office but did not specify whether it was her campaign office or
White House office. Her campaign spokesman, Howard Wolfson, did not return
a phone call this morning from The Associated Press.
'Gays and lesbians already serve with distinction in our nation's armed
forces and should not face discrimination," Mrs. Clinton said in the
statement. ``Fitness to serve should be based on an individual's conduct,
not their sexual orientation."
Although she said she didn't expect Congress to approve such legislation
now, Mrs. Clinton said the Pentagon should take steps to reduce the
instances of gays being discharged from the military.
It is the second time in recent months that Mrs. Clinton has broken away
from a White House policy. In September, she opposed the president's pardon
of members of a Puerto Rican terrorist group.
While her position puts her at odds with an administration policy, she is
in line with the views of her likely Republican Senate rival, New York
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.
Aides to the mayor say Giuliani supports allowing gays to serve in the
military and has been critical of the ``don't ask, don't tell policy" from
the beginning.
The item above is being distributed as a free, non-profit informational
service to a limited number of individuals who have expressed interest in
this topic for educational and research purposes only. Please do not
redistribute or post copyrighted material anyplace on the Internet
accessible to the public without attribution and permission from the
author. Please note that distribution of this item does not necessarily
constitute endorsement of the content; in fact, often items are distributed
as "opposition research."
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: [email protected] ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN
CREATION DATE/TIME:10-DEC-1999 12:58:11.00
SUBJECT: Articles 12.10.99.3
TO: "undisclosed-recipients:;"@eop.gov ("undisclosed-recipients:;"@eop.gov [ UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
1. ASSOCIATED PRESS Boy Scouts Lose Contact With School
2. REUTERS UK charges dropped over Mugabe gay rights protest
3. DAILY NEBRASKAN Two good letters
4. SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (Australia) Church to consider gay clergy
5. REUTERS Soldier who killed gay sentenced to life
ASSOCIATED PRESS, December 10, 1999
Boy Scouts Lose Contact With School
DAVIS, Calif. (AP) - School officials, saying the Boy Scouts violate
district policy by excluding gays and atheists, have barred the
organization
from sending notes and solicitations home with students.
Davis Joint Unified School District Superintendent David Murphy wrote
the
Scouts to say the organization, starting this month, can no longer use
school
bulletin boards, parent-teacher association newsletters and student folders
to recruit and communicate with students.
The change came after parents in this Northern California community
complained that groups that discriminate should not be able to use schools
to
send home information about their activities, Murphy said.
Communicating through the schools is a privilege afforded only a few
groups and so can be legally rescinded without violating the Boy Scouts'
free
speech rights, he said.
Sacramento-area Boy Scouts officials said it would complicate
recruitment.
``I really don't want to stir up a lot of anti-Scouting feeling by
telling the superintendent of schools that he's wrong," said Doug
McDonald,
Scout executive for the Golden Empire Chapter of Scouts. "But we'll
continue
to emphasize our traditional family values, and we'll just go into a
different mode of recruitment."
Cities across the country have denied the Scouts free use of public
facilities because of the group's policies, which include a ban on gay and
atheist troop leaders.
REUTERS, December 10, 1999
UK charges dropped over Mugabe gay rights protest
By Peter Wilkinson
LONDON - British prosecutors dropped charges against gay rights
activist
Peter Tatchell on Friday in connection with his attempt to arrest
Zimbabwean
President Robert Mugabe.
Tatchell and two other members of the group Outrage tried to effect a
citizens' arrest in October during a private visit by Mugabe to Britain.
They
accused him of homophobia and human rights abuses.
Tatchell had been charged with threatening behaviour and assaulting a
police officer after the incident outside Mugabe's central London hotel.
A spokeswoman for the Crown Prosecution Service told Reuters the case
had
been dropped because of insufficient evidence.
Mugabe, who has denounced homosexuals as ``worse than pigs and dogs,"
accused British Prime Minister Tony Blair of setting `gangster gays" on
him
and said Britain was trying to wreck his plans to give white farmers' land
to
black people.
In an outburst at the Commonwealth leaders' meeting in South Africa
last
month, Mugabe accused Blair of running a morally decadent government of
queers.
After Blair announced a 22 million pound ($36 million) package to
tackle
AIDS in southern Africa, Mugabe said: ``If Tony Blair wants to turn Britain
into a united gay kingdom, that is a matter for him. But he should not
lecture other countries."
Blair's spokesman said the prime minister would not go out of his way
to
end the rift.
David Allison, a spokesman for Outrage, said the group was pleased the
case had been dropped but would not hesitate to carry out similar action in
future.
"We didn't expect the protest to have such a large impact," he told
Reuters. "The protest had considerable repercussions in Zimbabwe and
neighbouring countries and has highlighted the treatment of gays there."
DAILY NEBRASKAN, December 10, 1999
P.O. Box 88044, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0448
(Fax: 402-472-1761) (E-MAIL: [email protected])
(http://www.dailyneb.com)
Letter: Homophobia
I am writing in response to Josh Moenning's column (DN, Thursday)
concerning a so-called media double standard in regard to reporting of
homosexual crimes.
I must first say that I'm sick and tired of DN columnists cloaking
their
various prejudices (particularly their homophobia) under the aegis of
"fairness."
In this case, Moenning recounts a recent crime in which two gay men
were
charged with the murder of a boy. Moenning claims that "the liberal
mainstream news media had no use for this story" because it "would be
detrimental to a new media that strives to mainstream and legitimize
homosexual behavior" and "the mere casting of any members of the homosexual
community in a negative light is disallowed in the mainstream press corps."
Which country's, and for that matter which planet's, news media has
Moenning been watching? First, for decades, the news media has vilified
gays
and lesbians often and without conscience and headlined crimes perpetrated
by
"homosexuals."
Second, this negative reporting was, and is, complemented by the
media's
disregard for issues pertinent to the lives of American gays and lesbians.
Third, Moenning's ploy to use the Matthew Shepard case as his sole
evidence for his thesis is despicable. As any thinking person knows, this
case was an aberration in terms of the national attention it garnered.
Gay bashing is a national epidemic, and that is not reported. There
have
been so many cases of brutality perpetrated against gays and lesbians
(equal
to and beyond that of the Dirkhising case) that have not been reported by
Moenning's so-called "liberal news media."
That, Mr. Moenning is the REAL double-standard. Why don't you make your
homophobic assertions outright and not hide behind a poorly thought-out and
researched column? And, by the way, how did you hear about the story?
-- Robert Aguirre, graduate student, English
Homophilia
The headline "Award created for GLBT Community" (DN Wednesday) and
Thursday's editorial cartoon ("We're not gay!") make clarification
necessary.
Any faculty, staff or student who has contributed to creating a more
respectful, safe and inclusive climate at UNL, regardless of sexual
orientation, is eligible for nomination and selection to receive this
award.
The award was not created for the GLBT community or for GLBT members of
the UNL community. The award was created to recognize the courage,
dedication
and conviction it takes to work towards the development of a welcoming and
inclusive community for everyone, including gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgendered people.
Nomination or receiving the award should not be construed as an
indicator
of a person's sexual orientation. Unfortunately, many people who are
supportive of GLBT rights and who work towards the development of a
respectful and equitable environment are presumed to be non-heterosexuals.
But heterosexual allies are vital and appreciated members of the UNL
community and society in general.
No one deserves to be treated as a stereotype for supporting a
respectful, safe, fair and inclusive community.
-- Pat Tetreault, Ph.D. Sexuality Education Program Coordinator University
Health Center Community, Health Education Department
[The editorial cartoon Pat writes about can been seen at:
http://www.dailyneb.com/texis/scripts/vnews/newspaper/showlmage.html?Lid=38
4
f4b4f3&i=1
Grover: "Hey guys, I just nominated you for the UNL Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
and Transgender award for all the work you've done to bring homosexuality
into the mainstream." Bert & Ernie: "We're not gay!"]
Sydney Morning Herald, December 11, 1999
GPO Box 506, Sydney NSW 2001 Australia
(Phone: +61/2/9282 2822) (E-Mail: [email protected] )
(http://www.smh.com.au/)
Church to consider gay clergy
By MALCOLM BROWN
The Uniting Church will next year consider plans to become the first
Australian mainstream church to allow openly gay men and women to become
ministers.
A national meeting of the Uniting Church has foreshadowed a motion at
the
next national assembly of the church, in July, that a policy favouring
ordination of homosexuals be adopted.
In its statement of draft proposals, the meeting, comprising 59 leaders
of the church, noted there were already homosexuals within the church's
ordained ministry.
One proposal was that "no action be taken against them in relation to
their homosexuality".
The meeting was held at the Holy Cross Retreat Centre, Templestowe,
Victoria, on November 18 to 21.
Although the proposals are now open to general comment, and will be put
to the church's assembly standing committee in March, they represent a
determination by the church leadership to resolve the issue.
The issue of ordination of homosexual clergy threatened to split apart
the last national assembly of the church, in Perth in 1997, and debate was
deferred.
It is likely to be put up as a positive recommendation at the next
national assembly, starting in Adelaide on July 15.
The recommendations from Templestowe include:
"Recognition that we [the church] are unable to agree at this time on
the interpretation of Scripture on the matter of homosexuality;
"That people are welcome at the Lord's Table, regardless of their
sexuality, and as members of the Uniting Church are eligible to exercise
their rights and responsibilities in accordance with the Basis of Union;
"[We] note that within the ordained ministry of the Uniting Church
there
are men and women in same-sex relationships, whose gifts for ministry have
been discerned and affirmed, and affirm that no action be taken against
them
in relation to their homosexuality;
"That the church now consider that a congregation's decision to call
or
not to call a minister may not be overruled by the presbytery [a regional
council of church congregations] solely on the grounds of the minister's
homosexuality or views on sexuality."
The draft proposals also recommend that general statements on
homosexual
ordination should not be made by the church as a whole or any of its
presbyteries.
The national standing committee resolved last month that declarations
of
general policy on the issue were "unhelpful".
Mr Stephen Webb, NSW spokesman for the Uniting Church, said that since
the last assembly there had been attempts to clarify ideas.
REUTERS, December 10, 1999
Soldier who killed gay sentenced to life
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - A US military jury sentenced an 18-year-old
soldier
yesterday to life in prison with the possibility of parole for fatally
beating a gay infantryman with a baseball bat as the victim slept.
US Army Private Calvin Glover of Sulphur, Okla., was sentenced by the
same court-martial panel that earlier convicted him of premeditated murder
in
the July 5 beating of Private First Class Barry Winchell, 21, of Kansas
City,
Mo. Jurors rejected Glover's contention that he committed the crime on
impulse while drunk.
Testimony showed that Winchell repeatedly had been harassed by Glover
and
others at Fort Campbell, the sprawling Army base on the Kentucky-Tennessee
state line, and Army officers who were notified of the situation refused to
intervene.
The panel ordered Glover to be reduced in rank and dishonorably
discharged. It did not set a time frame for his parole eligibility.
Defense Department spokesman Ken Bacon, speaking at the Pentagon, said
parole is not considered in such cases generally until after 10 years, and
the time served for premeditated murder prior to parole review usually is
15
years.
The case has refocused attention on the military's "don't ask, don't
tell" policy toward gays. The policy allows gays to serve, but continues a
ban on homosexual acts and requires gays to keep their sexual orientation
private. It also requires the military not to ask servicemen about their
sexual orientation.
C. Dixon Osburn, a leader of the gay rights Servicemembers Legal
Defense
Network, said the murder showed the policy "at its very worst, as the
command and its soldiers violated the policy in every way by asking,
pursuing
and harassing" Winchell.
"This case has shattered the illusion that 'don't ask, don't tell' is
a
benign policy," Osburn said. "It is a policy of violence. The Pentagon is
firing three or four people every day for being gay and has taken
no
steps to address this harassment."
Bacon disagreed, saying there is renewed effort to stop harassment of
homosexuals within the military.
"I don't think you can declare the policy a failure based on one
gruesome murder at one Army post," he said.
Bacon added that the commanders at Fort Campbell have agreed to
investigate thoroughly other reports of harassment of gays as well as
unsupervised and unpunished drinking on the post.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, running for a US Senate seat in New York,
criticized the policy yesterday.
"I don't believe 'don't ask, don't tell' has worked and I don't
believe
it is ultimately the policy that we should have in our military," Clinton
said at a New York news conference.
Testimony indicated others on the base called the attention of superior
officers to Winchell's harassment but nothing was done about it and that
Winchell was trapped because he feared he would be discharged if he
complained. Testimony showed that Winchell was called "faggot" and other
epithets.
Testimony showed that Winchell also was harassed by his roommate,
Specialist Justin Fisher, 25, of Lincoln, Neb., who allegedly supplied the
bat used in the fatal beating.
The slaying occurred after Glover challenged Winchell and the two got
into a fight. The 6-foot-2 Winchell, who weighed 200 pounds, decked
Glover.
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: Wayne Besen <[email protected]> ( Wayne Besen <[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN ])
CREATION DATE/TIME:10-DEC-1999 02:05:46.00
SUBJECT: HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON PLEDGES TO HELP REPEAL "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" IF
ELECTED
TO: "Hrc-stategroups@Lists. Hrc. Org (E-mail)" <[email protected]> ("Hrc-stategroups@Lists. Hrc.
Org (E-mail)" <[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: "hrc-ray@lists. hrc. org (E-mail)" <[email protected]> ("hrc-ray@lists. hrc. org (E-mail)" <hrc-ray@netra-
1.hrc.org> [ UNKNOWN )
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: "hrc-governors@lists. hrc. org (E-mail)" <[email protected]> ("hrc-governors@lists. hrc. org (E-
mail)" <[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN 1)
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: "hrc-directors@lists. hrc. org (E-mail)" <[email protected]> ("hrc-directors@lists. hrc. org (E-mail)"
<[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN 1)
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: "hrc-youth@lists. hrc. org (E-mail)" <[email protected]> ("hrc-youth@lists. hrc. org (E-mail)" <hrc-
[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN 1)
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: "Hre-statecoord@Lists. Hrc. Org (E-mail)" <[email protected]> ("Hrc-statecoord@Lists. Hrc. Org
(E-mail)" <[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: "hrc-news@lists. hrc. org (E-mail)" <[email protected]> ("hrc-news@lists. hrc. org (E-mail)" <hrc-
[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: "Hrc-distcoord@Lists. Hrc. Org (E-mail)" <[email protected]> ("Hrc-distcoord@Lists. Hrc. Org (E-
mail)" <[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN 1)
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: "hrc-business@lists. hrc. org (E-mail)" <[email protected]> ("hrc-business@lists. hrc. org (E-mail)"
<[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
>
V
> NEWS from the
> Human Rights Campaign
>
> 919 18th Street, NW, Suite 800
> Washington, DC 20006
> email: [email protected]
>
http://www.hrc.org
>
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> Thursday, Dec. 9, 1999
>
>
THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN COMMENDS HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON FOR PLEDGING TO
>
OVERTURN FAILED "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL"
>
>
Pledge Comes as Soldier is Convicted in Fatal On-Base Gay Bashing
>
Incident, Says HRC
>
>
WASHINGTON If elected senator, Hillary Rodham Clinton has vowed to work
>
towards repealing the anti-gay "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. The first
>
lady discussed her views for the first time at a fundraiser organized by
>
Jeff Soref, co-chair of the Empire State Pride Agenda and attended by
>
Human Rights Campaign board members Craig Anderson, Andy Tobias, Emily
>
Giske and Ayse Kenmore. Clinton's comments are welcome following
>
yesterday's conviction of Pvt. Calvin N. Glover for brutally killing gay
>
soldier Pfc. Barry Winchell in a case that underscores the failure of the
>
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, according to the HRC.
>
"We are encouraged by Clinton's recognition that 'Don't Ask,
Don't
> Tell' is a failed policy that has made life worse for honorable gay and
> lesbian soldiers who want nothing more than to serve their country," said
> HRC Political Director Winnie Stachelberg. "The brutal gay bashing
murder
> of Barry Winchell should erase any lingering doubts or illusions that
this
> policy can work."
>
In a statement in today's New York Times, Clinton expressed her
> support for overturning the current military policy that stipulates that
>
gays can serve as long as they conceal their sexual orientation.
>
"Gays and lesbians already serve with distinction in our nation's
> armed forces and should not face discrimination," said Clinton, according
> to a report in the New York Times. "Fitness to serve should be based on
> an individual's conduct, not their sexual orientation."
>
Her comments follow yesterday's premeditated murder conviction of
>
Pvt. Calvin N. Glover for crushing the skull of Pfc. Barry Winchell with
a
V
baseball bat. According to reports, Glover was enraged after he bullied
>
Winchell into a fight - using anti-gay epithets - and lost. After the
> fight Glover vowed to kill Winchell because he felt humiliated losing a
> fight to a soldier who was rumored to be gay. On July 5 two days after
> the altercation -- Glover entered the Fort Campbell barracks where
>
Winchell was sleeping and bludgeoned him to death with a baseball bat.
V
Clinton held a press conference today where she reiterated her
> support for gay and lesbian equality. She also said she supports
domestic
> partnership benefits for gay and lesbian couples.
>
"We applaud Mrs. Clinton for pledging to treat all families,
> including gay and lesbian families with the respect they deserve," said
> Stachelberg.
>
The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian and
gay
> political organization, with members throughout the country. It
> effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the
> public to ensure that lesbian and gay Americans can be open, honest and
> safe at home, at work and in the community.
>
> 30 -
>
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: Rex Wockner <[email protected]> ( Rex Wockner <[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN
CREATION DATE/TIME:10-DEC-1999 01:11:58.00
SUBJECT: NC11579: AP on Hillary's boo-boo
TO: Rex Wockner <[email protected]> (Rex Wockner <[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
Do not publish this item in any form without permission from the
originating media operation. Do not post this item in any online
forum. This is a small, free mailing list open only to my friends.
Associated Press
December 9, 1999
Mrs. Clinton Talks on Gay Issue
By BETH J. HARPAZ
NEW YORK (AP) ? On a day when Hillary Rodham Clinton scored a hit with
the gay community by criticizing the military's "Don't ask, don't tell"
policy, she then stepped into the middle of a local controversy by saying
she'd march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade.
The parade excludes the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization and many
Democratic politicians steer clear of it.
Some of the first lady's gay supporters said her criticism of the
"Don't ask, don't tell" policy was far more significant than her plans to
march in the parade. Others said she should have known better.
"These are the minefields that come with New York," said Matt
Foreman, director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, which had been
thrilled to hear Mrs. Clinton state her views on "Don't ask, don't tell"
at a private fund-raiser earlier this week.
Foreman added that even though it is important that public events like
the parade be open to homosexuals, "we also have really big legislative
issues facing our community in Washington that she can take a leadership
role on."
Mrs. Clinton plans to run for U.S. Senate in New York. Her likely
Republican opponent, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, always marches in the parade
and expressed no clear opinion on the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy,
saying Thursday: "I'm going to take a look at it."
ILGO members were unhappy with Mrs. Clinton. "The idea that Hillary
would march or even that she doesn't know the issue is outrageous," said
Anne Maguire.
"If she marches, Hillary will be a lone Democrat walking side by side
with Giuliani," said Emmaia Gelman.
Mrs. Clinton spoke about the parade and the "Don't ask" policy at a
news conference with Irish-American supporters, including several members
of Congress and the state Legislature.
"I don't believe 'don't ask, don't tell' has worked and I don't
believe it is ultimately the policy we should have in our military," she
said. "I believe Americans willing to serve their country should be
allowed to do so. There are already gay and lesbian Americans who serve
with distinction in the military. They should be able to do so without
discrimination and harassment.
The first lady said she had no problem staking out a position that put
her at odds with President Clinton, who is responsible for the "Don't ask,
don't tell" policy.
"I'm going to be a candidate for the Senate of New York," she said.
"I'm going to be stating my positions that will be from time to time
different from the White House."
She has before. In September, Mrs. Clinton opposed the president's
pardon of members of a Puerto Rican terrorist group.
After being praised by her Irish supporters for her visits to Ireland
and her work on behalf of the Clinton administration's efforts to broker
peace there, Mrs. Clinton was asked if she plans to attend the parade.
"I would hope so," she said, adding as she looked around: "As long
as I've got lots of good company, I'll certainly march in the St.
Patrick's Day Parade."
Her spokesman, Howard Wolfson, later said: "She plans to march, and
believes all such parades and celebrations should be inclusive.
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: [email protected] ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN 1)
CREATION DATE/TIME:10-DEC-1999 13:47:46.00
SUBJECT: Articles 12.10.99.4
TO: "undisclosed-recipients:;"@eop.gov ("undisclosed-recipients:;"@eop.gov [ UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
1. CHICAGO TRIBUNE Editorial: Time to ditch "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
2. CHICAGO TRIBUNE Dear Abby: Abby answers a freshman college student
who
is concerned about his reputation after being raised by a gay man. And
another writer gives reasons why gays should talk about our experiences.
3. NEW YORK TIMES Editorial: Rejecting 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
4. NEW YORK TIMES Letter: 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
5. RALEIGH NEWS & OBSERVER Letter on UNC's decision not to air "It's
Elementary"
CHICAGO TRIBUNE, December 10, 1999
435 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60611
(Fax 312-222-2598 ) (E-MAIL: [email protected] )
(http://www.chicagotribune.com)
TIME TO DITCH "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL"
The chilling story of 21-year-old Army private Barry Winchell
illustrates, as if any additional evidence were needed, why the Pentagon's
"don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military is unworkable--and
why
it ought to be eliminated.
Winchell enlisted in 1997, filled with dreams of becoming a helicopter
pilot. But because he was gay, he soon was subjected to months of
harassment
and was ultimately bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat by fellow
private
Calvin Glover.
On Wednesday, Glover was found guilty of premeditated murder, but
testimony during the trial also indicted the "don't ask, don't tell"
policy.
Indeed, five years after it was instituted, "don't ask" has clearly
proven unworkable and counterproductive: Gays and lesbians should be
allowed
to serve openly, subject only to the same limitations and conditions
imposed
on their heterosexual counterparts.
In Winchell's case, early rumors about his homosexuality were followed
by
taunting and vicious name-calling, and even an informal investigation by
his
superior.
Winchell at first tried to deny the rumors, to no avail. And
complaining
to his superiors--much less confirming the rumors--only would have prompted
more inquiries, inevitably leading to discharge.
Because of such contradictions, "don't ask" in fact has made life worse
for gays and lesbians in uniform. Between 1994 and 1998, the number of gays
discharged from the military increased to 1149 from 597, while the number
of
complaints filed with the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a gay and
lesbian organization, doubled between 1997 and 1998.
The cornerstone premise of "don't ask" is that homophobia in the
military
is so widespread and ingrained that openly admitting gays would undermine
morale and create friction.
But just as the services learned to integrate women and blacks into
their
ranks, they must learn to integrate homosexuals.
The answer to bigotry cannot be to arbitrarily exclude its victims or
condemn them to life in a limbo of fear and lying or, as in Winchell's
tragic
case, to beatings and death.
It is time for the armed forces to face squarely up to this challenge.
"Don't ask, don't tell" has had its chance and has been a failure. It's
time
to declare that gays and lesbians may serve openly in the armed forces, and
that discrimination and persecution will not be tolerated.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE, December 10, 1999
FRIENDS' INQUIRIES LEAVE FRESHMAN FEELING UNSURE
Abigail Van Buren
http://www.uexpress.com/ups/abby/html/askabby.html
Dear Abby: I am an 18-year-old who has lived with a gay man ever since
I
was 6. I'll call him Harold. My mother got tangled up with drugs and
practically abandoned me and my brother (who's now 22).
Abby, for the last 12 years of our lives we never saw Harold do
anything
but work hard and come home to us. If he has a companion, we've never seen
him. My brother is married and has moved out with his wife and new son. I'm
still living at home and am in my freshman year of college -- which Harold
is
paying for.
There's only one problem. Some of my friends from college come to my
house to study. They have seen Harold and they ask questions about him. He
has never been the flamboyant type or the proud, outgoing kind -- so I tell
them he is not gay, even though I know he is.
Harold has never touched me or my brother in any kind of sexual manner.
Abby, he has been my mother, father, aunt, uncle, counselor and, most of
all,
my best friend. I love him as though he were a blood relation and so does
my
brother. Should I keep lying to my friends about him when they ask
questions,
or should I move to protect my reputation? They think I should transfer to
another college so people won't know about him raising me. I love him, and
the last thing I want to do is hurt him. Please help.
-- Torn and Confused By Love and Friends
Dear Torn: Harold's sexual preferences are personal, and none of your
curious "friends" business. Since you say he is not "out," I see no reason
for you to reveal anything for him. Tell your friends exactly what you told
me -- that he is your mother, father, aunt, uncle, counselor and -- most of
all -- your best friend. Alternatively, you could call him a confirmed
bachelor. (It's certainly the truth!)
Anyone who would imply that you should be ashamed of the way you were
raised is speaking out of ignorance, is not your friend, and is not worthy
of
your time. You have a rare and beautiful relationship. Don't sacrifice it
out
of fear of what others might say. If you're happy living at home and
attending college, you should remain there.
Dear Abby: "Ed in Long Island" sent you a list of reasons why gay
people
need to talk about being gay.
I would like to add some thoughts because people need to talk about
problems if we are ever going to put an end to discrimination.
1. Women had to talk about their right to vote before it became a
reality.
2. Black people had to talk about discrimination against them before
they
secured civil rights.
3. Workers had to talk about their problems before they secured decent
pay and other benefits.
4. Jewish people had to keep talking about the terrible crimes of the
Holocaust to make sure it never happens again (and don't forget, gay people
were killed along with the Jews in the Holocaust).
I'm sure others can think of other examples of the need to talk to put
a
check on discrimination, prejudice, bigotry and hate.
-- Dortha Harned, Terre Haute, Ind.
Dear Dortha: Indeed they can -- and I hope they do. Unless people talk
about discrimination, there is a tendency to sweep it under the carpet and
ignore its presence.
NEW YORK TIMES, December 10, 1999
229 W. 43rd Street, New York, NY, 10036
(Fax 212-556-3622 (E-MAIL: [email protected] )
(http://www.nytimes.com)
Rejecting 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
Hillary Rodham Clinton was exactly right when she told a gay audience
at
a fund-raiser in SoHo this week that homosexuals ought to be able to serve
openly in the United States military. That is the position her husband held
when he campaigned for president, promising to issue an executive order to
end the Department of Defense's ban on homosexuals in the armed forces. But
in 1993 the new president allowed opposition in Congress and the Pentagon
to
drive him to an ill-conceived compromise, the "don't ask, don't tell"
policy.
In her remarks on Tuesday, the first lady said her husband's policy had
been a failure, and that is an understatement. "Don't ask, don't tell" has
led to increased harassment of homosexuals and a doubling in the number of
discharges of gay service members. It has also turned barracks life into a
grotesque trap for many gay men and lesbians.
Nothing brings that fact into harsher focus than the murder of Army
Pfc.
Barry Winchell of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky., in
July.
For weeks, while his company sergeant looked on and did nothing, Private
Winchell silently endured daily sexual taunts and harassment from his
barracks mates. When he finally beat his chief tormentor in a fistfight,
that
man, Pvt. Calvin Glover, retaliated by beating him to death with a baseball
bat two nights later as he slept in his bunk.
As in other cases when Mrs. Clinton has criticized her husband's
policies, the politics here are plain. Her prospective opponent in the 2000
Senate race, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, has been critical of the Pentagon
policy. To continue to support the failed policy would have hampered her
ability to compete with Mr. Giuliani for New York City's influential gay
voters. In an odd campaign twist, Mrs. Clinton may have subsequently
damaged
her standing with those same voters by saying yesterday that she would like
to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. That event is shunned by many
Democratic politicians because the parade's organizers exclude the Irish
Lesbian and Gay Organization.
Whether or not the parade remark turns into a serious gaffe, the
clarity
of Mrs. Clinton's new position on the "don't ask, don't tell" policy is
encouraging. So was the verdict of a court-martial jury at Fort Campbell,
which on Wednesday found Private Glover guilty of premeditated murder.
NEW YORK TIMES, December 10, 1999
Letter: 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
In describing Hillary Rodham Clinton's opposition to the "don't ask,
don't tell" policy on gays in the military, your Dec. 9 front-page article
notes that her view, and the fact that it is shared by Mayor Rudolph W.
Giuliani, "reflects the extent to which both Mr. Giuliani and Mrs. Clinton
view gay men and lesbians in New York as a source of votes and
contributions."
While I agree that gay voters are a source of great political power,
isn't it possible that the two likely candidates for the Senate oppose the
policy because it makes no sense, is immoral and simply doesn't work?
-- CHRISTOPHER GOULD
NEWS & OBSERVER, December 10, 1999
Box 191, Raleigh, NC, 27602
(Fax 919-829-8924)(E-MAIL: [email protected] )
(http://www.nando.net/nao/).
Letter: There's only one side
Regarding the Dec. 8 People's Forum letter from Linda Haynes, chair of
the UNC-TV Board of Trustees, about UNC-TV's decision not to air "It's
Elementary":
First, I find it shocking that the justification that other networks
and
states weren't airing it was actually a consideration. North Carolina
should
be a leader, not a follower. Second, to answer a question she posed, yes,
UNC-TV's decision shows fear toward myself, my family and my friends, and
seems to advocate homophobia. It shows a clear bias in programming
decisions.
The public will only get UNC-TV's opinion on the issues. Other programs can
"inspire open and honest dialogue," but I don't believe UNC-TV will air
them.
They already have "It's Elementary" and refuse to air it.
With the issue of tolerance towards gays and lesbians, there is only
one
side. The other side is to advocate discrimination, intolerance and hate.
Would UNC-TV air a documentary advocating racial or religious
discrimination?
I should hope not. Why should those opposed to tolerance toward
homosexuality
be given voice as well?
I will continue to withhold any funding from UNC-TV. I will continue
to
urge others to withhold their funding as well. And I will not change my
mind
until UNC-TV decides that promoting discrimination, intolerance and hate
toward any and all groups of people, regardless of race, religion, national
origin, sex, handicap or sexual orientation, is wrong.
-- ANTHONY QUIRK, Durham
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: [email protected] ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
CREATION DATE/TIME:10-DEC-1999 18:49:17.00
SUBJECT: (no subject)
TO: [email protected] ([email protected] [ UNKNOWN 1)
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: [email protected] ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: [email protected] ([email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: [email protected] ([email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: [email protected] ([email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: [email protected] ([email protected] [ UNKNOWN )
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: [email protected] ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: [email protected] ([email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TO: [email protected] ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
CC: [email protected] ([email protected] [ UNKNOWN 1)
READ:UNKNOWN
CC: [email protected] ([email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
CC: [email protected] ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
CC: [email protected] ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
CC: [email protected] ([email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
CC: [email protected] ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN ] )
READ:UNKNOWN
CC: [email protected] ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN )
READ:UNKNOWN
CC: [email protected] ([email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
CC: [email protected] ([email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
FEEDBACK from [email protected]:
60 MINUTES will air a show on Sunday, December 12, 1999, on "Don't Ask,
Don't Tell, Don't Pursue." The correspondent will be Ed Bradley. 60
MINUTES
has interviewed (1) the family of Barry Winchell, the soldier murdered at
Ft.
Campbell because he was perceived as gay; (2) another soldier and SLDN
client
from Ft. Campbell who faced severe anti-gay harassment; (3) SLDN client
Steve
May, the openly gay Arizona State Representative whom the Army called back
to
the active reserves in February only to seek his discharge based on
comments
made in carrying out his public duties; and (4) SLDN Co-Executive
Director,
Dixon Osburn. If the program is good, please be sure to write 60 MINUTES
with your thanks. If the program omits significant facts, please be sure
to
send in your comments.
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: [email protected] ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN
CREATION DATE/TIME:10-DEC-1999 09:20:59.00
SUBJECT: Articles 12.10.99
TO: "undisclosed-recipients:;"@eop.gov ("undisclosed-recipients:"@eop.gov. [ UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
1. ASSOCIATED PRESS Hawaii Ends Drive for Gay Marriage
2. NEW YORK TIMES Editorial: Hillary got it right by rejecting "don't
ask,
don't tell"
3. NEW YORK TIMES Letter: "Don't ask, don't tell" not just politically
unsound but doesn't work
4. DAYTON DAILY NEWS Dayton City Commissioner proposes ordinance banning
discrimination based on sexual orientation
5. SHEWIRE.COM My Two Moms: You have two moms? Shewire's Roseann Marulli
chats with women about growing up with gay parents.
Associated Press, December 10, 1999
Hawaii Ends Drive for Gay Marriage
By JEAN CHRISTENSEN
HONOLULU (AP) ? The Hawaii Supreme Court has effectively ended the
drive
to legalize gay marriage in a state once considered one of the most likely
to
accept same-sex unions.
In a ruling Thursday, the court said the effort by homosexual couples
was
rendered moot by a 1998 amendment to the state constitution overwhelmingly
approved by voters. The amendment gave lawmakers the authority to limit
state-recognized marriages to opposite-sex couples.
"Thank you to the Hawaii Supreme Court for affirming what we've known
all
along ? that marriage, by God's definition, is between opposite-sex
couples," said Mike Gabbard, chairman of the Alliance for Traditional
Marriage.
The high court considered an appeal of a lower court ruling that the
state could not justify its 1994 ban on same-sex marriages. The judge in
the
case had ordered the state to grant marriage licenses to gay couples, but
delayed the order pending the appeal.
Lawmakers later drafted the amendment giving them the authority to pass
the ban. Voters approved the proposal by a 2-to-1 margin last year.
Many in Hawaii's gay community expected the high court to grant equal
protections to homosexuals, said Sue Reardon, a Kailua high school teacher
who wants to marry her female partner.
"The people's vote was based on fear and a lack of knowledge and
understanding," said Reardon, who was not a plaintiff. "But the Supreme
Court is expected to understand, or at least to be knowledgeable of, civil
rights.
"This is a sad day for Hawaii."
Vermont's high court is now the only one in the nation currently facing
the question of whether same-sex marriage should be legal.
The Hawaii case drew attention after a 1993 state Supreme Court ruling
that said the state's failure to recognize gay marriages amounted to gender
discrimination.
The ruling set off preemptive legislating around the nation. At least
30
states banned gay marriages, and Congress passed the Defense of Marriage
Act,
which denied federal recognition of homosexual marriage and allowed states
to
ignore same-sex unions licensed elsewhere.
The ruling also led Hawaii lawmakers to pass the 1994 ban on gay
marriage. What the court did this week was find that last year's amendment
made the 1994 law valid, meaning the relief sought by the plaintiffs no
longer existed and their case was moot.
"It's very difficult to see how they arrived at this decision,"
plaintiff Joseph Melillo said. "It's really a cop-out.
New York Times, December 10, 1999
229 W. 43rd Street, New York, NY, 10036
(Fax 212-556-3622 (E-MAIL: [email protected] )
(http://www.nytimes.com)
Editorial: Rejecting 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
Hillary Rodham Clinton was exactly right when she told a gay audience
at
a fund-raiser in SoHo this week that homosexuals ought to be able to serve
openly in the United States military. That is the position her husband
held
when he campaigned for president, promising to issue an executive order to
end the Department of Defense's ban on homosexuals in the armed forces.
But
in 1993 the new president allowed opposition in Congress and the Pentagon
to
drive him to an ill-conceived compromise, the "don't ask, don't tell"
policy.
In her remarks on Tuesday, the first lady said her husband's policy had
been a failure, and that is an understatement. "Don't ask, don't tell" has
led to increased harassment of homosexuals and a doubling in the number of
discharges of gay service members. It has also turned barracks life into a
grotesque trap for many gay men and lesbians.
Nothing brings that fact into harsher focus than the murder of Army
Pfc.
Barry Winchell of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky., in
July.
For weeks, while his company sergeant looked on and did nothing, Private
Winchell silently endured daily sexual taunts and harassment from his
barracks mates. When he finally beat his chief tormentor in a fistfight,
that man, Pvt. Calvin Glover, retaliated by beating him to death with a
baseball bat two nights later as he slept in his bunk.
As in other cases when Mrs. Clinton has criticized her husband's
policies, the politics here are plain. Her prospective opponent in the
2000
Senate race, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, has been critical of the Pentagon
policy. To continue to support the failed policy would have hampered her
ability to compete with Mr. Giuliani for New York City's influential gay
voters. In an odd campaign twist, Mrs. Clinton may have subsequently
damaged
her standing with those same voters by saying yesterday that she would like
to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. That event is shunned by many
Democratic politicians because the parade's organizers exclude the Irish
Lesbian and Gay Organization.
Whether or not the parade remark turns into a serious gaffe, the
clarity
of Mrs. Clinton's new position on the "don't ask, don't tell" policy is
encouraging. So was the verdict of a court-martial jury at Fort Campbell,
which on Wednesday found Private Glover guilty of premeditated murder.
New York Times, December 10, 1999
Letter: 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
In describing Hillary Rodham Clinton's opposition to the "don't ask,
don't tell" policy on gays in the military, your Dec. 9 front-page article
notes that her view, and the fact that it is shared by Mayor Rudolph W.
Giuliani, "reflects the extent to which both Mr. Giuliani and Mrs. Clinton
view gay men and lesbians in New York as a source of votes and
contributions."
While I agree that gay voters are a source of great political power,
isn't it possible that the two likely candidates for the Senate oppose the
policy because it makes no sense, is immoral and simply doesn't work?
? CHRISTOPHER GOULD, Washington
Dayton Daily News, December 9, 1999
45 S. Ludlow Street, Dayton, OH, 45402
(Fax 937-225-7302 (E-MAIL: [email protected])
http://www.activedayton.com/ddn/)
Wiseman proposes ban on gay bias
By Jim Bebbington, DAYTON DAILY NEWS
DAYTON ? City commissioner Mary Wiseman has proposed an ordinance
prohibiting discrimination in the city based on sexual orientation or
source
of income.
If passed, the ordinance would add gays, lesbians and the poor to the
list of groups given protection under the city's anti-discrimination law.
"I think Dayton will join a long list of other cities in the U.S. and
Ohio that declares discrimination against gays and lesbians is wrong and
discrimination against poor people just because they are poor is wrong,"
Wiseman said.
The measure has already produced some opposition among conservatives.
This summer, as Wiseman prepared the ordinance, City Hall was flooded at
times with callers voicing either support or opposition on the issue.
Similar ordinances are on the books in Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo and
Youngstown and other cities.
But a 1992 effort to enact such an ordinance in Cincinnati failed. The
city council there approved the measure but it was rescinded by voters the
following year.
Critics of the Cincinnati ordinance characterized such ordinances as
providing special protection for gays and lesbians.
Wiseman said characterizing the protections afforded by
anti-discrimination laws as "special" is inaccurate.
"The argument that by including a group in a non-discrimination
ordinance
you are granting them a special privilege implies justice is a zero-sum
game," Wiseman said. "That by giving justice to one group you are taking
it
away from another."
The ordinance will receive a first reading at next Wednesday's
commission
meeting and is scheduled to be voted upon at the Dec. 22 meeting. It needs
support from three of the five members of the commission.
Commissioner Lloyd Lewis said he would consider the proposal and
support
it if he felt it was needed.
"Does it make sense," Lewis said. "I tend to think there is a need."
Dean Lovelace said he supported the idea.
Commissioners Idotha Bootsie Neal and Mayor Mike Turner couldn't be
reached for comment.
The city's anti-discrimination ordinance prohibits discrimination based
on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, place of birth,
age
or marital status.
It covers all actions within the city and for employment contracted for
in the city but done elsewhere, as when a Dayton-based corporation
contracts
for work done in another state. Dayton's ordinance specifically prohibits
discrimination in employment, public accommodations and housing.
The changes proposed by Wiseman would also prohibit landlords from
refusing to rent to tenants because they receive government subsidies such
as
Section 8 housing grants or temporary assistance for needy families.
Bryan Bucklew, vice president of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce,
said the chamber will likely not oppose the ordinance because member
businesses have voiced no concerns about it.
Contact Jim Bebbington at 225-2262 or e-mail him at
[email protected]
SHEWIRE.COM, December 10, 1999
http://shewire.chickclick.com/
My Two Moms
by Roseann Marulli
Carolina Wings could be the girl next door. She's a senior in high
school and likes to hangs out with her friends. Like most girls her age,
she
still doesn?t know what she wants to study or where she wants to go to
college. In fact, Carolina seems like any other 17-year-old at first
glance.
But if you turn back the clock a couple years, you?d find hers is a
childhood very much unlike most her age. Why?
Carolina's moms are gay.
"I never felt like I was missing anything. Actually, I think I was
better off having two moms ? it helped me be more open about life."
When friends Clare and Clem decided to share the responsibility of
raising a baby with their friend Jim 17 years ago, the result was Carolina.
Growing up, Carolina had three homes, splitting her school year between her
biological mom Clare in Oakland, Calif., and mom Clem in Sebastopol,
Calif.,
and spending part of the summer with Jim. Carolina has not two parental
role
models, but six ? including Clem?s and Clare?s lesbian partners and Jim?s
girlfriend.
"I think being raised in a gay family helps kids develop pretty well
because it?s the quality of the relationships that counts," says Carolina.
"And I like the openness, and the events we went to, like [gay] Pride."
But beyond the fact that her mothers were gay women and that she
attended
gay community activities, Carolina, says, her childhood wasn?t much
different
from that of the other kids she went to school with.
So while many people still view gay families as an aberration, many of
the children who grew up in households headed by gay parents say theirs
was a
childhood much like everyone else's. "Most of my friends [with straight
parents] told me I didn?t miss much!" Carolina laughs.
Homosexuality may be more prevalent in the movies and on television
today, but it?s still a hotly debated political issue ? the most obvious
evidence of which is probably California's impending Knight initiative,
which
seeks to ban, within the state, recognition of a marriage that is not
solely
between a man and a woman.
But despite the challenges that face gay parents ? bans on
second-parent
adoptions, the inability, for many, to obtain medical benefits for same-sex
partners, and, of course, homophobia ? more and more gay men and lesbians
are
having children, whether by insemination or adoption.
For children of gay parents, the biggest drawback appears to be the
heightened consciousness that the difference between their family and other
families creates and the subsequent pressure to excel in order to prove to
the world that they?re just like everybody else.
Take Olivia Smith: If not for her parents? divorce, Olivia?s childhood
seems uneventful. But when her parents, Joy and Harrison, divorced when
she
was 5 years old, Harrison began living with his partner Joe.
However, Olivia says her father's sexuality didn't have a negative
impact
on her; the divorce, she explains, is what most affected her. "If my
parents
had stayed married it wouldn?t have been a good marriage, so there was
nothing to be missed there. My dad and Joe were the most stable and
important relationship in my life."
Olivia says her relationship with her father and Joe did cause some
friction with her mother ? particularly when Olivia chose to move to
California live with them. But, she says, her mother ultimately respected
her daughter?s decision and her relationship with her ex-husband?s partner.
"My mom was hurt because she felt I was rejecting her, and she worried
about the effect [living with them] would have on my sexuality and my
morals.
But I knew at the time that [my dad] was ill [with AIDS], his time was
limited, and I didn?t want to live 2,000 miles from him knowing he didn?t
have forever."
And in Joe, Olivia says she gained another loving parental figure. "I
don?t remember life before him. He was always part of my life, and he
still
is. Having Joe in his life made Dad happier, made him a better father.
Something would have been missing otherwise. [The only problem I
experienced
as a result was] when I was a sophomore and my dad died of AIDS ? I was in
a
small Catholic school, so that wasn?t okay."
But Olivia is quick to point out that it wasn't her father's sexuality
that made her uncomfortable. "What?s hurtful is the social attitudes of
people that look at [gays men and lesbians] as wrong," she says.
Felicia Park-Rogers, executive director of Children of Lesbians and
Gays
Everywhere (COLAGE) in San Francisco. "The problem is, your family isn?t
reflected in school," she says.
But Park-Rogers is working through COLAGE to change that. Created in
1989 by a handful of children of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
parents, COLAGE aims to provide children in gay households with education,
support, advocacy, and a place to socialize with other kids like
themselves.
The program now boasts nearly 30 chapters and offers programs such as
online
discussion groups, a newsletter, and activity groups.
The daughter of a gay dad and lesbian mom, Felicia says she feels
really
lucky to have grown up with gay parents. "I never lost friends over it.
It never occurred to me to cover up about my family," she says.
Stay tuned for Part II of "My Two Moms," in which the children of gay
parents talk about overcoming societal stereotypes of their families.
? Roseann Marulli, a native of New York City, is a freelance journalist
and editor, as well as a fiction writer. She has written for LGNY, New
York
Living magazine, HBO's Hobnobber, Manhattan Mirror and Lifetime Television
Online. Her fiction has appeared in Fetishes.
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: [email protected] ([email protected] UNKNOWN
CREATION DATE/TIME:10-DEC-1999 15:28:28.00
SUBJECT: Articles 12.10.99.6
TO: "undisclosed-recipients:;"@eop.gov ("undisclosed-recipients:,"@eop.gov [ UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
1. LOUISVILLE COURIER JOURNAL Gay Gl's killer gets life term, chance of
parole;
Army jury spares tearful soldier, 18, harshest penalty
2. ELECTRONIC TELEGRAPH Scotland: Gays to be given equal rights on
tenancies
3. SACRAMENTO BEE Davis schools to stop helping Boy Scouts' recruitment
4. ASSOCIATED PRESS Conn: Man who pleaded guilty in 1994 to threatening
in
connection with an assault of a patron at a gay nightclub is under arrest
again, this time for shouting racial slurs.
5. TOPEKA CAPITAL JOURNAL Rev. White preaches reconciliation
LOUISVILLE COURIER JOURNAL, December 10, 1999
525 W. Broadway, Louisville, KY, 40202
(Fax 502-582-4075) (E-MAIL: [email protected]
http://www.courier-journal.com/)
Gay GI's killer gets life term, chance of parole
Army jury spares tearful soldier, 18, harshest penalty
By CHRIS POYNTER, The Courier-Journal
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- Army Pvt. Calvin Glover, convicted of
premeditated
murder for bludgeoning a gay soldier with a baseball bat, was given hope
yesterday that he could eventually be released from a military prison.
A military jury sentenced Glover to life in prison for killing Pfc.
Barry
Winchell, but left open the possibility that he could be paroled.
During the sentencing hearing of his court-martial yesterday, Glover
apologized tearfully to the family of Winchell, who was a 21-year-old
infantryman from Kansas City, Mo.
"If I had acted as half the man, even half the soldier Barry was, he
would be with us right now," Glover, 18, said as he stood before the five
jurors At times he struggled to read his statement.
"I am thankful that God has sent me to jail. It's the only way to get
me
to listen," he said, citing his drinking problem. "Now that I've accepted
Jesus in my life, I'd rather come out of jail with Bible in my hand rather
than a bottle in my hand."
The jury's verdict after two hours and 20 minutes of deliberation --
must now be approved by the convening authority at Fort Campbell, Maj. Gen.
Robert Clark. Clark has wide discretion and could accept or reduce the
prison
term.
Under the military justice code, the jurors could have sentenced Glover
to life without parole. But they simply chose life in prison, meaning he
could be eligible for parole someday. The sentence announcement did not
specify how long Glover must wait before seeking parole.
The jury also ordered a dishonorable discharge for Glover, took away
his
military pay and returned him to the Army's lowest rank.
The same jury convicted Glover of premeditated murder Wednesday night.
He
left the courtroom yesterday without commenting. He will serve his sentence
at a prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Glover's parents also declined to
comment.
AFTER THE sentence was announced, Winchell's mother, Patricia Kutteles,
read from a statement, calling the verdict just. She was joined by her
husband, Wally, and called on the military to end its policy toward
homosexuals in the ranks.
" 'Don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue' did not protect our son,"
Kutteles said, tears welling. "It won't protect anyone else's child. This
policy must end."
They also questioned why the Army ignored excessive drinking in the
barracks and why there was so little supervision.
"Why were people allowed to taunt our son, hit our son and harass our
son?" she said. "It has become clear to us that these are issues that go
beyond our son's unit, and we would like to see them addressed."
She and her husband, Wally Kutteles, of Kansas City, Mo., testified
during the sentencing hearing, saying Winchell loved the Army and one day
hoped to fly helicopters or be an underwater welder.
Patricia Kutteles, sitting in the witness stand and at times wiping her
eyes, said she was proud of her son's military accomplishments. She showed
the jury Winchell's three commendation medals, the American flag that
draped
his coffin and a letter from President Clinton.
She and her husband looked over pictures of Winchell projected on
computer screens in the courtroom and into a building across the street,
where reporters and spectators observed the three-day court-martial.
Patricia Kutteles said two pictures were her favorites -- one of her
son
during preschool, wearing a red cowboy hat and sitting atop a pony, and
another of him as a teen-ager standing by water.
"He loved nature," Kutteles said. "That (picture) just kind of captures
it for me."
Winchell died July 6 after being beaten in the head with a baseball bat
early the previous day.
Glover, who admitted the crime Monday in hopes of getting a lighter
sentence, said another soldier, Spc. Justin Fisher, encouraged the attack.
Fisher hated Winchell because he was rumored to be gay and didn't keep his
room clean, among other things, Glover's lawyer said.
Fisher and Winchell were roommates. Fisher was scheduled to be
court-martialed Monday, but his case has been rescheduled for January.
Testimony yesterday indicated that Army prosecutors have reached a plea
agreement with Fisher, 26, in exchange for his cooperation. The most
serious
charges, of premeditated murder and accomplice to murder, would be dropped
and Fisher would be sentenced to 121/2 years for less serious charges of
obstruction of justice, false swearing and providing alcohol to a minor.
DEFENSE ATTORNEY Maj. David Robertson, reading part of Glover's
prepared
statements before his client spoke, told the jury to consider Fisher's
possible sentence and his role in the killing, which attracted national
attention, especially from gay-rights groups.
Two people testified in Glover's behalf -- a psychologist at Fort
Campbell who evaluated him and the director of a youth shelter where Glover
stayed periodically when he was having trouble with his family in his
native
Oklahoma.
Capt. Denise Squire, the psychologist, said Glover has low self-esteem
and uses alcohol to be more socially outgoing. She said he is easily
influenced by others because he wants attention. Glover's main defense was
that he was a pawn used by Fisher to get back at Winchell.
Winchell had beaten Glover in a fight 26 hours before the murder.
Glover
had vowed revenge, saying he wouldn't be beaten by a "faggot."
Cynthia Brown, who runs the youth shelter, said Glover got along with
black teens and at least one openly gay youth. Her comments were in
contrast
to earlier testimony that Glover told others he hated blacks and
homosexuals.
Winchell's sexual orientation was an issue in the trial. Friends have
said Winchell began revealing his homosexuality in the months before his
death and had been dating a man who dresses as a woman and lip-syncs songs
at
a gay bar in Nashville, where Winchell hung out on weekends.
Rumors of Winchell's homosexuality had been rampant in his unit in the
weeks before his death. Testimony this week indicated that Fisher started
the
rumors.
Winchell's death was among the incidents that prompted Defense
Secretary
William Cohen on Aug. 13 to issue new guidelines for the "don't ask, don't
tell" policy toward homosexuals in the military.
Among other things, the four branches of the service were required to
develop plans on how to train soldiers and officers about the policy.
PENTAGON spokesman Kenneth Bacon said the Defense Department is working
on new training programs for commanders to ensure a fair enforcement of the
policy on gays.
"There were certainly very disturbing charges made in the course of
this
trial about the atmosphere at Fort Campbell, and the commanders at Fort
Campbell have said that after the trial is over they will review the
compliance with the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy and all the relevant
procedures and regulations that flow from that policy," Bacon said.
Bacon said the administration's policy has succeeded in ending the
exclusion of gays from the military.
"I don't think that you can declare the policy a failure based on one
gruesome murder at one Army post," he said.
In his statement yesterday, Glover repeated that he hadn't intended to
kill Winchell. He apologized to his unit and his commander, Capt. Daniel
Rouse, who had testified that the killing had broken the unit's bond.
"What occurred on July 5th was a violation of that trust, a deep and
great violation," Rouse said, "an abominable violation."
ELECTRONIC TELEGRAPH, December 10, 1999
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=0001403267069278rtmo=wQn0twAb&atmo=wQntwA.
b&p
g=/et/99/12/10/ngay10.html
Gays to be given equal rights on tenancies
By Nick Britten, Scotland Political Correspondent
HOMOSEXUAL couples could be given the same tenancy rights in council
homes as heterosexuals in Scotland, following a decision yesterday to award
them identical privileges when caring for incapacitated adults.
A provision to extend the rights of homosexuals to include tenancy
could
be included in the Scottish Executive's forthcoming Housing Bill. Jim
Wallace, the justice minister, said that a clause to alter the rights of
homosexuals looking after physically or mentally handicapped partners to
bring them into line with heterosexuals would be inserted into the Adults
with Incapacity (Scotland) Bill currently going through Parliament.
It will allow homosexuals to be legally treated as the "nearest
relative"
for the first time. Now ministers are studying proposals to extend that to
tenancy rights. Currently gay partners have no rights to take on a tenancy
if
their partner leaves or dies and can be evicted.
The Adults with Incapacity Bill will be fully implemented by April
2002,
with up to half of the changes made by April 2001. The Housing Bill is
expected to be published late next year.
SACRAMENTO BEE, December 10, 1999
P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento, CA, 95813
(Fax 916-321-1109 ) (E-MAIL: [email protected] )
(http://www.sacbee.com)
Davis schools to stop helping Boy Scouts' recruitment
By Pamela Martineau, Bee Staff Writer
The Davis Joint Unified School District has quietly adopted a policy
barring its schools from sending home communications and solicitations from
the Boy Scouts, saying the organization violates district policy by
excluding
gays and atheists.
Davis Superintendent David Murphy has advised the Scouts by letter that
starting this month they no longer can use school communication channels,
such as bulletin boards, parent-teacher association newsletters and student
folders, to recruit and communicate with students.
Murphy said he altered the district's policy after receiving complaints
from parents, who argued that groups that discriminate should not be given
the privilege of using the schools to send home information about their
activities. He said that since communicating through the schools is a
privilege afforded to a few groups, rather than all, he believes the
district
legally can rescind the privilege without violating the Boy Scouts' free
speech rights.
Davis School Board President Don Saylor said he hopes the policy will
send the message that Davis schools, which enroll more than 7,600 students,
are inclusive.
"No student should be made to feel unwelcome or intimidated by the
actions of others," Saylor said. "We hope to encourage a welcoming and
responsive environment where each student has dignity."
Sacramento-area Boy Scouts officials criticized the policy change,
saying
it would make it difficult to recruit members.
"Some of our best recruiting efforts are visiting in the classroom and
talking about the Scouting program and sending fliers home to the parents,"
said Doug McDonald, Scout executive for the Golden Empire Chapter of
Scouts,
which encompasses the Sacramento area.
Nevertheless, McDonald said, his group will abide by the new rule. "I
really don't want to stir up a lot of anti-Scouting feeling by telling the
superintendent of schools that he's wrong," McDonald said. "But we'll
continue to emphasize our traditional family values, and we'll just go
into a
different mode of recruitment."
The new policy marks yet another chapter in the national controversy
over
the Boy Scouts of America's ban on gay and atheist troop leaders and
Scouts.
Across the nation, several cities have denied the group the free use of
public facilities because of its policies. About five years ago, schools in
the city of Portland, Ore., also barred the organization from using their
communication systems.
Officials at the national headquarters of Boy Scouts of America, as
well
as Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), said they are not
aware
of another school district in California that has taken such a step.
Last year, the California Supreme Court ruled that the Boy Scouts, as a
private organization, were not covered by state civil rights law and that
the
organization had constitutional rights to exclude people from its ranks.
This year, the New Jersey Supreme Court issued essentially the opposite
opinion, equating the Boy Scouts with restaurants and schools and ruling
that
the group's policy of excluding homosexuals is illegal under that state's
anti-discrimination law.
Both the Boy Scouts and gay advocacy groups expect the issue to land
before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Davis school policy is expected to ignite controversy in a town
that
has both a highly active Boy Scouts community and a reputation as a liberal
college hamlet. There are 400 to 500 boys involved in Scout troops in
Davis;
the organization runs a high-profile Christmas tree lot in town.
The city of Davis also notified the Boy Scouts this week that if the
organization doesn't change its policies, it will be barred in the future
from leasing the tree-lot site from the city, as well as a historic log
cabin
that the group has used for years. City officials said the ban would not
take
effect until the Scouts' current lease runs out in 2005.
"I think it's good to let the Boy Scouts leaders know that their policy
is not appropriate," said Davis Mayor Julie Partansky. "The more people
start
telling them that through these kind of sanctions, the better."
But Davis Scoutmaster Eric Nelson argued that the school district's new
policy ultimately will hurt schools. "I think they're probably cutting off
their noses to spite their faces," Nelson said, noting that the Scouts
regularly do cleanup and other chores on school and city property.
Nelson added, however, that he is sympathetic to the concerns of gays
and
atheists who take issue with the organization's stance. "The national
(organization) has a written policy, but that doesn't mean we necessarily
accept it," said Nelson. "I think the Scout program should be
all-inclusive."
Gay advocacy groups applauded the district's move, as did local
atheists
interviewed. "It's saying that they are gay-friendly and they
won't
take part in helping the Boy Scouts to recruit members," said Betty Hornbostel, a past president of the Yolo Chapter of
PFLAG.
"Any group that discriminates ought not to use the public schools for
advertising," said Betty Siminsma, a member of the Sacramento chapter of
Atheists and Freethinkers.
In his letter to the Davis chapters of the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts,
Superintendent Murphy wrote that the Scouts could be barred from
communicating through the schools, since it is a privilege used only by a
few
groups, including area soccer clubs, basketball camps and the Girl Scouts.
Murphy said the schools will continue to accommodate these other groups.
The Boy Scouts still will be allowed to use school facilities for
activities and to set up a table at Davis Senior High during the school's
annual event showcasing summer activities. Those opportunities are open to
all groups, and blocking a group from such open forums would violate free
speech rights, Murphy wrote.
Murphy said he drafted the policy himself, "without paying a dime in
attorneys' fees." Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann and Girard, the firm that
represents the district, was not consulted, according to an attorney there,
and had no comment on the policy.
ASSOCIATED PRESS, December 10, 1999
Man charged with hate crime after picket line confrontation
MERIDEN, Conn. - A Meriden man with past ties to the Ku Klux Klan has
been charged with a hate crime after striking nursing home workers said he
shouted racial slurs at them.
Tammy Davenport, 36, one of five women walking a picket line at Miller
Memorial Community Thursday, told police Scott Palmer hung his head out of
his car window, insulted her race and threatened to run her over.
Davenport, a certified nursing assistant for Miller, was the only black
employee picketing at the time.
Striking workers said Palmer appeared to be dropping off a female
employee who was working in their absence.
When police officers patrolling the area caught up with Palmer they
said
they found several Klan patches, white supremacist literature and a machete
in his vehicle.
Palmer, 31, was charged with intimidation based on bigotry and bias,
weapons in a motor vehicle, breach of peace and threatening remarks.
Authorities said Palmer, who in 1994 identified himself as the grand
titan of the Wallingford Ku Klux Klan, has a history of arrests stemming
from
his KKK philosophy.
The same year, he pleaded guilty to threatening in connection with the
assault of a patron at a gay nightclub in Wallingford. He received three
years probation.
Palmer also was charged with intimidation by bigotry and bias, breach
of
peace and threatening for being part of a group that yelled ethnic slurs at
five men of Mexican descent in 1994. He received concurrent sentences of
two
and three years of probation for his involvement.
Part of his 1994 sentence also included attending racial-bias
counseling
classes.
After his latest arrest, Palmer was released on $50,000 bond. He is
scheduled to appear in court Dec. 21.
TOPEKA CAPITAL JOURAL, December 10, 1999
616 SE Jefferson Street, Topeka, KS, 66607
(Fax 785-295-1230) (E-MAIL: [email protected])
(http://cjonline.com/)
Rev. White preaches reconciliation
By BILL BLANKENSHIP and PHIL ANDERSON, The Capital-Journal
To give up on the Rev. Fred W. Phelps because of his strident
anti-homosexual protests is to commit an act of violence against him, the
Rev. Mel White, a gay preacher, said Thursday night.
"I think Topeka has suffered more as a city from one man than any other
city in the nation," White said at a forum at Washburn University staged by
Concerned Citizens for Topeka Inc.
"I've heard story after story after story of what you've suffered,"
White
said. "It is mind-boggling what you have tolerated, but tolerance is not
the
goal. The goal is to go beyond tolerance and reconcile."
In October, White achieved a degree of reconciliation with another
well-known minister, the Rev. Jerry Falwell.
White apologized to Falwell for the vilification heaped upon the
televangelist by many in the gay community. In turn, Falwell admitted to
White that his anti-homosexual rhetoric had grown excessive.
White called the encounter an example of how non-violence works, but
emphasized one has to engage opponents to produce results.
"Jerry Falwell is not my enemy. He's my brother, and I need to
reconcile
with him because we have the same heavenly parents.
"Fred Phelps is not my enemy. He's my uh cousin," said White
to
the laughter of the crowd.
"We have to believe that Fred Phelps also can change."
White and Phelps met for 90 minutes Wednesday afternoon at the Westboro
Baptist Church, where Phelps is pastor.
White said the two agreed to say publicly only that they had met and
not
go into specifics.
In a Thursday afternoon interview in his office, Phelps called the
meeting "very cordial." Phelps said he didn't sense any friction, but added
the two continued to disagree on how God views homosexuals.
Phelps said the central message White brought was one of not preaching
against homosexuals because "that makes a lunatic fringe perpetrate
violence"
against gays.
However, Phelps disagreed with White's view of the Westboro church's
anti-homosexual picketing.
"He calls Bible meetings we have on the street a public hate
demonstration," Phelps said. "Well, I'm not willing for them to take over
the
lexicon. It is a gospel meeting we have on the streets, not a public hate
demonstration."
White called what Phelps and others do "spiritual violence." White
turned
the tables on Phelps by picketing his church and residence Thursday
afternoon.
White carried two pink signs with black lettering. One sign proclaimed
that God loves homosexuals. The other said, "God even loves Fred."
"It was done to say, 'Fred, I love you. God loves you. But I am
protesting that you say God doesn't love gays, and that breaks the heart of
God.'"
While in Topeka, White also met with 47 clergy and religious leaders.
He
said at his lecture that some had declared their belief that homosexuality
is
sin. However, White said he didn't meet with his fellow clergy to defend
homosexuality.
"That's not my goal," he said. "My goal is to advocate dialogue and
peaceful dialogue at that."
In spite of their differences, Phelps said White expressed a
willingness
to keep talking. The two have pledged to continue their dialogue.
"He hopes to come back," Phelps said. "I told him he'd be as welcome as
the flowers in spring."
As for White, he recalled how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was once
criticized by his fellow civil rights leaders for suggesting Alabama Gov.
George Wallace could change his segregationist views.
"If Wallace can change, Fred can change. If Fred can change, we can
change," White said.
Such changes are needed by everyone, said White, who led the audience
through some exercises that revealed biases and prejudices.
"Fred just reminds us of how we look some of the time, carrying our
signs
around the people we love the most and offending them by the way we're
carrying them. The silences. The words. The gestures. It's not about Fred.
It's about all of us. Hate is about all of us.
"Hate speech cripples the soul and cramps the body and kills the
spirit,"
White said. "Love speech enables and renews and restores."
(Fenceberry: To see the photo of Mel White picketing outside the Phelps
compound to to: http://cjonline.com/stories/121099/com_revwhite.shtml
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: [email protected] ([email protected] UNKNOWN
CREATION DATE/TIME:10-DEC-1999 20:08:26.00
SUBJECT: Articles 12.10.99.9
TO: "undisclosed-recipients:;"@eop.gov ("undisclosed-recipients:"@eop.gov [ UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
1. EDMONTON SUN Letter from Articles reader Jeff Ofstedahl says don't
assume that all gay people are anti-religion
2. ASSOCIATED PRESS A day after Hillary Clinton said she would march in
the
city's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, a group of Irish-American gays
excluded from the march for a decade demanded a meeting with the first
lady.
3. WASHINGTON TIMES Hillary fires broadside at military's policy for
homosexuals; Says her campaign at times may differ with White House
4. FORT WAYNE (IN) NEWS-SENTINEL Public television station will decide
next
year whether to broadcast "After Stonewall" and "It's Elementary"
5. ASSOCIATED PRESS Hawaii Ends Drive for Gay Marriage (contains some new
quotes)
Edmonton Sun, December 10, 1999
#250, 4990-92 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T6B 3A1 Canada
(E-MAIL: [email protected])
http://www.canoe.ca/EdmontonSun/home.html]
Letter:
RE: ARTICLE on homophobia and the teacher. I certainly hope and pray
that you do not rush to the assumption that all gay people and their
supporters are anti-religion. As a Christian man who is gay by God's
design,
I know how much gays have been beat over the head with so-called
Christianity
and thus harbour a resentment to the institutions represented by some
churches. The bottom line? God's grace and love extend to all. I hope
they
teach that in the schools.
? Jeff Ofstedahl [[email protected]]
(We support God's grace.) Edmonton Sun comment
Associated Press, December 10, 1999
Irish Gay Group Seeks Mrs. Clinton
By LARRY McSHANE
NEW YORK (AP) ? A day after Hillary Clinton said she would march in the
city's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, a group of Irish-American gays
excluded from the march for a decade demanded a meeting with the first
lady.
"Clinton needs to make her stand now," Anne Maguire of the Irish
Lesbian
& Gay Organization said Friday. "She either supports lesbians and gay men
in
New York, or she actively supports the bigots who tell us we can't be Irish
and gay at the same time."
In a sharply worded three-paragraph statement, the group complained
that
it was ignored by Mrs. Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee for U.S.
Senate, during her "listening tour" of New York state.
The organization demanded a meeting with the first lady, and described
the New Yorker-in-waiting as "apparently ignorant of the 10-year history of
bigotry associated with the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade."
Mrs. Clinton's spokesman, Howard Wolfson, did not immediately return a
Friday afternoon call for comment.
On Thursday, Mrs. Clinton answered in the affirmative when asked
whether
she planned to march in next year's parade up Fifth Avenue.
"I would hope so," she said, standing with Irish-American supporters.
"As long as I've got lots of good company, I'll certainly march in the St.
Patrick's Day Parade."
Wolfson said later Thursday that Mrs. Clinton believes all such parades
to be inclusive.
In its statement, the ILGO said it could have explained the history of
its problems with the parade if Mrs. Clinton had included the group on her
Irish get-together.
"Hillary Clinton needs to make her positions clear," said ILGO's
Emmaia
Gelman. "ILGO asks that she join her colleagues in the Democratic Party,
and
most New Yorkers, by boycotting the Hibernians' homophobic parade.
Washington Times, December 10, 1999
3600 New York Avenue NE, Washington, DC, 20002
(Fax 202-269-3419) (E-MAIL: [email protected] )
(http://www.washtimes.com/)
Hillary fires broadside at military's policy for homosexuals
Says her campaign at times may differ with White House
Barbara J. Saffir, THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Hillary Rodham Clinton said her husband's "don't ask, don't tell"
policy
has failed and that she favors homosexuals serving openly in the armed
forces.
"I don't believe it's the policy we should have in our military," the
New
York Senate candidate said at a New York news conference yesterday. "I
believe fitness to serve in the military should be based on conduct, not
sexual orientation."
The White House backed off the notion that the policy is solely
President
Clinton's.
"Don't ask, don't tell' is not the policy the president initially
proposed. It is the policy he was able to get the Congress to agree to,"
White House spokesman Barry Toiv said.
Mrs. Clinton's statements came after reports yesterday that she made
similar remarks and also backed "same-sex unions" in comments at a private
fund-raiser hosted by homosexual supporters.
During the $120,000 fund-raiser at the studio of artist Ross Bleckner,
Mrs. Clinton "described 'don't ask, don't tell' as a failure," according to
the New York Times.
Jeffrey Soref, a co-chairman of the Empire State Pride Agenda and a
member of the Democratic National Committee, organized the fund-raiser.
Bob Maginnis, who served on the 1993 Pentagon task force that wrote the
policy, criticized Mrs. Clinton ? who remains enmeshed in her dual roles as
candidate and first lady ? and the president for playing politics with the
issue.
"As a political candidate, she is pandering to the homosexual community
in New York City. As the first lady of this country she ought to respect
her
husband's decision," said Mr. Maginnis, who now serves as a director of the
Family Research Council. "It is unfortunate that they are using the
military
again as the Ping-Pong ball to extract political favoritism from people who
have deep pockets."
The first lady, who also has said she opposed his husband's pardon for
members of a Puerto Rican terrorist group and has declared that Jerusalem
should be the permanent capital of Israel, defended her independence
yesterday.
"I'm going to be a candidate for the Senate of New York," she said.
"I'm
going to be stating my positions that will be from time to time different
from the White House."
While Mrs. Clinton has stopped short of saying she favors homosexual
"marriage," she told 100 supporters at the Soho section fund-raiser Tuesday
that "same-sex unions should be recognized and that same-sex unions should
be
entitled to all the rights and privileges that every other American gets."
Her likely Republican opponent, New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani has
opposed same-sex "marriage," despite a generally pro-homosexual record.
While Mr. Giuliani is well-liked by many homosexual groups and aides
say
he has criticized the "don't ask" policy in the past, he sidestepped
questions about it during his regular City Hall news conference yesterday.
"It is something I'd have to look at," he said.
While Mrs. Clinton's remarks pleased homosexual activists, they were
not
enough to cement support from the state's most powerful gay group, which
has
ties to Mr. Giuliani.
"We have not decided if we are going to get involved in the race or who
we would endorse," said Empire State Pride Agenda director Matt Foreman.
The group endorsed Mr. Clinton in 1992 and 1996 and he headlined its $1
million fund-raiser in October. The group endorsed Democrat Charles E.
Schumer's successful 1998 campaign in its first endorsement of a Senate
candidate. Homosexuals make up about 8 percent of the New York City vote
and
4 percent of the electorate statewide.
Both Mr. Giuliani and Mrs. Clinton also said yesterday they plan to
march
in the St. Patrick's Day parade, which could anger some homosexuals because
it excludes the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization.
Mr. Giuliani has marched in the parade in the past. When he marched
in a
gay pride parade in New York this year, he was heckled by some homosexual
activists.
Mr. Clinton angered many homosexual groups when he backed off a
campaign
promise similar to Mrs. Clinton's remarks yesterday and agreed to "don't
ask,
don't tell" as a compromise in 1993.
Mr. Clinton had moved in his first month in office to lift completely
the
ban on homosexuals. But he ran into a torrent of opposition from Democrats
and Republicans on Capitol Hill, as well as the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Negotiations began and what emerged was a new policy that retains the
military's prohibition against engaging in homosexual conduct on the
grounds
that it damages good order and discipline.
Under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, homosexuals serve as long as
they keep their sexual orientation private. An admission to being
homosexual
is grounds for discharge on the assumption that such an admission means the
person does, or intends to, engage in prohibited sexual conduct.
The new policy also ended the practice of asking would-be recruits if
they are homosexual.
Homosexuals groups launched a series of lawsuits attacking the policy's
constitutionality. To date, five federal appeals courts have upheld the
military's policy. The Supreme Court has refused to intervene four times.
Defeated in the courts, the homosexual movement shifted emphasis last
year to challenging the way the Pentagon enforces the ban.
Homosexual activists claim enforcement results in "witch hunts." But
the
Defense Department has reviewed enforcement on two occasions and issued
statements saying "for the most part, the policy has been properly applied
and enforced."
The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which aids personnel targeted
under the ban, said that 1,149 persons were discharged last year for
violating the ban, compared with 667 in 1994.
Ban proponents say the numbers are higher because homosexuals are no
longer screened out at induction and that attrition rates are generally up
among enlisted personnel.
The Pentagon changed enforcement procedures in August, taking some
power
from local commanders, after homosexual groups complained of "witch hunts."
Commanders now need approval from senior civilians if they want to
begin
a "substantial investigation" into whether a person has stated he is a
homosexual.
? Rowan Scarborough and Andrew Cain contributed to this report.
Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, December 10, 1999
600 West Main St., Fort Wayne, IN, 46802
(Fax 219-461-8649 (E-MAIL: [email protected])
(http://www.fortwayne.com/ns/)
WFWA will decide documentaries' fate
Scott Hickey, [email protected]
A decision is expected early next year by the programming committee of
public television station WFWA, Channel 39, on whether to broadcast a pair
of
gay and lesbian documentaries.
Within two months, WFWA President Roger Rhodes expects the recently
formed 12-member committee to announce its decision on the broadcast fate
of
"After Stonewall: From The Riots to the Millennium," a documentary on the
birth of the gay rights movement, and "It's Elementary," a documentary on
schoolchildren's perception of gays and lesbians.
"It's been six months since this issue came up, and for obvious
reasons,
we'd like to have closure sooner rather than later," Rhodes said. "We're
trying to get everything buttoned up within a January and February time
line."
"After Stonewall" was yanked from the schedule in July because the
program contained brief nudity, Rhodes said. "It's Elementary" was not
broadcast because the program didn't appeal to a broad audience.
"It's obviously a subjective call, but the comments we've heard about
'It's Elementary' is that the program's greater strength is as a training
film for teachers," he said.
The decision angered some in the local gay and lesbian community. They
saw the move as a strike against inclusiveness on WFWA's airwaves.
"The station is sticking out like a sore thumb by not broadcasting
these
kinds of programs," said Cat Voors, who helped organize the Coalition for
Justice, a group formed in July to voice concerns about programming
decisions. "These films document the legitimate history of a people, and
people should have the opportunity to see them."
Not airing the documentaries, Rhodes said, was not intended as a knock
against gays and lesbians. The station has a history of broadcasting
programs that deal with gay and lesbian issues including "Tales of the
City," "Breaking The Code" and "Silverlake: The View from Here."
Coalition member Steve Carr remains skeptical of the reasons behind the
station's choice not to air the documentaries.
"It is a slight against gay and lesbian viewers, whether or not it's
intended," he said. "How could concern over funding not have something to
do with the station's decision?"
Rhodes said potential loss of local monetary pledges had nothing to do
with WFWA's decision: "Losing underwriting was not an issue when we
discussed these programs. Content and policy were the driving factors."
Associated Press, December 10, 1999
Hawaii Ends Drive for Gay Marriage
By BEN DiPIETRO
HONOLULU (AP) ? Hawaii's Supreme Court has slammed the door on gay
marriages in the state once considered most likely to legalize same-sex
unions. That means Vermont could be gay couples' best hope.
In a ruling Thursday, Hawaii's high court said the issue was resolved
by
a 1998 amendment to the state constitution against gay marriages.
Vermont is the only state whose top court is considering the issue.
The
Vermont Supreme Court is expected to rule any day on a case filed by three
gay couples who want the right to marry.
Opponents of gay marriage cheered the ruling in Hawaii.
"Thank you to the Hawaii Supreme Court for affirming what we've known
all
along that marriage, by God's definition, is between opposite-sex
couples,"
said Mike Gabbard, chairman of the Alliance for Traditional Marriage.
The Hawaii ruling was a loss for three other gay couples who want to
marry and sued the state in 1990.
"We have such wimps in our judicial system," said Joseph Melillo, who
wants to marry his partner of 23 years.
Other advocates of same-sex marriage said the issue will not go away.
"This is still a national civil rights movement and no one victory and
no
one defeat is going to end our advance on equality," said Evan Wolfson, an
attorney for the Lambda Legal Defense Fund, a gay rights organization in
New
York. "The public continues to discuss and get used to the idea of gay
people marrying. No doubt we will win the freedom to marry. The only
question is when."
It was the Hawaii case that brought the debate over gay marriages into
the open.
In 1993, Hawaii's Supreme Court ruled that the state's failure to
recognize gay marriages amounted to gender discrimination.
The ruling set off pre-emptive legislating around the nation.
Lawmakers
feared that gay couples would fly to Hawaii to get married and that the 49
other states would then have to recognize those marriages.
At least 30 states banned gay marriages, and Congress passed the
Defense
of Marriage Act, which denied federal recognition of homosexual marriage
and
allowed states to ignore same-sex unions licensed elsewhere. Something similar happened in Hawaii. In 1994,
lawmakers said marriage
can only be a union of a man and a woman and later drafted a constitutional
amendment giving them the authority to pass such a ban. Voters approved the
amendment 2-to-1 last year.
"Contrary to pro-homosexuality activists' rhetoric, marriage is not a
construct of man that can be retooled and manipulated, but an institution
established by God and protected through 6,000 years of human history,"
said
Robert Knight of the Family Research Council in Washington.
The Hawaii ruling has no direct bearing on the Vermont case, because it
was based on Hawaiian law and the Hawaiian Constitution.
In Vermont, three couples sued for the right to marry in 1997, but a
Superior Court judge dismissed the case, ruling that there is no
fundamental
right to gay marriage. The couples appealed.
Hawaii's five Supreme Court justices left alone their 1993 ruling that
gay couples were entitled to the same rights and benefits as heterosexual
couples. Some of those rights, such as hospital visitation, property
rights
and family leave, were granted under a 1997 state law.
If gay couples can't get married, they will seek other rights accorded
to
married couples, such as health benefits and adoption privileges, said Dan
Foley, who represented the three Hawaii couples.
"Unless the Legislature passes a comprehensive domestic partnership
law,
there are going to be hundreds of lawsuits," Foley said.
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: LGBT Activists List <[email protected]> (LGBT Activists List <[email protected]> [
UNKNOWN ])
CREATION DATE/TIME:10-DEC-1999 21:24:09.00
SUBJECT: FRC attacks Hillary's military stand
TO: [email protected] ([email protected] UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
First Lady Attacks Readiness By Opposing Ban on Homosexuals In the
Military, FRC Says
National security demands that individual notions and desires always be
subordinate to military readiness and cohesion,' Maginnis Says
WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- "In calling to overturn the military's
'don't ask, don't tell' policy and the ban on homosexuals in the military,
First Lady Hillary Clinton is not thinking of what is best for U.S.
military readiness," FRC's Senior Director for National Security and
Foreign Affairs, Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis said Thursday. "National
security demands that individual notions and desires always be subordinate
to military readiness and cohesion." Mrs. Clinton made her remarks in
favor of homosexuals serving openly in the military at an event Wednesday
that was sponsored by a homosexual group.
"We cannot change military policy in deference to polling numbers or
political correctness," Maginnis said. "There is no constitutional right
to serve in the military. It has always been a discriminatory organization
that prohibits individuals from serving when they fail to meet
qualifications.
"The Clinton administration has used the military as a testing ground for
its liberal social policies. As a result, the armed forces are in a state
of disarray. Radical steps need to be made to reverse the course;
otherwise, we risk undermining the military's capability to defend our
country and may have to re-introduce the draft."
In July 1993, Colonel Maginnis retired from an assignment in the Pentagon
where he served as an Inspector General. In the last eight months of his
military service, Colonel Maginnis was a member of the Army's study group
examining the homosexual ban. He was recently interviewed by CBS's "60
Minutes" for a segment on homosexuals in the military scheduled to air
December 12.
The item above is being distributed as a free, non-profit informational
service to a limited number of individuals who have expressed interest in
this topic for educational and research purposes only. Please do not
redistribute or post copyrighted material anyplace on the Internet
accessible to the public without attribution and permission from the
author. Please note that distribution of this item does not necessarily
constitute endorsement of the content; in fact, often items are distributed
as "opposition research."
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: Rex Wockner <[email protected]> ( Rex Wockner <[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN 1)
CREATION DATE/TIME:10-DEC-1999 13:53:53.00
SUBJECT: NC11583: Chicago Tribune calls for end to DADT
TO: Rex Wockner <[email protected]> ( Rex Wockner <[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
Chicago Tribune
EDITORIAL
December 10, 1999
www.chicagotribune.com
TIME TO DITCH "DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL"
The chilling story of 21-year-old Army private Barry Winchell
illustrates, as if any additional evidence were needed, why the Pentagon's
"don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military is unworkable--and
why it ought to be eliminated.
Winchell enlisted in 1997, filled with dreams of becoming a helicopter
pilot. But because he was gay, he soon was subjected to months of
harassment and was ultimately bludgeoned to death with a baseball bat by
fellow private Calvin Glover.
On Wednesday, Glover was found guilty of premeditated murder, but
testimony during the trial also indicted the "don't ask, don't tell"
policy.
Indeed, five years after it was instituted, "don't ask" has clearly proven
unworkable and counterproductive: Gays and lesbians should be allowed to
serve openly, subject only to the same limitations and conditions imposed
on their heterosexual counterparts.
In Winchell's case, early rumors about his homosexuality were followed by
taunting and vicious name-calling, and even an informal investigation by
his superior.
Winchell at first tried to deny the rumors, to no avail. And complaining
to his superiors--much less confirming the rumors--only would have
prompted more inquiries, inevitably leading to discharge.
Because of such contradictions, "don't ask" in fact has made life worse
for gays and lesbians in uniform. Between 1994 and 1998, the number of
gays discharged from the military increased to 1149 from 597, while the
number of complaints filed with the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network,
a gay and lesbian organization, doubled between 1997 and 1998.
The cornerstone premise of "don't ask" is that homophobia in the military
is so widespread and ingrained that openly admitting gays would undermine
morale and create friction.
But just as the services learned to integrate women and blacks into their
ranks, they must learn to integrate homosexuals.
The answer to bigotry cannot be to arbitrarily exclude its victims or
condemn them to life in a limbo of fear and lying or, as in Winchell's
tragic case, to beatings and death.
It is time for the armed forces to face squarely up to this challenge.
"Don't ask, don't tell" has had its chance and has been a failure. It's
time to declare that gays and lesbians may serve openly in the armed
forces, and that discrimination and persecution will not be tolerated.
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: [email protected] ( [email protected] UNKNOWN
CREATION DATE/TIME:11-DEC-1999 22:53:24.00
SUBJECT: Articles 12.11.99.4
TO: "undisclosed-recipients:;"@eop.gov ("undisclosed-recipients:"@eop.gov [ UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
1. ASSOCIATED PRESS President Clinton agrees with his wife that "don't
ask,
don't tell" is "out of whack"
2. NAPLES (FL) DAILY NEWS He's at it again! Sheriff McDougal of Lee
County, Florida, has posted his personal views on the office website,
including rants about Dirkhiser and Judgment Day
3. NEW YORK POST Editorial: "Green Candidate, Green Mess" (about
Hillary's
Irish vs. gays blunder)
4. REUTERS Gay British men become legal parents of surrogate twins born
in
California, now face battle to win British passports for their son and
daughter
5. ASSOCIATED PRESS Army investigator recommends discharge for gay
reservist-legislator Steve May
Associated Press, December 11, 1999
Clinton: Military Gay Policy Failing (excerpts)
By SONYA ROSS
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) ? Agreeing with his wife, President Clinton said
Saturday his 1993 "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military
doesn't work, and pledged to work with the Pentagon to find a way to fix
it.
"It's out of whack now," he said.
In a radio interview with CBS News, Clinton said he meant to create a
policy that would help gay service members remain on duty without being
persecuted for their sexual orientation. But Clinton said the policy's
flaws
were revealed in the case of a young soldier convicted of beating to death
a
fellow soldier whom he suspected was gay.
"I can only hope that this last brutal beating death of a gay soldier
will give some sobering impetus to a re-examination of how this policy is
implemented, and whether we can do a better job of fulfilling its original
intent," Clinton said. "Its original intent was that people would not be
rooted out."
Clinton gave the interview Saturday after addressing the Florida
Democratic Party here.
[Other topics]
Clinton proposed "don't ask, don't tell" during his first year
in
office. It took effect in February 1994. The Pentagon reported that 1,145
people were discharged from the armed forces last year for homosexuality,
up
from 997 in 1997. The lowest number of such discharges was 617 in 1994.
Last August, the Pentagon updated "don't ask, don't tell" guidelines
to
require all troops to undergo periodic training on tolerance and to assign
the task of investigating alleged homosexual activity to senior officials.
It continues to bar inquiries into sexual orientation while allowing
discharges for service members who engage in homosexual conduct or show a
"propensity" for it, such as stating that he or she is gay.
Last week, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton flatly said she doesn't
believe "don't ask, don't tell" has worked, and called for a policy under
which gays and lesbians could serve without discrimination or harassment.
"Fitness to serve in the military should be based on one's conduct, not
one's
sexual orientation," she said.
"I don't have any problem with what she says," Clinton said Saturday.
He said his wife's statements reflected the position "that both of us
brought
to the White House," but he decided on the current policy as a compromise
after it became clear to him that there were sufficient votes in Congress
to
overrule him.
"So what I'd like to do is to focus on trying to make the policy we
announced back in '93 work the way it was intended to," Clinton said.
"It's
out of whack now, and I don't think any serious person can say it's not."
Clinton said officials at the Pentagon and the White House were working
on smoothing out the problems with the policy. "I think there's a greater
awareness now it's not being implemented as it was announced and as it was
intended."
Earlier Saturday, Clinton said he was profoundly saddened by the case
of
Army private Barry L. Winchell, 21, who was beaten to death by his barracks
roommate, 18-year-old private Calvin N. Glover, at Fort Campbell, Ky. He
said he looked at photographs of the killer and victim side-by-side in a
newspaper and thought, "They could be my children."
"I was aching for the young man who had died, and for the young man
whose
life is now destroyed, who wasn't born hating that way. Somebody had to
teach him to do that," Clinton said
[another topic]
Naples Daily News, December 11, 1999
Box 7009, Naples, FL, 33941
(Fax 941-263-4816) (E-MAIL: [email protected])
(http://www.naplesnews.com/)
Lee sheriff stirs critics' ire with third online letter
By MARY KELLI BRIDGES, Staff Writer
Lee County Sheriff John McDougall's first letter posted on the Internet
in October criticized the American Civil Liberties Union, gay and lesbian
coalitions and supporters of a woman's right to have an abortion.
His second letter, posted a few weeks later, tackled the governor of
New
Mexico's proposition to legalize drugs.
The third, posted at 5 p.m. Thursday, takes on the subject of China
"preparing to take over the Panama Canal once the U.S. relinquishes
control,"
the death of gay student Matthew Shepard and revisits the topic of
abortion.
The sheriff also writes that the "day of Judgment" is "not too far off."
As happened the first two times, the third letter has brought criticism
from some who say the sheriff is abusing his power as an elected official.
"My first thought was he seemed to think he was the leader of the world
rather than the sheriff of Lee County," said Ayesha Khan, litigation
counsel
for the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, a
nonprofit
watchdog group.
In regard to China's ultimate control over the Panama Canal, McDougall
writes that the Chinese government will situate itself to allow it "to stop
the movement of Trans-ocean commerce as well as U.S. military ships vital
to
our national defense."
In part, he blames U.S. Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., whom he refers
to
as "Clinton's sugar mama to the Red Chinese."
McDougall also writes about the rape, torture and murder of a
13-year-old
Arkansas boy, Jesse Dirkhising, allegedly at the hands of two homosexual
men,
complaining the case didn't get the national attention accorded the murder
of
gay college student Matthew Shepard, killed in 1998 in Wyoming.
Blaming the "liberal" media, McDougall said Dirkhising's death didn't
get
as much attention as Shepard's or the classification as a hate crime.
"How in the name of justice can the rape, torture and murder of
13-year-old Jesse Dirkhising by two homosexual predator psychopaths not be
just as hateful as the Matthew Shepard case?" McDougall wrote. "Or are the
liberal media and their pro-homosexual agenda trying to persuade us into
believing that a hate crime is only a hate crime when the victim is gay.
Murder by its definition is a hate crime."
He goes on to write that abortion is also a hate crime supported by the
liberal media and gay and lesbian coalitions.
Khan said she's keeping a close eye on McDougall to see if she thinks
he's crossing the line of the separation of church and state.
She took particular issue to McDougall's first letter posted on his
official Sheriff's Office Web site in which he wrote: "If we fail as a
nation
to ask God's mercy and forgiveness, take back our inheritance as a holy
people of a loving God, demand respect for God and His commandments, our
nation as we know it will no longer receive His blessings or protection,"
and
when he talked about reading the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
But when the sheriff posted his letter about New Mexico Gov. Gary E.
Johnson, the first letter was taken off the Web site, which pleased Khan.
Now, by logging on to the sheriff's Web site at www.sheriffleefl.org
and
clicking on the banner that reads "A Message from Sheriff McDougall,"
readers
can find his newest letter and links to his last two letters.
Khan said she's not sure if the latest setup is as unconstitutional as
she said it was when the link on the front page of the sheriff's Web site
led
to the first letter.
"It's arguable that this is like a link," Khan said. "I'd say it walks
the line, whether it falls over, we're reviewing."
Lee County Commissioner Andrew Coy said the sheriff has a
constitutional
right to express his opinions. But he said if the sheriff is trying to get
more people to agree with him, he's going about it the wrong way.
"If we go out there in such a way that turns them off in the second
sentence, they're not going to listen to the rest of the speech," Coy said.
A good illustration, Coy said, would be the way people viewed Sen.
Barry
Goldwater, a conservative who ran against President Lyndon Johnson in 1964,
and former President Ronald Reagan.
Coy said both men were conservative, but Reagan had an approach that
made
people think of him as a "compassionate father-figure," while Goldwater
turned people off.
"They didn't listen to Barry Goldwater because he scared them," Coy
said.
McDougall said he just want to correct injustices.
"I can voice how I feel and get feedback from the community, and the
feedback from the community has been very positive," McDougall said.
McDougall ends his latest letter by talking about judgment day.
"Any person who violates the Fifth Commandment of God (thou shalt not
kill) or any person who supports others to violate that commandment will be
held accountable on the day of Judgment," McDougall wrote. "And it looks
like
that day is not too far off."
While some people have said the end of the world is as close as the end
of the millennium, McDougall said that's not what he was referring to.
"In the scale of creation and in the scale of eternity, life is just a
twinkling of an eye," he said.
New York Post, December 11, 1999
1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY, 10036
(Fax 212-930-8546) (E-MAIL: [email protected] )
(http://www.nypost.com)
Editorial: GREEN CANDIDATE, GREEN MESS
Hillary Rodham Clinton earlier this week came out four-square against
the
controversial gays-in-the-military policy promulgated by her husband, the
president. She's against "don't ask, don't tell."
This may embarrass Mr. Clinton (what the heck; given what he's put the
first lady through, she's entitled) ? but, for sure, New York's gay
community
will notice.
It sure did. And it especially noticed when Mrs. Clinton announced
plans
to march in next year's St. Patrick's Day parade. You'll recall the annual
controversy over whether the Irish Lesbian & Gay Organization can
participate
in the event behind its own banner.
"Clinton needs to make her stand now," said Anne Maguire of ILGO
yesterday. Well, now. What to do? Who to antagonize? ILGO? Or the
parade
organizers?
Another fine mess Mrs. Clinton has gotten herself into.
What a shame carpetbags don't come with maps of the political terrain.
Reuters, December 12, 1999
Gay British men become parents of twins
LONDON (Reuters) ? Two gay men who have become legal parents of
surrogate
twins born in California now face a battle to win British passports for
their
son and daughter.
Barrie Drewitt, 30, and Tony Barlow, 35, were present on Thursday
evening
when the twins were born to a surrogate mother in a California hospital,
the
Mail on Sunday reported.
They acknowledged they still had a legal fight ahead of them, but told
the newspaper their biggest battle had already been won.
"There has been so much prejudice and criticism about what we have
done,
but none of that matters now," Drewitt told the Mail on Sunday.
"We have a family and that is enough for us," he said.
The couple's American surrogate mother, Rosalind Bellamy, 32, gave
birth
to a boy, Aspen Drewitt-Barlow and his twin sister Saffron. Bellamy had
been
implanted with eggs fertilised in a laboratory by sperm from one of the
men.
American courts have already ruled the millionaire businessmen could
become "parent one" and "parent two" on the children's birth
certificates.
But lawyers have told the Essex couple that as unmarried fathers they
have no right to pass on their British nationality to their son and
daughter.
"All the stuff to sort out about birth certificates and citizenship is
not even in my head," said Barlow.
"We will deal with that as we have with everything else."
The men, together for 11 years, turned to the United States and spent
200,000 pounds ($325,000) on the surrogacy after their efforts to adopt a
child in their native England were rejected.
($1-.6158 pound)
Associated Press, December 11, 1999
Army investigator recommends discharge for gay reservist-legislator
SCOTT THOMSEN, Associated Press Writer
PHOENIX (AP) ? A military investigator is recommending the Army
discharge
a reserve lieutenant who revealed his sexual orientation while on the job
as
a state lawmaker.
Army officials began investigating Lt. Steve May after he discussed his
homosexuality during a legislative hearing in February. May was a civilian
at the time, but was recalled to active duty a few weeks later.
"It appears the immediate commander has not an option but to recommend
initiation of a separation action to higher headquarters," the
investigator,
Maj. Eileen Norton, wrote in her report. The report is part of May's
confidential personnel file, which he released to The Associated Press.
Nevertheless, Norton recommended May's commanders consider his
performance ? he was rated an exceptional officer with an unblemished
career
? when deciding whether to recommend retaining or dismissing him.
In a sworn statement for the investigation, Capt. Stephen Sherbondy
supported his officer, saying: "May's performance as an officer under my
command has been nothing less than outstanding since he joined the unit."
Under Department of Defense regulations, homosexuals are not allowed to
serve in the armed forces. The military's "don't ask, don't tell, don't
pursue" policy is designed only to prevent it from seeking out such
information.
May's commanding general will decide whether to call a separation
hearing
board of three senior officers. If the board votes to discharge May, the
decision would have to be approved by the secretary of the Army. That
process could take several months.
In the meantime, May, 28, is being considered for promotion to captain.
"I'm physically fit, mentally fit, an outstanding officer and they're
kicking me out," May said. "I wish I could be left alone, serve my
soldiers, serve my constituents and serve my country."
May's attorney, Christopher Wolf, has written the Army asking May's
commanders to use their authority under regulations Wolf said would allow
retention of an openly gay officer when "separation of the officer would
not
be in the best interest of the Armed Forces."
If that fails, May said he will challenge a discharge in court, arguing
the Army cannot limit his free speech rights as a civilian or interfere
with his ability to represent his constituents as a state legislator.
"This would cost me nothing to walk away right now. Believe me, I
think
about that every day," May said. "But it's my obligation to fight this
immorality."
Retired Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis, who helped draft the military's
"don't
ask, don't tell" policy, said he expects May to be discharged regardless
of
his service record.
In the few cases where gays have been allowed to remain in the service,
the soldiers promised not to engage in any homosexual activity. But May
has
been open about his sexuality and is a partner in a 4-year gay
relationship,
Maginnis said. "It's an open and shut case," he said.
The investigation began after May's company commander was given a copy
of
an article from the weekly New Times newspaper about May's comments in
February on a bill that would have prohibited government benefits for
employees' gay partners.
During the hearing, the first-term Republican representative ? who has
been openly gay since before his first campaign in 1996 ? rebuked a
colleague
who said homosexuality was "at the lower end of the behavioral spectrum"
and
a threat to society.
"You can hate me. You can discriminate against me. You can be as
bigoted as you want to be. But treat me fairly under the law," he said.
He was recalled to duty a few weeks later in preparation for a possible
ground assault in Kosovo, and he reported to the 348th Transportation
Company, where he is the executive officer.
May's personnel file shows he consistently earned the highest marks in
performance evaluations throughout his military career, even after his
homosexuality became public knowledge.
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: LGBT Activists List <[email protected]> (LGBT Activists List <[email protected]> [
UNKNOWN ])
CREATION DATE/TIME:12-DEC-1999 03:08:04.00
SUBJECT: Bill Clinton: Military Gay Policy Failing
TO: [email protected] ([email protected] UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
Associated Press, December 11, 1999
Clinton: Military Gay Policy Failing (excerpts)
By SONYA ROSS
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Agreeing with his wife, President Clinton said
Saturday his 1993 "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military
doesn't work, and pledged to work with the Pentagon to find a way to fix
it.
"It's out of whack now," he said.
In a radio interview with CBS News, Clinton said he meant to create a
policy that would help gay service members remain on duty without being
persecuted for their sexual orientation. But Clinton said the policy's
flaws
were revealed in the case of a young soldier convicted of beating to death
a
fellow soldier whom he suspected was gay.
"I can only hope that this last brutal beating death of a gay soldier
will give some sobering impetus to a re-examination of how this policy is
implemented, and whether we can do a better job of fulfilling its original
intent," Clinton said. "Its original intent was that people would not be
rooted out."
Clinton gave the interview Saturday after addressing the Florida
Democratic Party here.
[Other topics]
Clinton proposed "don't ask, don't tell" during his first year
in
office. It took effect in February 1994. The Pentagon reported that 1,145
people were discharged from the armed forces last year for homosexuality,
up
from 997 in 1997. The lowest number of such discharges was 617 in 1994.
Last August, the Pentagon updated "don't ask, don't tell" guidelines
to
require all troops to undergo periodic training on tolerance and to assign
the task of investigating alleged homosexual activity to senior officials.
It continues to bar inquiries into sexual orientation while allowing
discharges for service members who engage in homosexual conduct or show a
"propensity" for it, such as stating that he or she is gay.
Last week, first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton flatly said she doesn't
believe "don't ask, don't tell" has worked, and called for a policy under
which gays and lesbians could serve without discrimination or harassment.
"Fitness to serve in the military should be based on one's conduct, not
one's
sexual orientation," she said.
"I don't have any problem with what she says," Clinton said Saturday.
He said his wife's statements reflected the position "that both of us
brought
to the White House," but he decided on the current policy as a compromise
after it became clear to him that there were sufficient votes in Congress
to
overrule him.
"So what I'd like to do is to focus on trying to make the policy we
announced back in '93 work the way it was intended to," Clinton said.
"It's
out of whack now, and I don't think any serious person can say it's not."
Clinton said officials at the Pentagon and the White House were working
on smoothing out the problems with the policy. "I think there's a greater
awareness now it's not being implemented as it was announced and as it was
intended."
Earlier Saturday, Clinton said he was profoundly saddened by the case
of
Army private Barry L. Winchell, 21, who was beaten to death by his barracks
roommate, 18-year-old private Calvin N. Glover, at Fort Campbell, Ky. He
said he looked at photographs of the killer and victim side-by-side in a
newspaper and thought, "They could be my children."
"I was aching for the young man who had died, and for the young man
whose
life is now destroyed, who wasn't born hating that way. Somebody had to
teach him to do that," Clinton said.
[another topic]
The item above is being distributed as a free, non-profit informational
service to a limited number of individuals who have expressed interest in
this topic for educational and research purposes only. Please do not
redistribute or post copyrighted material anyplace on the Internet
accessible to the public without attribution and permission from the
author. Please note that distribution of this item does not necessarily
constitute endorsement of the content; in fact, often items are distributed
as "opposition research."
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: Rex Wockner <[email protected]> ( Rex Wockner <[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN ])
CREATION DATE/TIME:12-DEC-1999 16:38:20.00
SUBJECT: NC11599: Andrew Sullivan sort of outs tons of public figures
TO: Rex Wockner <[email protected]> ( Rex Wockner <[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
Do not publish this item in any form without permission from the
originating media operation. Do not post this item in any online
forum. This is a small, free mailing list open only to my friends.
The New York Times Magazine
Sunday, December 12, 1999 - Page 64
Andrew Sullivan
Not a Straight Story
When it comes to public figures disclosing their sexuality, the new rule is
Kinda Ask, Sorta Tell.
Among the benefits of presidential campaigns is that they can provide a
cultural snapshot of where the country is. Eight years ago, Bill Clinton
was the first major candidate to seek money directly from gay donors. Four
years ago, Bob Dole accepted, turned down and then accepted a check from
the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay G.O.P. group. This year, George W. Bush
drew flak for not personally meeting with the group. And in the latest
sign of cultural change, the Gore campaign manager is Donna Brazile, a
single black woman. Until recently, Brazile was an advocate in gay
politics and sat on the board of the Millennium March on Washington, a gay
rights demonstration planned for April.
The first lesbian to head a national presidential campaign? No one's
saying, least of all Brazile. Is she heterosexual? On that question, too,
she is mum. It is not that she is highly protective of her privacy. In a
personal profile in The New York Times, Brazile let readers know before
becoming Gore's campaign manager that she was looking for a relationship
that lasted longer than two weeks; in The Washington Post, she said she
was "single and available." She doesn't mince words. Of the challenges of
being a black woman in politics, she told The Post: "I had to decide if
I'd be a bitch or a whore. I chose bitch." She is an enthusiast for
identity politics, stressing her black female outlook in every profile.
And she is no stickler for others' privacy: she was fired from the 1988
Dukakis campaign for spreading rumors about Vice President George Bush's
love life. As for emotional candor, the second stated goal of the
Millennium March is for more homosexuals to come out. Of the 18 people on
the board when Brazile was a member, 16 were openly gay or bisexual. One,
representing Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, was
openly straight. Brazile alone was openly ambiguous.
Why? Asked directly by Southern Voice, an Atlanta gay paper, she agreed
that her orientation was "a fair question," but nevertheless declined to
answer. She later told The Post, "If I had a personal life, I'd have a
sexual orientation" implying that being homosexual is something you do
rather than something you are, a stance held largely by the religious
right. She also proffered: "The last time I talked about someone's
personal life, I got fired. I'm not about to make my personal life
public." But there's a difference between revealing your own life and
spreading rumors about someone else's, and a large moral difference
between committing adultery and being gay. Would she be fired for talking
about being gay or straight? Not very likely by a candidate who supports
making discrimination against homosexuals illegal.
Of course, Brazile has every right to say nothing if she wants to, even to
the point of seeming ridiculous. But the ridiculousness is the point. Not
so long ago the closet was a simple matter. Either gay men and women
engaged in a complete silence about their emotional lives or they simply
said they were straight. Now it's more complicated. At a time when the
stigma against homosexuality is far weaker than even 10 years ago, a gay
person doesn't need to lie to maintain social standing -- but he doesn't
have to tell the truth, either. We went from Never Say Anything to Don't
Ask, Don't Tell. Now we're at the point of Kinda Ask, Sorta Tell.
In politics, Brazile is not alone. There are almost no heterosexual
politicians who aren't married, divorced, dating or openly straight, and I
know of few who would object to being asked if they were heterosexual or
dismiss it as nobody's business. But among homosexuals, it's still a
different story. To be sure, Representative Barney Frank lives up to his
name. And even Republicans, like Representative Jim Kolbe, of Arizona, or
the former Jesse Helms adviser Arthur Finkelstein, are increasingly
matter-of-fact. But others equivocate. In Clinton's cabinet, almost
everyone is married or divorced, but for two who aren't, Donna Shalala and
Janet Reno, their orientations are shrouded in deep ambiguity. In a recent
issue of New York magazine devoted to "singles," former New York Mayor Ed
Koch was invited to write his own personals ad. This is what he wrote:
"White Male, 70-something former C.E.O. and practicing attorney.
Have belatedly concluded that everyone, straight or gay, needs a partner
in life. How'm I doing?" What on earth are we supposed to make of that?
Surely no heterosexual wanting to find a partner in a personals ad would
feel the need to conceal the sex of the person he is looking for. Why?
Koch could have refused to join in the magazine's game, retaining complete
privacy, or he could have written an ad clearly looking for a woman.
Instead, he chose to play Kinda Ask, Sorta Tell.
This politesse is part of Hollywood as well. What other implication are we
supposed to draw, for example, from Rosie O'Donnell's adoption of the
Brazile model? Again, O'Donnell is pro-gay, politically liberal and hardly
protective of her own privacy. Any viewer knows not only that she has
adopted two children but also their names and eating habits. She has
allowed network cameras into the nursery. She has told the world that she
is distant from her living father. Almost every guest on her show talks
about emotional or family life and is candid about his or her orientation.
But not the host. This most obvious question is treated as if it were the
most obscure. "I'm single and dating," she once told People magazine. But
dating whom? O'Donnell won't even narrow the options to half the human
race.
Ditto the Latin heartthrob Ricky Martin. Not so long ago such a prominent
male singer would have gone out of his way to protest his heterosexuality.
Now he goes out of his way to obfuscate. In a recent interview, Barbara
Walters asked him how he was enjoying his sexuality. Martin responded,
laughing, "I I live la vida loca." Walters asked Martin if there was
"somebody" in his life. Martin said yes, but managed to talk about it
without either a female or a male pronoun crossing his lips. Or on a more
comic note, there's the fitness guru Richard Simmons. Read his new
autobiography, and you will find no stone unturned in his private life,
down to gorging on Ex-Lax to lose weight. But about any relationships, the
most candid passage is titled "The Woman I Live With." It begins: "Yes,
there is a woman in my life -- a beautiful woman who looks like a
35-year-old Sophia Loren. Her name is Teresa. I know this is the part of
the story you've been waiting for." Teresa, it turns out, is Simmons's
housekeeper.
Perhaps 1 should be clear here. I don't believe in "outing" people. But I
don't believe in "inning" them, either. I have no evidence that, say,
Donna Brazile or Ricky Martin is gay or straight. But I do know that their
studied avoidance of the subject, along with their eager divulgence of any
number of other private matters, invites an obvious and legitimate
question. And, yes, it is legitimate. There comes a point, surely, at
which the diminishing public stigmatization of homosexuality makes this
kind of coyness not so much understandably defensive as simply feeble:
insulting to homosexuals, who know better, and condescending to
heterosexuals, who deserve better. It's as if the closet has had every
foundation and bearing wall removed but still stands, supported by mere
expediency, etiquette and the lingering shards of shame. Does no one have
the gumption just to blow it down?
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: [email protected] [email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
CREATION DATE/TIME:12-DEC-1999 09:04:09.00
SUBJECT: U.S. warns travelers of possible terrorist attacks ;Russia says rebels hindering Chechen refugees
TO: [email protected] ([email protected]
UNKNOWN]
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
- att1.htm
ATTACHMENT
1
ATT CREATION TIME/DATE: 0 00:00:00.00
TEXT:
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Headline News Brief</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#000000" LINK="#00009B" ALINK="#00BB00" VLINK="#0
R3990">
<!-- If you can read this, you probably are getting the wrong version of Headli
ne News Brief Mail.
To fix that, go to CNN.com/QUICKNEWS/mail. Scroll to the bottom of the screen
to find "Unsubscribing Type in your e-mail address, select "Web page" opti
on and click on the Unsubscribe button. To get the text version, go back to the
top of the page, type in your e-mail address, select "Text only -- no graphics
" and click on Subscribe. -->
<CENTER>
<TABLE BORDER=1 WIDTH=500 CELLPADDING=4 CELLSPACING=0>
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="http://victory.cnn.com/click.ng/Origin-cnn&PageT
be=main&Section=cnnquickmail&Size=468x60&SpaceDesc=/ads/NG/cnnquickmailmain&Pag
ePos=1"><IMG SRC="http://victory.cnn.com/image.ng/Origin=cnn&PageType=main&Sect
ion=cnnquickmail&Size=468x60&SpaceDesc=/ads/NG/cnnquickmailmain&PagePos=lWID7.
H=468 HEIGHT=60 BORDER=I</A></TD></TR>
</TABLE>
<BR>
<TABLE border=1 WIDTH=550 cellpadding=5 CELLSPACING=0><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"
>
<TABLE BORDER=0><TR>
<td><!-- Title banner and CNNint logo ..>
<a href="http://CNN.com"><IMG ALIGN="LEFT" ALT="CNN.com" WIDTH="89" HEIGHT="58"
BORDER="0" SRC="http://cnn.com/DIGEST/affiliates/images/cnnt.gif"></a></td>
<td>
<img src="http://cnn.com/QUICKNEWS/images/1998/hln.mail.banner.gif" width=457 h
eight=39 border=0 alt="Headline News Mail">
</td>
</TR>
</TABLE>
</CENTER>
<CENTER>
<A
NAME="top"></A><br>
<FONT SIZE=4>Sunday, 12 Dec 99, 07:30:02 AM EST
</FONT>
<TABLE BORDER=1 WIDTH=500 CELLPADDING=4 CELLSPACING=0>
<tr><td>
<AHREF=#tops"><FONT COLOR=#FF0000><B>TOP STORY:</B></FONT></A>
<A HREF="#Topl">U.S. warns travelers of possible terrorist attacks</A><b
<PD<HD
<A HREF=#World'<FONTCOLOR=#FF0000><B>WORLD NEWS:</B</FONT</A>
<A HREF="#World1">Russia says rebels hindering Chechen refugees</A><br>
<tr><td>
<A HREF="#U.S."<FONT COLOR=#FF0000><B>U.S. NEWS:</B></FONT></A>
<A HREF="#U.S.1">U.S. warns travelers of possible terrorist attacks</A><
br>
<tr><td>
<A HREF="#Politics"<FONT COLOR=#FF0000><B>POLITICS from AllPolitics:</B></FONT
<A HREF="#Politicsl">Bradley: Im feeling great'</A><br>
<A HREF="#Business"><FONT COLOR#FF0000<B>BUSINESS from CNNfn:</B></FONT</A>
<A HREF="#Business1">How 3 funds handles techs</A><br>
<PD<PD
<A HREF="#Sci-Tech"><FONT COLOR#FF0000><B>SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY:</B>/FONT></
<A HREF="#Sci-Tech1>NASA one step closer to Hubble Telescope repair mis
sion</A><br>
<tr><td>
<A HREF="#Sports"><FONT COLOR=#FF0000<B>SPORTS from CNN/SI:</B></FONT></A>
<A HREF="#Sports1">Heisman's Fab Five </A><br>
<tr><td>
<A HREF="#Showbiz"><FONT COLOR=#FF0000<B>SHOWBIZ:</B></FONT></A>
<A HREF="#Showbiz1">Frank Darabont does hard time in 'The Green Mile'</A
</td></tr>
<FONT COLOR=#FF0000><B>ALSO:</B</FONT><FONT COLOR=#000000> <B> Check out these
features in our In-depth section</B></FONT>
<ul>
<li><A HREF="http://cnn.com/SPECIALS/1999/future/">Take a virtual peek into the
future</A>
<li><A HREF="http://www.cnn.com/SPEClALS/1999/at2000">Trivia The first sunrise
of 2000 will be in..</A>
<li><A HREF="http://cnn.com/SPECIALS/1999/at2000/">Poll: Your scenarios for the
21st century</A>
<li><A HREF="http://cnn.com/century">Th 20th Century: 100 years of history...o
nline</A>
</ul>
</TABLE>
<BR>
<TABLE BORDER=1 WIDTH=500 CELLPADDING=4 CELLSPACING=0>
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>
<B>See the <A HREF="http://CNN.com/QUICKNEWS/">full, updated version</A>o
this news summary.</B>
</TD></TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>
<B>Check your <A HREF="http://CNN.com/WEATHER">local weather forecast</A>.</B>
</TD></TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>
<B>See today's CNN Interactive <A HREF="http://CNN.com/almanac/daily/">Almanac<
/A>.</B>
</TD></TR>
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>
<B>Unsubscribe from QuickNews Mail <A HREF="http://CNN.com/QUICKNEWS/mail/index
.html#unsubscribe">here</A>.</B>
</TD></TR>
</TABLE>
<BR>
</CENTER>
<BR>
<CENTER>
<TABLE BORDER=1 WIDTH=500 CELLPADDING=20 CELLSPACING=0>
<TR><TD>
<A NAME="tops"></A>
<A HREF="http://cnn.com"><B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5"
color="3333CC">Top Story</font></B></A><br>
<A NAME="Top1"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">U.S. warns
travelers of possible terrorist attacks</font></B><br><br>
The U.S. State Department on Saturday warned of possible terrorist attacks agai
nst U.S. citizens traveling abroad for the holidays. The State Department issue
d a worldwide caution that said the government "had credible information that t
errorists are planning attacks specifically targeting American citizens during
the period of time leading up to and through the beginning of the New Year and
Ramadan events and celebrations.
<br clear=all>
<a href="http://cnn.com/1999/US/12/11/worldwide.caution/index.html
avoid 'large crowds and gatherings' -</a><br>
<table width=460>
<td width=50%>
<td valign=top bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width=50%>
<font face="Helvetica, Arial, san-serif" size="2">
<a href="#World">-Next category-</a> <a href="#top">-
Back to
</font>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="Top2"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">Russia say
S rebels hindering Chechen refugees</font></B><br><br>
Russian forces accused Chechnya's Islamic militants of hindering the evacuation
of the territory's capital Grozny on Sunday after the Russians opened a second
route for refugees to flee ahead of a threatened bombardment. A few hundred Ch
echens heeded Russia's warning to leave Saturday, carrying plastic bags or pull
ing their possessions on ramshackle carts as they trudged across a mountain pas
S to take refuge in Russian-controlled areas of Chechnya.
<br clear=all>
<a href="http://cnn.com/1999/WORLD/europe/12/12/russia.chechnya.01/">--</a><l
<table width=460>
<tr>
<td width=50%>
<td valign=top bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width=50%>
<font face="Helvetica, Arial, san-serif" size="2">
<a href="#World">-Next category-</a> <a href="#top">-
Back to top -</a><br>
</font>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<HR SIZE=3 WIDTH=100%>
<br>
<A NAME="World"></A>
<a href="http://cnn.com/WORLD"><B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" siz
e="5" color="3333CC">World News</font></B></A>
<table width=460 cellspacing=I cellpadding=4>
<tr><td valign="top" bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="50%"><fon face="Helvetica, Arial
sans-serif" size="2">
,
<a href="#World1">Russia says rebels hindering Chechen refugees</a><br>
<a href="#World2">Sri Lankan army awaits new rebel attacks</a><br>
</font></td><td valign="top" bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="50%">
<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="2">
<a href="#World3">Wahid urges end to Christian-Muslim riots</a><br>
<a href="#World4">Cuban boy's case looms over immigration talks</a><br>
<br>
<a href="#U.S.">-Next category-</a>
<a
href="#top">-
Back to
</font>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<br><break clear=all>
<A NAME="World1"</A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">Russia say
S rebels hindering Chechen refugees</font></B><br><br>
<TABLE CELLPADDING=0 CELLSPACING=0 BORDER=0 ALIGN='left' WIDTH=214 HSPACE=5 VSP
ACE=5>
<TR><TD colspan=2>
<IMG SRC="http://cnn.com/1999/WORLD/europe/12/12/russia.chechnya.01/story.guard
.jpg" WIDTH=214 HEIGHT=168 align="top" border=0 ALT="Image for Russia says rebe
Is hindering Chechen refugees">
</TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD>
<FONT SIZE="-2" FACE="helvetica, arial">
<B>
Russian troops opened a new road out of Grozny
</B>
</FONT>
</TD><TD width=12> </TD>
</TR></TABLE>
Russian forces accused Chechnya's Islamic militants of hindering the evacuation
of the territory's capital Grozny on Sunday after the Russians opened a second
route for refugees to flee ahead of a threatened bombardment. A few hundred Ch
echens heeded Russia's warning to leave Saturday, carrying plastic bags or pull
ing their possessions on ramshackle carts as they trudged across a mountain pas
S to take refuge in Russian-controlled areas of Chechnya.
<br clear=all>
<a href="http://cnn.com/1999/WORLD/europe/12/12/russia.chechnya.01/">- -</a><
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#World">Worl index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="World2"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">Sri Lankan
army awaits new rebel attacks</font></B><br><br>
Sri Lankan troops are preparing for more attacks from Tamil rebels a day soldie
rs successfully fought back a rebel assault on a key military camp. The militar
y repulsed a land and sea attack by hundreds of Tamil rebels Saturday, in the g
overnment's first success since a major rebel offensive last month. The civil W
ar has shown signs of intensifying ahead of Sri Lanka's presidential election,
scheduled for December 21.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cnn.com/ASIANOW/south/9912/12/srilanka.war.01/index.html>-Re.
bels dispute government death toll -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#World">Wo index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="World3"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000"> Wahid urge
S end to Christian-Muslim riots</font></B><br><br>
Worried that sectarian violence could spread and tear his huge and restive nati
on apart, Indonesia's new reformist leader Sunday led unprecedented peace talks
to halt bloodshed between Muslims and Christians on the troubled Spice Islands
President Abdurrahman Wahid was cheered by thousands of well-wishers who line
d the wrecked streets of Ambon island in Maluku province, often the scene of vi
cious sectarian battles.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a
href="http://cnn.com/ASIANOW/southeast/9912/l12/indonesia.peace.talks.ap/inde
x.html">- Critics say disputes threaten national unity -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#World">World index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to p-</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="World4"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">Cuban boy'
S case looms over immigration talks</font></B><br><br>
U.S. officials are coming to Cuba's capital for Monday talks on migration betwe
en the island nation and its northern neighbor as the shadow of a 6-year-old lo
oms over the negotiations. The talks in Havana are intended to review immigrati
on accords after a 1994 exodus in which more than 37,000 Cubans flooded into so
uth Florida. Both American and Cuban officials said the meeting is expected to
continue as planned.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cnn.com/1999/WORLD/americas/12/12/cuba.us.boy/index.html>- Go.
e weighs in on case -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#World">W index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to p -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<table bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width=460 border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td
align=center><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="2">See CNN Intera
ctive's world region pages:<br><A HREF="http://cnn.com/WORLD/asiapcf">Asia-Pac
ific</A>, <A HREF="http://cnn.com/WORLD/europe/">Europe</A>, <A HREF="http://cn
n.com/WORLD/americas/">Americas</A>, <A HREF="http://cnn.com/WORLD/africa/">Afr
ica</A>, <A HREF="http://cnn.com/WORLD/meast/>Middle East</A>.</font></td></tr
></table>
<HR SIZE=3 WIDTH=100%>
<br>
<A NAME="U.S."></A>
<a href="http://cnn.com/US"><B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="
5" color="3333CC">U.S. News</font></B></A>
<table width=460 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=4>
<tr><td valign="top" bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="50%"><font face="Helvetica, Arial
, sans-serif" size="2">
<a href="#U.S.I">U.S. warns travelers of possible terrorist attacks</a><
br>
<a href="#U.S.2">Cuban boy's case looms over immigration talks</a><br>
</font></td><td valign="top" bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="50%">
<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="2">
<a href="#U.S.3">More bodies recovered from Worcester warehouse</a><br>
<a href="#U.S.4">Unidentified remains from Oklahoma bombing buried</a><b
r>
<a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a> <a href="#top
">-Back to top
</font>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<br><break clear=all>
<A
NAME="U.S.1"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">U.S. warns
travelers of possible terrorist attacks</font></B><br><br>
<TABLE CELLPADDING=0 CELLSPACING=0 BORDER=0 ALIGN='left' WIDTH=120 HSPACE=5 VSP
ACE=5>
<TR><TD colspan=2>
<IMG SRC="http://cnn.com/1999/US/12/11/worldwide.caution/custom.us.holiday.ter
orist.jpg" WIDTH=120 HEIGHT=90 align="top" border=0 ALT="Image for U.S. warns t
ravelers of possible terrorist attacks">
</TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD>
<FONT SIZE="-2" FACE="helvetica, arial">
<B>
</B>
</FONT>
</TD><TD width=12> </TD>
</TR></TABLE>
The U.S. State Department on Saturday warned of possible terrorist attacks agai
nst U.S. citizens traveling abroad for the holidays. The State Department issue
d a worldwide caution that said the government "had credible information that t
errorists are planning attacks specifically targeting American citizens during
the period of time leading up to and through the beginning of the New Year and
Ramadan events and celebrations.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cnn.com/1999/US/12/11/worldwide.caution/index.html
">- avoid 'large crowds and gatherings' -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#U.S.">U.S. index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="U.S.2"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">Cuban boy'
S case looms over immigration talks</font></B><br<br>
U.S. officials are coming to Cuba's capital for Monday talks on migration betwe
en the island nation and its northern neighbor as the shadow of a 6-year-old lo
oms over the negotiations. The talks in Havana are intended to review immigrati
on accords after a 1994 exodus in which more than 37,000 Cubans flooded into so
uth Florida. Both American and Cuban officials said the meeting is expected to
continue as planned.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cnn.com/1999/WORLD/americas/I2/12/cuba.us.boy/index.html> Gor
e weighs in on case -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#U.S.">U.S. index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="U.S.3"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">More bodie
S recovered from Worcester warehouse</font></B><br><br>
The remains of three of the six firefighters killed in a huge warehouse blaze W
ere found Saturday, ending an eight-day ordeal that saw firefighters digging ar
ound the clock through rubble for their fallen comrades. Paul A. Brotherton, 41
, whose body was discovered about 9:30 p.m., was the sixth firefighter found.
<br clear=all>
<a href="http://cnn.com/1999/US/12/11/firefighters.killed.ap/index.html
couple has pleaded innocent
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#U.S.">U.S. index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="U.S.4"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">Unidentifi
ed remains from Oklahoma bombing buried</font></B><br><br>
About 100 mourners paid tribute in the cold, gray morning Saturday as a casket
holding unidentified remains of the victims of the federal building bombing was
buried. It contained mostly small fragments of tissue, bone and hair that had
been stored in the medical examiner's office since the explosion. A limb that h
ad been buried in the wrong grave and later exhumed was included.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cnn.com/1999/US/12/11/bombingremains.02.ap/index.html
">- 'We will always miss them' -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#U.S.">U.S. index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">-Back to top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<table bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width=460 border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td
align=center><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="2">Take a walk on
the wild side with <A HREF="http://cnn.com/US/#fringe">Fringe news</A><br><ah
ref="http://cnn.com/HEALTH/cold.flu/">Checl the Cold and Flu report</a></font><
/td></tr></table>
<HR SIZE=3 WIDTH=100%>
<br>
<A NAME="Politics"></A>
<a href="http://allpolitics.com"><B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" S
ize="5" color="3333CC">Politics from AllPolitics</font></B></A>
<table width=460 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=4>
<tr><td valign="top" bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="50%"><font face="Helvetica, Arial
sans-serif"size="2">
,
<a href="#Politics1">Bradley: 'I'm feeling great'</a><br>
<a href="#Politics2">President warns of holiday food dangers</a><br>
</font></td><td valign="top" bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="50%">
<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="2">
<a href="#Politics3">President seeks better implementation of 'don't ask
don't tell'</a><br>
,
<a href="#Politics4">Republicans want alternate use of education funds</
a><br>
<a href="#Business">-Next category-</a>
<a href="#top
Back to top -</a><br>
</font>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<br><break clear=all>
NAME="Politics1"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">Bradley:
I'm feeling great'</font></B><br><br>
<TABLE CELLPADDING=0 CELLSPACING=0 BORDER=0 ALIGN='left' WIDTH=120 HSPACE=5 VSP
ACE=5>
<TR><TD colspan=2>
<IMG SRC="http://cnn.com/1999/ALLPOLITICS/stories/12/11/bradley.health04/custo
m.bill.bradley.sat.jpg" WIDTH=120 HEIGHT=90 align="top" border=0 ALT="Image for
Bradley: 'I'm feeling great">
</TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD>
<FONT SIZE="-2" FACE="helvetica, arial">
<B>
</B>
</FONT>
</TD><TD width=12> </TD>
</TR></TABLE>
Democratic presidential candidate Bill Bradley says he's "feeling great" as his
campaign goes back on schedule after a bout with an irregular heartbeat. The 5
6-year-old former U.S. senator from New Jersey told reporters Saturday that his
heart condition is "just a nuisance" and that it won't affect his ability to c
ontinue campaigning. Bradley was first diagnosed with the condition, called atr
ial fibrillation, in 1996, according to his physician.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a
href="http://cnn.com/1999/ALLPOLITICS/stories/12/11/bradley.health.04/index.
html
'The campaign is invigorating' -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">Politics index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor-"#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="Politics2"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">President
warns of holiday food dangers</font></B><br><br>
President Clinton said Saturday that new safety measures for eggs on the farm a
nd in the packing plant will greatly reduce the number of cases of potentially
deadly salmonella. "Food safety is part of our citizens' basic contract with th
e government. Any food that fails to meet clear and strict standards for safety
should not make it to the marketplace," Clinton said in his weekly radio addre
SS. "It's just that simple."
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cnn.com/1999/ALLPOLITICS/stories/12/11/clinton.radio/index.html
">- About 3.3 million eggs infected each year -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">Politics index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="Politics3"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">President
seeks better implementation of 'don't ask, don't tell'</font></B><br><br>
President Clinton said on Saturday that he is working with the Pentagon to cons
ider a better way to implement his administration's don't-ask, don't-tell polic
y for gays in the military. "What I'd like to do is focus on making the policy
we announced back in 1993 work the way it's intended to, because it's out of wh
ack now, and I don't think any serious person could say it's not," Clinton said
in a CBS Radio interview.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cnn.com/1999/ALLPOLITICS/stories/12/11/clinton.gays.military/ir
dex.html
>- Original plan was rejected -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">Politics index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="Politics4"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">Republican
S want alternate use of education funds</font</B><br><br>
Republicans Saturday called education a priority in the 2000 presidential elect
ion and backed the use of federal funds to pay for tutoring or private schools
if a public school had lagging test scores. Speaking for the party during its W
eekly Republican radio address, Montana Gov. Marc Racicot said the Republican g
overnors of 31 states were forging ahead with innovative programs to improve U.
S. education, such as increasing a school's accountability for the performance
of its students.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cnn.com/1999/ALLPOLITICS/stories/12/11/gop.radio/index.html
">-'We have to produce better graduates'
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">Politics index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to p -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<table bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width=460 border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td
colspan=2 align=center><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="2">Chec
k AllPolitics' <A HREF=http://CNN.com/ALLPOLITICS/analysis/">analysis,commett
ary & cartoons</A></font></td></tr></table>
<HR SIZE=3 WIDTH=100%>
<br>
<A NAME="Business"></A>
<a href="http://cnnfn.com"><B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5
" color="3333CC">Business from CNNfn</font></B></A>
<table width=460 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=4>
<tr><td valign="top" bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="50%"><font face="Helvetica, Arial
, sans-serif" size="2">
<a href="#Businessl">How 3 funds handles techs</a><br>
<a href="#Business2">Stock picks of the week</a><br>
</font></td><td valign="top" bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="50%">
<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="2">
<a href="#Business3">Xerox 4Q profit to plunge</a><br>
<a href="#Business4">More companies setting e-privacy rules</a><br>
<a href="#Sci-Tech">-Next category-</a>
<a href="#top
Back to top
</font>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<br><break clear=all>
<A NAME="Business1"</A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">How 3 fund
S handles techs</font></B><br><br>
The Nasdaq seems to gallop into record territory every day, and it hasn?t made
life any easier for fund managers who invest in technology. Returns are soaring
, but prices are so high it?s like shopping on Rodeo Drive. How are they doing
it, you wonder? Apparently there are many different strategies. One small-cap"
blend? fund manager is trimming his winners while a true tech manager is adding
to his positions and a mid-cap growth manager is avoiding the dot.coms.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cnnfn.com/1999/12/10/mutualfunds/funds_notebook/">- Mixing grow
th and value -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Business">Business index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="Business2"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">Stock pick
S of the week</font></B><br><br>
<TABLE CELLPADDING=0 CELLSPACING=0 BORDER=0 ALIGN='left' WIDTH=132 HSPACE=5 VSP
ACE=5>
<TR><TD colspan=2>
<IMG SRC="http://cnnfn.com/1999/12/11/investing/propicks_weekly/stock_picks7.01
.jpg" WIDTH=132 HEIGHT=99 align="top" border=0 ALT="Image for Stock picks of th
e week">
</TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD>
<FONT SIZE="-2" FACE="helvetica, arial">
<B>
</B>
</FONT>
</TD><TD width=12> </TD>
</TR></TABLE>
A host of technology and Internet-related stocks as well as several internation
al stocks were seen as good buys by stock pickers appearing on CNNfn this week.
On Friday, Mona Eraiba, semiconductor analyst, Gruntal & Co., said she was "ve
ry positive [about] the whole group. [Among] the bigger names, we're looking at
are; Motorola (MOT), Texas Instruments (TXN), Micron (MU), Intel (INTC), LSI L
ogic (LSI), which is a custom chip supplier.
<br clear=all>
<a href="http://cnnfn.com/1999/12/11/investing/propicks_weekly/">- Web stocks
udged by different rules -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a nref="#Business">Business index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="Business3"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">Xerox 4Q p
rofit to plunge</font></B><br><br>
Xerox Corp. warned Friday it will miss fourth-quarter earnings expectations by
roughly 40 percent because of Y2K-related pressures and weak profits from its B
razil operations. The Stamford, Conn.-based printing and publishing company mad
e its announcement after the market?s closed Friday. Xerox (XRX) shares plummet
ed in after-hours trading, falling 4-11/16, or nearly 20 percent, from its clos
ing price of 24-11/16.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cnnfn.com/1999/12/10/companies/xerox/">-Earnings estimates to
be off by 40 percent -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Business">Business index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="Business4"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">More compa
nies setting e-privacy rules</font></B><br><br>
E-mail, voice mail, digital-data storage, the World Wide Web, the personal comp
uter, the ubiquitous microchip itself have remade the way business gets done in
the United States. But they also have made it possible for companies to monito
r employees and keep copies of their communications to an unparalleled extent.
Experts say establishing a clear policy and communicating it to employees is th
e key to keeping electronic tabs on employees.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cnnfn.com/1999/12/09/smbusiness/women_emonitoring/
Two-thirds do some monitoring -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Business">Business index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<table bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width=460 border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td
align=center><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="2">Get all the nu
mbers on the <A HREF="http://CNNfn.com/markets">CNNfn markets page</A></font></
td></tr></table>
<HR SIZE=3 WIDTH=100%>
<br>
<A NAME="Sci-Tech"></A>
<a href="http://cnn.com/TECH"><B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size
="5" color="3333CC">Science and Technology</font></B></A>
<table width=460 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=4>
<tr><td valign="top" bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="50%"><font face="Helvetica, Arial
, sans-serif" size="2">
<a href="#Sci-Tech1 ">NASA one step closer to Hubble Telescope repair mis
sion</a><br>
<a href="#Sci-Tech2"> MeTV.com streams movies to your TV </a><br>
</font></td><td valign="top" bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="50%">
<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="2">
<a href="#Sci-Tech3">Life found in Lake Vostok ice</a><br>
<a href="#Sci-Tech4">Study: Hormone blocking benefits prostate cancer pa
tients</a><br>
<br>
<a href="#Sports">-Next category-</a>
<a
href="#top">
- Back to -</a><br>
</font>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<br><break clear=all>
<A NAME="Sci-Techl"</A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">NASA one S
tep closer to Hubble Telescope repair mission</font></B><br><br>
NASA is one step closer to a Thursday launch of the space shuttle Discovery mis
sion to repair the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope. On Saturday, technicians su
ccessfully replaced a 6-foot-long piece of fuel pipe in the aft section of Disc
overy. NASA said it didn't know how the original pipe sustained the dent, which
measured a foot long and half an inch deep.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cnn.com/1999/TECH/space/12/11/shuttle.goldin/index.html
">- Panel to investigate lost Mars Polar Lander -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Sci-Tech">Sci-Tech index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="Sci-Tech2"</A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000"> MeTV.com
streams movies to your TV </font></B><br><br>
A high-speed connection will bring video to your PC, but will it ever replace y
our trips to Blockbuster? MeTV.com thinks so. Already, MeTV.com streams movie c
lips that you can view on a PC even with a 56-kilobits-per-second modem. In Jun
e the company will launch its full broadband-only site, where subscribers with
cable, digital subscriber line, or satellite connections will be able to order
full-screen movies for around $5, and then watch them on their TVs.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cnn.com/1999/TECH/computing/12/10/metv.com.idg/index.html
(Full Story) -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Sci-Tech">Sci-Tech index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="Sci-Tech3"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">Life found
in Lake Vostok ice</font></B><br><br>
Microbes have been found in ice just above Lake Vostok, a freshwater lake burie
d deep beneath the Antarctic ice sheet, researchers announced in three separate
studies in Friday's issue of Science. "The ice we found the microbes in is ref
rozen water from Lake Vostok. Hence, our data strongly imply that there is life
in the lake-water itself," said John Priscu, a biologist at Montana State Univ
ersity and lead author of one of the studies.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cnn.com/1999/NATURE/12/10/vostok.ice/index.html
(Full Story) -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Sci-Tech">Sci-Tech index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="Sci-Tech4"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="00000">Study: Hor
mone blocking benefits prostate cancer patients</font></B><br><br>
Men who have had their cancerous prostate removed were about five times more li
kely to survive if they immediately received hormone-blocking treatments, a stu
dy published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine found. "Early treatm
ent meant a significant improvement in survival for our patients," said Dr. Edw
ard Messing of the University of Rochester Cancer Center, the chief author of t
he study.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cnn.com/1999/HEALTH/men/12/10/health.cancer.reut/index.html
">- (Full Story) -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Sci-Tech">Sci-Tech index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<table bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width=460 border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td
align=center><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="2">What's new in
the high-tech world?<br>See the CNN/IBM <A HREF="http://cnn.com/TECH/index.html
#tt">Tomorrow/Today</A> reports</font></td></tr></tablc>
<HR SIZE=3 WIDTH=100%>
<br>
<A NAME="Sports"></A>
<a href="http://cnnsi.com"><B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5
" color="3333CC">Sports from CNN/SI</font></B></A>
<table width=460 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=4>
<tr><td valign="top" bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="50%"><font face="Helvetica, Arial
, sans-serif" size="2">
<a href="#Sports1">Heisman's Fab Five </a><br>
<a href="#Sports2">Iverson activated from injured list </a><br>
</font></td><td valign="top" bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="50%">
<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="2">
<a href="#Sports3">Reds pull out of Griffey trade talks with Mariners</a
><br>
<a href="#Sports4">Mt. Union 54-game win streak snapped </a><br>
<br>
<a href="#Showbiz">-Next category-</a> <a href="#top"
>- Back to top -</a><br>
</font>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<br><break clear=all>
<A NAME="Sports1"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">Heisman's
Fab Five </font></B><br><br>
<TABLE CELLPADDING=0 CELLSPACING=0 BORDER=0 ALIGN='left' WIDTH=220 HSPACE=5 VSP
ACE=5>
<TR><TD colspan=2>
<IMG SRC="http://cnnsi.com/football/colege/1999/heisman/news/1999/12/09/dayre.
profile_ap/tl_dayne_ap.jpg" WIDTH=220 HEIGHT=190 align="top" border=0 ALT="Imag
e for Heisman's Fab Five ">
</TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD>
<FONT SIZE="-2" FACE="helvetica, arial">
<B>
</B>
</FONT>
</TD><TD width=12> </TD>
</TR></TABLE>
Wisconsin's Ron Dayne and Georgia Tech's Joe Hamilton knew they'd get the invit
e to New York, Purdue's Drew Brees and Marshall's Chad Pennington should have a
t least had a hunch, but the announcement that Virginia Tech freshman QB Michae
I Vick was a finalist came as a surprise.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cnnsi.com/football/college/1999/heisman/> Heisman race oversh
adowed in Dayne's life -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Sports">Sports index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="Sports2"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">Iverson ac
tivated from injured list </font></B><br><br>
The Philadelphia 76ers activated leading scorer Allen Iverson from the injured
list prior to Saturday night's game versus Charlotte, nearly three weeks after
breaking his right thumb. Iverson injured the thumb on his shooting hand after
a hard fall to the floor during the Nov. 22 game against the San Antonio Spurs.
The thumb was immediately placed in a cast, which was removed Thursday.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cmnsi.com/basketball/nba/nevs/1999/11/23/iverson_out_ap/index.h
begged to play Friday -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Sports">Sports index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="Sports3"</A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">Reds pull
out of Griffey trade talks with Mariners</font></B><br><br>
The Cincinnati Reds' pursuit of Ken Griffey Jr. turned out to be pure Fantasyla
nd. Repeating his frustration a dozen times, Reds general manager Jim Bowden br
oke off trade talks with the Seattle Mariners on Saturday, adding: "We have a b
etter chance of bringing Goofy back than Griffey." "There's no chance at all. Z
ero. It's behind us," Bowden said. "There was no use continuing."
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cnnsi.com/baseball/mlb/news/1999/12/11/winter_meetings_ap/index
.html">- 'It's not rotisserie baseball' -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Sports">Sports index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="Sports4"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">Mt. Union
54-game win streak snapped </font></B><br><br>
A few big plays by Rowan and one crushing hit in overtime was all it took to en
d Mount Union's NCAA record 54-game winning streak. Rowan scored on a 7-yard ru
n in OT, then stopped the Purple Raiders on four plays, including breaking up a
pass at the goal line, for a 24-17 victory in Saturday's Division III semifina
Is. It was the Purple Raiders' first lost since Dec. 2, 1995, when they were be
aten 20-17 by Wisconsin-LaCrosse in the Division III championship.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cmsi.com/football/college/news/1999/12/ll/mtunion_streak_ap/in
dex.html">- "The effort was there' -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Sports">Sports index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Politics">-Next category-</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<table bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width=460 border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><td
align=center><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="2">Follow your fa
vorite teams on the <A HREF="cnnsi.com/scoreboards">CNN/SI scoreboards</A></fon
t></td></tr></table>
<HR SIZE=3 WIDTH=100%>
<br>
<A NAME="Showbiz"></A>
<a href="http://cnn.com/SHOWBIZ"><B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" S
ize="5" color="3333CC">Showbiz</font></B></A>
<table width=460 cellspacing=1 cellpadding=4>
<tr><td valign="top" bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="50%"><font face="Helvetica, Arial
, sans-serif" size="2">
<a href="#Showbizl">Frank Darabont does hard time in 'The Green Mile'</a
><br>
<a href="#Showbiz2">"What's Happening" actress Hemphill dead at 52</a><b
</font></td><td valign="top" bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="50%">
<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="2">
<a href="#Showbiz3">UK singer Armatrading pens Mandela tribute</a><br>
<a href="#top">- Back to top -</a><br>
</font>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<br><break clear=all>
<A NAME="Showbiz1"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">Frank Dara
bont does hard time in 'The Green Mile'</font></B><br><br>
In high school, "The Green Mile" director Frank Darabont belonged to a book clu
b he could ill afford. One day, a copy of King's "The Shining" came in the mail
Darabont was broke and had every intention of sending the book back. But then
he opened it, and started reading. The book, says Darabont, was "the most amaz
ing human tragedy I think I've ever read. The movie completely misses the point
, unfortunately. (Director Stanley) Kubrick boy, did he screw that one up."
<br clear=all>
<a href="http://cnn.com/1999/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/10/greenmile.darabont/index.htm/
Director quests to right wrongs done to King books -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Showbiz">Showbiz index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="Showbiz2"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">"What's Ha
ppening" actress Hemphill dead at 52</font></B><br><br>
Actress Shirley Hemphill, best known for her role in the television series "Wha
t's Happening," was found dead in her home Friday morning, according to the Los
Angeles County coroner's office. Hemphill's gardener found her face down on th
e floor of her West Covina home, said Lt. Dan Aikens, of the county coroner's o
ffice. Hemphill, 52, appeared to have been dead for some time, he said.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cnn.com/1999/SHOWBIZ/News/12/11/hemphil.obit/index.html
">. Best known for comedy series -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#Showbiz">Showbiz index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<A NAME="Showbiz3"></A>
<B><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="5" color="000000">UK singer
Armatrading pens Mandela tribute</font></B><br><br>
British singer Joan Armatrading is leading an international tribute to mark the
retirement of South African leader Nelson Mandela.
"He has encouraged the world with his spirit of forgiveness," she said after wr
iting a song, titled "The Messenger," that can only be heard on a Mandela tribu
te website at www.nelson-mandela.com.
<br clear=all>
<br>
<a href="http://cnn.com/1999/SHOWBIZ/Music/12/11/bc.safrica.armatrading.reut/in
dex.html
Collecting messages for special book -</a><br>
<table width=460><tr>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif"size="2"><a href="#Showbiz">Showbiz index</a></td>
<td align=center bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width="150"><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sa
ns-serif" size="2"><a href="#top">- Back to top -</a></td>
</tr>
</table>
<br clear=all>
<HR SIZE=2 WIDTH=80%>
<table bgcolor="#CCCCFF" width=460 border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0><tr><te
align=center><font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" size="2"> Your local U.S
TV listings are <A IREF="http://cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/TV">here</A></font></td></tr>
</table>
<HR SIZE=3 WIDTH=100%>
<BR CLEAR=ALL>
</TABLE>
</CENTER>
<BR>
<CENTER>
<TABLE BORDER=1 WIDTH=500 CELLPADDING=4 CELLSPACING=0>
<TR><TD ALIGN=CENTER>
<B>Subscribe to <A HREF="http://CNN.com/SPECIALS/mail">Special Delivery</A>&nbs
p; for a weekly e-mail update<br>
of CNN Interactive's features and in-depth coverage.</B>
<P>
<B>See the full, updated version of Headline News Brief <A HREF="http://CNN.com
/QUICKNEWS/">here</A>.</B>
<B>Unsubscribe from Headline News Brief Mail <A HREF="http://CNN.com/QUICKNEWS/
mail/index.html#unsubscribe>here</A>.</B>
<B>Please send us your comments or ideas: <A HREF="mailto:HeadlineNewsMail@cn.
com">[email protected]</A></D>
</TD></TR>
</TABLE>
<BR>
</CENTER>
<CENTER>
<P>
© 1998 Cable News Network, Inc.
<BR CLEAR=ALL>
All Rights Reserved.</p>
<H6><A HREF="http://CNN.com/interactive_legal.html">Terms</A> under which
this service is provided to you.</H6>
<br>
</CENTER>
</td>
</tr>
</TABLE>
</BODY>
</HTML>
CNN Interactive email id:282080730359837458
END ATTACHMENT
1
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: [email protected] ([email protected] [ UNKNOWN
CREATION DATE/TIME:12-DEC-1999 20:42:18.00
SUBJECT: Articles 12.12.99.5
TO: "undisclosed-recipients:;"@eop.gov ("undisclosed-recipients:"@eop.gov [ UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
1. HONOLULU ADVERTISER Same-sex debate changed Capitol (of Hawai`i)
2. NEW YORK TIMES Andrew Sullivan: Not a Straight Story; When it comes
to
public figures disclosing their sexuality, the new rule is Kinda Ask, Sorta
Tell.
3. ASSOCIATED PRESS Pentagon "reviewing" policy on gays in the military;
McCain blasts Clinton, says he now wants to meet with Steve May about his
case
4. SACRAMENTO BEE Letter: Homosexuals in heaven!
5. PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE A letter from each side of the University of
Pittsburgh dispute over domestic partner benefits
6. PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS Articles readers strike again! Letters about
Jesse Dirkhising "non-coverage" from Alan Light and Gary Rimar
Honolulu Advertiser, December 12, 1999
P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI, 96802
(Fax 808-525-8037) (E-MAIL: [email protected])
(http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com)
Same-sex debate changed Capitol
By Kevin Dayton, Advertiser Capitol Bureau Chief
Compromises make things fall into place at the Legislature, and the
same-sex marriage issue allowed for none. It jammed the government
machine,
bouncing between the courts and Legislature, and seemed to clog the works
at
the State Capitol for years.
It cost some elected officials their jobs, and in the end made the
Legislature slightly more conservative and a lot more cautious, according
to
former lawmakers who were involved.
?It was one of those issues that would not go away, and people wanted
this issue to go away,? said former House Judiciary Chairman Terrance Tom.
?You know when you get into a room and you avoid talking about a certain
issue, and yet it?s on everyone?s mind?
?Well this is one of those issues. Everyone sort of avoided it, no one
wanted to talk about it, but someone had to do it.?
The Hawaii Supreme Court last week ended the historic battle to make
Hawaii the first state to legalize same-sex marriages by unanimously
upholding state marriage laws.
Lawmakers began holding hearings on the emotionally charged issue in
1993
after the State Supreme Court ruled same-sex couples had a right to marry
unless the state could show a compelling reason to ban such unions.
The Legislature debated the issue at length in 1994, 1996 and 1997, and
finally sent it to the voters as a proposed constitutional amendment in
1998.
The vote was almost 70 percent in favor of a constitutional amendment
authorizing the Legislature to define marriage as a union between a man
and a
woman, effectively prohibiting same-sex marriage.
Same-sex marriage was a social policy issue almost everyone thought
they
understood and had a strong opinion about. The long debate was a painful
experience for lawmakers on both sides of it.
Former state Sen. Mike McCartney, who was vice chairman of the Senate
Judiciary Committee, knew a majority of the voters in his district wanted a
ban.
?I guess what disappointed me was the anger and fear that people had
toward gays,? he said. ?I always felt that Hawaii was more tolerant, that
it
has a more accepting attitude and tolerance toward people who are different
from the mainstream.?
The choice, he said, was ?am I going to be a legislator or a
politician??
In the end McCartney said he couldn?t bring himself to vote for a
constitutional amendment to prohibit same-sex marriage.
?It is a balance between what your constituents say and think, and what
it is you believe as a person and a legislator,? he said.
Tom said it was just as difficult on the opposite side.
?What got me was at times I felt it was like the whole world against
me,
and maybe I was the only one fighting same-sex marriages, because you
receive
so many negative phone calls for the actions that you were taking and the
stands that you were taking,? he said.
While lawmakers struggled with the issue year after year, the voters
grew
impatient.
Some were angry that lawmakers seemed to be ignoring the well-known
wishes of the majority. Others were irate that the debate was hogging
lawmakers? attention while the economy continued to slip and other issues
needed attention.
Former House Health Committee Chairman Jim Shon said the debate
required
attention from key conference committee negotiators who also handled
measures
such as no-fault insurance reform.
Important measures died because decision-makers didn?t have time to
deal
with them, he said.
?What same-sex marriage did was sweep away the logic of the session
with
strong feelings on the particular issue, and made it difficult for that
session to be productive,? Shon said. ?You could have made the case that
the
public was probably a little more interested in their insurance rates than
the same-sex issue.?
Shon contends the ?real losers? were the poor, because the issue
diverted
attention from their needs.
Tom said the Legislature did tackle other issues, but they didn?t get
much attention because the media were fascinated by the same-sex
controversy.
In any event, lawmakers had to deal with same-sex marriage.
?If we didn?t do what we did, we would have been the first state to
have
same-sex marriages, and then we would have been blamed by opponents for not
doing enough,? Tom said. ?You?re darned if you do and you?re darned if you
don?t.?
The issue played a large part in the 1996 elections, helping to eject
Senate Judiciary Chairman Rey Graulty from office and helping the House
Republicans? push to boost the number of seats they controlled from seven
to
12.
McCartney said that didn?t change the big picture, because the
Democrats
controlled so many seats in both the House and Senate to start with that
power barely shifted.
But Graulty was replaced by the more conservative Democrat Sen. Norman
Sakamoto (Moanalua, Salt Lake), and observers said the same-sex issue
helped
to replace at least four liberal Democrats in the House with far more
conservative Republicans that year.
Shon said the irony there was that the House members who lost, himself
included, didn?t affect the vote in the House on the same-sex issue. The
House majority was solidly in favor of a ban on same-sex marriages before
and
after the 1996 elections, he said.
But the 1996 elections did nip plans for a House reorganization that
might have put a more liberal Democratic faction in control, he said.
Shon said lawmakers were startled by the outcome of the 1996 elections
and wanted to get rid of the issue quickly when it came time in 1997 to
vote
to put it on the ballot as a constitutional amendment.
?I think there was a real fear, there were many strong liberals who
were
absolutely opposed to putting it on the ballot who voted to put it on the
ballot,? Shon said. A more generous interpretation would be lawmakers
realized they needed to respond to the majority view, he said.
Tom, who pushed to prohibit same-sex marriage, said he?s proud of the
final outcome. But Shon said the overall effect of the controversy was to
make the Legislature less daring.
?I would say that I see more timidity and more caution as a result of
that. They?!I grow out of that as time goes on, but they?II be very
careful
about these volatile issues,? he said.
No one seems to think lawmakers will eagerly plunge into new
controversies by passing laws to provide benefits to same-sex couples.
?It?s such a divisive issue, and we?re at a point in our community
right
now where we don?t need divisiveness,? McCartney said. ?We gotta find a
way
to work things out.?
New York Times, December 12, 1999
229 W. 43rd Street, New York, NY, 10036
(Fax 212-556-3622) (E-MAIL: [email protected] )
(http://www.nytimes.com)
COUNTER CULTURE BY ANDREW SULLIVAN
Not a Straight Story
When it comes to public figures disclosing their sexuality, the new rule is
Kinda Ask, Sorta Tell.
Among the benefits of presidential campaigns is that they can provide a
cultural snapshot of where the country is. Eight years ago, Bill Clinton
was
the first major candidate to seek money directly from gay donors. Four
years
ago, Bob Dole accepted, turned down and then accepted a check from the Log
Cabin Republicans, a gay G.O.P. group. This year, George W. Bush drew flak
for not personally meeting with the group. And in the latest sign of
cultural change, the Gore campaign manager is Donna Brazile, a single black
woman. Until recently, Brazile was an advocate in gay politics and sat on
the board of the Millennium March on Washington, a gay rights demonstration
planned for April.
The first lesbian to head a national presidential campaign? No one's
saying, least of all Brazile. Is she heterosexual? On that question, too,
she is mum. It is not that she is highly protective of her privacy. In a
personal profile in The New York Times, Brazile let readers know before
becoming Gore's campaign manager that she was looking for a relationship
that
lasted longer than two weeks; in The Washington Post, she said she was
"single and available." She doesn't mince words. Of the challenges of
being
a black woman in politics, she told The Post: "I had to decide if I'd be a
bitch or a whore. I chose bitch." She is an enthusiast for identity
politics, stressing her black female outlook in every profile. And she is
no
stickler for others' privacy: she was fired from the 1988 Dukakis campaign
for spreading rumors about Vice President George Bush's love life. As for
emotional candor, the second stated goal of the Millennium March is for
more
homosexuals to come out. Of the 18 people on the board when Brazile was a
member, 16 were openly gay or bisexual. One, representing Parents,
Families
and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, was openly straight. Brazile alone was
openly ambiguous.
Why? Asked directly by Southern Voice, an Atlanta gay paper, she
agreed
that her orientation was "a fair question," but nevertheless declined to
answer. She later told The Post, "If I had a personal life, I'd have a
sexual orientation" ? implying that being homosexual is something you do
rather than something you are, a stance held largely by the religious
right.
She also proffered: "The last time I talked about someone's personal
life, I
got fired. I'm not about to make my personal life public." But there's a
difference between revealing your own life and spreading rumors about
someone
else's, and a large moral difference between committing adultery and being
gay. Would she be fired for talking about being gay or straight? Not very
likely by a candidate who supports making discrimination against
homosexuals
illegal.
Of course, Brazile has every right to say nothing if she wants to, even
to the point of seeming ridiculous. But the ridiculousness is the point.
Not so long ago the closet was a simple matter. Either gay men and women
engaged in a complete silence about their emotional lives or they simply
said
they were straight. Now it's more complicated. At a time when the stigma
against homosexuality is far weaker than even 10 years ago, a gay person
doesn't need to lie to maintain social standing ? but he doesn't have to
tell
the truth, either. We went from Never Say Anything to Don't Ask, Don't
Tell.
Now we're at the point of Kinda Ask, Sorta Tell.
In politics, Brazile is not alone. There are almost no heterosexual
politicians who aren't married, divorced, dating or openly straight, and I
know of few who would object to being asked if they were heterosexual or
dismiss it as nobody's business. But among homosexuals, it's still a
different story. To be sure, Representative Barney Frank lives up to his
name. And even Republicans, like Representative Jim Kolbe, of Arizona, or
the former Jesse Helms adviser Arthur Finkelstein, are increasingly
matter-of-fact. But others equivocate. In Clinton's cabinet, almost
everyone is married or divorced, but for two who aren't, Donna Shalala and
Janet Reno, their orientations are shrouded in deep ambiguity. In a recent
issue of New York magazine devoted to "singles," former New York Mayor Ed
Koch was invited to write his own personals ad. This is what he wrote:
"White Male, 70-something former C.E.O. and practicing attorney.
Have
belatedly concluded that everyone, straight or gay, needs a partner in
life.
How'm I doing?" What on earth are we supposed to make of that? Surely no
heterosexual wanting to find a partner in a personals ad would feel the
need
to conceal the sex of the person he is looking for. Why? Koch could have
refused to join in the magazine's game, retaining complete privacy, or he
could have written an ad clearly looking for a woman. Instead, he chose to
play Kinda Ask, Sorta Tell.
This politesse is part of Hollywood as well. What other implication
are
we supposed to draw, for example, from Rosie O'Donnell's adoption of the
Brazile model? Again, O'Donnell is pro-gay, politically liberal and hardly
protective of her own privacy. Any viewer knows not only that she has
adopted two children but also their names and eating habits. She has
allowed
network cameras into the nursery. She has told the world that she is
distant
from her living father. Almost every guest on her show talks about
emotional
or family life and is candid about his or her orientation. But not the
host.
This most obvious question is treated as if it were the most obscure.
"I'm
single and dating," she once told People magazine. But dating whom?
O'Donnell won't even narrow the options to half the human race.
Ditto the Latin heartthrob Ricky Martin. Not so long ago such a
prominent male singer would have gone out of his way to protest his
heterosexuality. Now he goes out of his way to obfuscate. In a recent
interview, Barbara Walters asked him how he was enjoying his sexuality.
Martin responded, laughing, "I
I live la vida loca." Walters asked
Martin if there was "somebody" in his life. Martin said yes, but managed
to
talk about it without either a female or a male pronoun crossing his lips.
Or on a more comic note, there's the fitness guru Richard Simmons. Read
his
new autobiography, and you will find no stone unturned in his private life,
down to gorging on Ex-Lax to lose weight. But about any relationships, the
most candid passage is titled "The Woman I Live With." It begins: "Yes,
there is a woman in my life ? a beautiful woman who looks like a
35-year-old
Sophia Loren. Her name is Teresa. I know this is the part of the story
you've been waiting for." Teresa, it turns out, is Simmons's housekeeper.
Perhaps I should be clear here. I don't believe in "outing" people.
But
I don't believe in "inning" them, either. I have no evidence that, say,
Donna Brazile or Ricky Martin is gay or straight. But I do know that their
studied avoidance of the subject, along with their eager divulgence of any
number of other private matters, invites an obvious and legitimate
question. And, yes, it is legitimate. There comes a point, surely, at which the
diminishing public stigmatization of homosexuality makes this kind of
coyness
not so much understandably defensive as simply feeble: insulting to
homosexuals, who know better, and condescending to heterosexuals, who
deserve
better. It's as if the closet has had every foundation and bearing wall
removed but still stands, supported by mere expediency, etiquette and the
lingering shards of shame. Does no one have the gumption just to blow it
down?
Associated Press, December 12, 1999
Pentagon Reviews Gays in Military
By KALPANA SRINIVASAN
WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Clinton's "don't ask, don't tell" policy
on
gays in the military was caught in the crossfire Sunday, a day after he
declared it isn't working.
His top security adviser downplayed the significance of Clinton's
comments, saying the Pentagon is already working to retool the policy.
And the president came under fire from GOP presidential hopeful John
McCain, who questioned the timing of Clinton's comments ? a week after his
wife sharply criticized "don't ask, don't tell."
The exchanges highlighted the continued sensitivity concerning the
terms
under which gays should be allowed to serve in the armed forces.
In an interview Saturday, Clinton said his policy had not been
implemented as it was intended.
"It's out of whack now, and I don't think any serious person can say
it's
not," Clinton told CBS News. He said he hoped to work with the Pentagon
to
bring the policy closer to its original intent ? to allow gay soldiers to
remain on duty without being persecuted.
Under the policy, the military is not supposed to ask service members
about their sexual orientation, unless there is evidence of homosexual
conduct. Still, soldiers who say they are gay may be discharged.
Clinton said the policy was never supposed to facilitate rooting out
people who are gay or allow for harassment. He has cited repeatedly the
case
of a gay solider who was beaten to death in Kentucky.
But the Pentagon said Sunday that it is already working to fine-tune
its
policy. It has developed new training guidelines that are expected to be
issued very shortly, Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon said in an interview.
Those guidelines, announced in August, would require all troops to
undergo periodic anti-harassment training and assign investigations of
homosexual activity to more senior leaders.
"We are as determined as the president is to see that the policy is
implemented fairly," Bacon said.
Clinton's top national security adviser delivered the same message.
And
he stressed that the president's comments were not different from the
conclusions of an internal Defense Department review.
Defense Secretary William Cohen "has issued new rules and regulations
to
bring it back in line with its original intent. Let's see how that
happens," Berger said on "Fox News Sunday."
Clinton's comments Saturday were prompted by questions about Hillary
Rodham Clinton, who said last week that she did not support the policy.
Clinton did not go as far as his wife did, saying he understands why she
wants to allow gays and lesbians to serve without discrimination in the
military.
Clinton has often drawn fire on the gays in the military issue, and
Sunday was no exception. McCain ? running for the GOP presidential
nomination ? questioned why Clinton was calling for a reevaluation of the
policy in a news interview, rather than launching a formal review.
"Naturally suspicions will arise that he's following on to help his
wife's candidacy for the Senate," said McCain, appearing on "Fox News
Sunday." "It's an inappropriate comment, especially in the context in
which
he made it.
"It seems to me that that kind of statement undermines the men and
women
in the military who are trying to implement a policy that has been in
existence for seven years," he said.
In a related matter, McCain also said he would like to sit down and
talk
with Lt. Steve May, the reserve lieutenant, who revealed his sexual
orientation while on the job as a state legislator.
A military investigator is recommending that the Army discharge May
after
he discussed his homosexuality during a legislative hearing in February.
May
was a civilian at the time, but was recalled to active duty a few weeks
later.
"I want to sit down with him and look at the specifics of his case,"
McCain said Sunday.
Sacramento Bee, December 11, 1999
P.O. Box 15779, Sacramento, CA, 95813
(Fax 916-321-1109 (E-MAIL: [email protected] )
(http://www.sacbee.com)
Letter: Homosexuals in heaven
Imagine my horror and shock upon learning in in R.L. Jackson's Nov. 20
letter ("Anti-homosexual bigotry") that the "pillar of salt" God turned
Lot's wife into "stands to this very day." It must be the evil
"ultraleft-wing liberals" with whom I associate who have been hiding its
existence from me.
Instead of the literal interpretation, Jackson should consider that
salt
is a preservative, and that the intent of the story is to teach us not to
hold onto the past. I remind Jackson that the crucifixion of Jesus brought
us into the age of grace, and God's mercy and love are greater than he can
imagine.
Jackson should re-examine his theology, because he's in for a shock
when
he enters the Pearly Gates and finds that some of the souls he'll be
spending
eternity with were homosexuals on Earth.
? Sharon Kaufman, Portola
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 12, 1999
Box 947, Pittsburgh, PA, 15230
(Fax 412-263-2014 (E-MAIL: [email protected])
(http://www.post-gazette.com/)
Letter: Pitt leaders have chosen a destructive path in benefits dispute
University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark Nordenberg's Dec. 5 Forum
piece
("Pitt Follows the Law of the Land") read more like a confused attorney's
defense of a legal position than a statement of policy by the head of one
of
the region's most important intellectual, economic and social institutions.
The state, says Chancellor Nordenberg, says that we do not have to
provide benefits for same-sex partners. On the other hand, says Chancellor
Nordenberg, the state "does not ban same-sex health benefits." Knowing
that
the state neither provides for the giving of nor restricts the giving of
same-sex benefits, where does that leave us? It leaves us in the area of
decision-making free of compulsion by the state. One may either give, or
not
give, as one wishes.
In the real world, lots of decisions are in that category. Recently,
the
board of trustees granted Chancellor Nordenberg a bonus for performance.
What law says the administrators are to get bonuses ? for anything? Has
the
state either mandated or banned such bonuses? Recently, the board gave
salary increases to the chancellor and other administrators three times
higher than those given to the faculty. Now, I can see the logic of an
across-the-board cost-ofliving increase for everybody; but by what law does
the chancellor get three times as much an increase as faculty?
Let us forget this self-serving legalistic approach for a moment. To
my
gay colleagues: Forget that you have made this a rights battle; you have
no
rights in this area. Health benefits, indeed, all benefits, were
established
to provide for the unemployed or minor members of a heterosexual family who
had to be provided for. That's the law, and the chancellor is correct when
he says if you want to change the law, go to Harrisburg.
But this issue isn't about law; it's about how wisely this board and
this
chancellor run the university. What the university has chosen to do is
symptomatic of the quality of its leadership; it is out of touch with
reality
and it lacks vision.
What happens in such cases is what has been happening: Some of our
bright gay minds feel that they are not wanted and are leaving for places
where they will feel more wanted. This has nothing to do with what the law
says; it has to do with what people perceive.
The board and the chancellor have acted with little wisdom and myopic
vision. Is such behavior worth a bonus? I think not. But then again, the
law says nothing about giving bonuses for unimaginative, ultimately
destructive behavior.
? MYRON TAUBE, Squirrel Hill
Editor's note: The writer is professor emeritus of English at the
University
of Pittsburgh.
Letter: Pitt just following suit
A lot of people have been criticizing the University of Pittsburgh
because it doesn't give same-sex benefits. In light of recent comments
from
Gov. Ridge's office, one has to wonder: Why?
The governor's spokesman has said that the state doesn't give these
benefits to its employees. As an institution that is funded by the state,
Pitt is doing just what every other state agency does.
If people aren't happy with that, then they should do what Chancellor
Mark Nordenberg suggested in his commentary ("Pitt Follows the Law of the
Land," Dec. 5) and try to get something changed in Harrisburg.
Bad-mouthing Pitt in the meantime doesn't accomplish anything positive
and is unfair to the university.
? AMY BURNSWORTH
Philadelphia Daily News, December 11, 1999
400 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA, 19101
(Fax 215-854-5691) (E-MAIL: [email protected])
(http://www.philly.com)
Letters: 2 vile crimes compared
Timothy Dowling (letter, Dec. 2) says the media made a martyr out of
Matthew Shepard for being gay, but ignored the rape and murder of a
13-year-old Arkansas boy by two allegedly gay men. Baloney.
A double standard would be in effect had the media ignored two gay men
killing a straight man for being straight. But sex with children is a
crime,
regardless of the sexes involved, and is not synonymous with homosexuality.
Also, Shepard's murderers were driven to kill by bigotry, while the
boy's
rape and death was an all-too-common sex crime.
? ALAN L. LIGHT, Iowa City, Iowa [[email protected]]
Tim Dowling blames disparate news coverage of the Dirkhising and
Shepard
murders on the American Civil Liberties Union. Others have blamed it on
some
homosexual conspiracy. If the media were really hiding this issue, why
would
non-coverage of this story get so much coverage?
Pedophiles are no more likely than the general population to be gay.
If
the media were trying to protect gay people, would these letters be
published?
? GARY RIMAR, Shelby Township, Mich. [[email protected]]
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: [email protected] ( [email protected] [ UNKNOWN
CREATION DATE/TIME:12-DEC-1999 11:05:50.00
SUBJECT: Articles 12.12.99
TO: "undisclosed-recipients:;"@eop.gov ("undisclosed-recipients:"@eop.gov UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
1. REUTERS Gays in military could become U.S. election issue
2. BBC ONLINE NEWS Twin babies become first British children to be
registered with two fathers and no mother; bishop sneers that they're
"designer children"
3. DAILY UNIVERSE (Brigham Young University) Text of ad urging students
to
intern in California next spring to "keep marriage between a man and a
woman"
4. MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE Good letter: Gay adults have to be the ones
comforting gay teens in school because not enough heterosexuals will do it
5. NEW YORK TIMES President Admits 'Don't Ask' Policy Has Been a Failure
6. NEW YORK TIMES For Gay Soldier, a Daily Barrage of Threats and Slurs
Reuters, December 12, 1999
Gays in military could become U.S. election issue
By Charles Aldinger
WASHINGTON (Reuters) ? While the U.S. military claims that its "don't
ask, don't tell" policy toward homosexuals in uniform is working, the 1994
rule has come under heavy fire and could emerge as an issue in next year's
presidential election.
The front-running candidates for the White House, Democrat Al Gore and
Republican George W. Bush, support the Pentagon policy under which gays and
lesbians are allowed to serve in the military if they do not openly discuss
their sexual orientation.
But civil rights groups are pushing hard for a change that would treat
homosexuals without any bias, charging that more gays are being dismissed
from the military now under the policy than before and that open harassment
of suspected gays is increasing.
Even President Bill Clinton, under whom the policy was introduced, said
the rule has not worked the way it was intended. His comments on Saturday
came two days after first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, running for the U.S.
Senate in New York, said she does not believe the rule is "ultimately the
policy that we should have in our military."
"I think one thing that's maybe not clearly understood is the reason
that
I went for 'don't ask, don't tell' is that it was all I could do, because I
had a clear signal from Congress that if I implemented my policy, they
would
reverse it by an overwhelming majority," the president told CBS radio.
"Let me remind you that the original intent was that people would not
be
rooted out, that they would not be questioned out, that this would be
focused
on people's conduct, and if they didn't violate the code of conduct
that
those things would not be suspicion to keep them out of the military or
certainly subject to harassment," Clinton added.
The issue was put in the spotlight in the past week after a military
jury
at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, convicted and sentenced an Army private to life
in prison for beating a gay infantryman to death with a baseball bat as the
victim slept.
Testimony in the trial of Army Pvt. Calvin Glover, 18, of Sulphur,
Oklahoma, suggested his victim, Pfc. Barry Winchell, 21, of Kansas City,
Missouri, was harassed by troops for months before his death and base
commanders did nothing to stifle intolerance. Jurors rejected Glover's
contention that he committed the crime on impulse while drunk.
POLICY CALLED A FAILURE
"The policy is a failure. Period," said C. Dixon Osburn of the
Washington-based gay rights activist group Servicemembers Legal Defence
Network. He said the rules were not benign and protective of gays as the
Pentagon claimed, but actually fostered "a policy of violence."
"No command should ever allow harassment to thrive against any service
member for any reason," Osburn said.
Pentagon figures show that 1,145 people were forced to leave the armed
services in 1998 under provisions of the Military Homosexual Conduct
Policy,
as it formally is known, compared to 617 in 1994, when the policy started.
The policy allows gays to serve, but continues a ban on homosexual acts
and requires gays to keep their sexual orientation private. It also
requires
the military not to ask servicemen about their sexual orientation.
The compromise was reached after Congress in 1993 officially relaxed
the
military's 50-year ban on gays.
Former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley, mounting a tough challenge to Gore for
the
Democratic presidential nomination, said gays should be allowed to serve
openly in uniform.
In Washington, Defence Department spokesman Ken Bacon stressed that
Defence Secretary William Cohen has spoken out repeatedly against
intolerance
of any kind in the military.
"I don't think you can declare the policy a failure based on one
gruesome
murder at one Army post," he said on Thursday.
Bacon noted that Fort Campbell's commanders have agreed to investigate
thoroughly other reports of harassment of gays as well as unsupervised and
unpunished drinking on the post.
INCREASING NUMBER OF GAY TROOPS OUSTED
Bacon conceded that increasing numbers of homosexuals were being
removed
from the military, but said it was because they were violating the
department's rule by speaking out openly about their homosexuality and
leaving senior offers no alternative but to move legally against them.
While federal district judges in the past have ruled against the
policy,
calling it discriminatory, higher courts have upheld the rule. They say
the
military is a special case in which order and discipline are paramount.
Clinton promised to eliminate all restrictions on gays in the military
when he ran for office, but later faced opposition from senior military
officers who said gays openly serving in close quarters with other troops
would damage "good order and discipline" in the ranks.
The Pentagon since has performed a delicate balancing act to implement
the policy, upholding the right to remove gays for violating the rule while
pressing commanders not to search out homosexuals without strong evidence.
"In August, Secretary Cohen made it clear ? as he had shortly after he
took office ? that there is no room for a climate of harassment or
discrimination within the military based on sexual orientation. That's the
policy," Bacon said.
BBC Online News, December 12, 1999
http://www.bbc.co.uk
Gay couple become fathers
Two babies have become the first British children to be registered with
two fathers and no mother.
The twins, Aspen and his sister Saffron, were born in a Californian
hospital on Thursday with their parents ? gay partners Barrie Drewitt and
Tony Barlow ? looking on.
The couple, who have been together 11 years, told the Mail on Sunday
newspaper that the birth of the children was the culmination of a four-year
dream.
In a legal first for British children, a US Supreme Court judge ruled
in
October that the two self-made millionaires will be registered as parent
one
and parent two on the children's birth certificates.
Legal battle
The Mail said the mother's name will not be mentioned on the document.
Previously, only the biological father and surrogate mother have been
named on the birth certificate.
The babies ? whose surname will be Drewitt-Barlow ? will move to the
Essex home of Mr Drewitt, 32, and Mr Barlow, 35, next year.
The couple, reportedly the first gay couple in Britain to father their
own children using in vitro fertilisation, are still facing a legal battle
to
register the twins as British citizens.
They spent ?200,000 arranging a surrogate birth to an American mother
after an application to adopt a child in Britain was rejected.
'Prejudice and criticism'
Rosalind Bellamy, 32, had the embryos of another woman and the sperm of
one of the men placed in her uterus.
Mr Drewitt told the Mail on Sunday: "There has been so much prejudice
and criticism about what we have done, but none of that matters now.
"We have a family and that is enough for us."
Both men have had DNA tests to show who is the biological father, but
say
they will not tell the twins until the time is right.
There was a mixed reaction when news of the couple's legal victory
emerged, with lesbian and gay lobbying group, Stonewall, saying it hoped UK
courts would follow the example of the US judge.
But the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Rev Tom Butler, said the
arrangement
was another example of the development of the "designer child".
Daily Universe, December 7, 1999
Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
(E-Mail: [email protected])
(http://newsnet.byu.edu)
SPEND WINTER SEMESTER IN CALIFORNIA
Internships available immediately with the California political
campaign
to Protect Marriage between a man and a woman (Prop. 22).
Earn a semester's worth of credit living and working in California from
January through March, 2000. (Opportunities also available for
part-timeand/or 1st or 2nd Block of Winter Semester).
Available to all majors, with preference for Political Science and/or
Communications.
California natives encouraged to apply, but not a requirement.
HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN CALIFORNIA'S MARCH 2000 PRIMARY ELECTION TO
KEEP MARRIAGE BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN!
To apply for one of the remaining internships, or for more info,
contact
Robert Glazier at (916) 441-1010 or [email protected]
Minneapolis Star Tribune, December 12, 1999
425 Portland Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55408
(Fax 612-673-4359 (E-MAIL: [email protected]
(http://www.startribune.com/)
Letter: Comforting gay teens
A Dec. 5 letter writer is apparently unhappy with the possibility that
"most of the adults running the homosexual support groups for youth (in the
public schools) are practicing homosexuals themselves." Unstated, but
lurking just beneath the surface, is the old "recruiter" canard.
I am unhappy about this state of affairs too, but for vastly different
reasons. It is indeed a pity that there are not enough knowledgeable
heterosexuals around with the compassion and training to combat homophobia
in
the school context and to be a comfort to gay teens who are just now trying
to come to terms with their God-given differentness.
The writer wonders what business the schools have in providing support
groups for gay students, and why the schools no longer reinforce "parents'
values." The schools have a responsibility to assist students who are
vulnerable to violence in the schools at the hands of cruel peers. The
schools have utterly no business in reinforcing parents' values if those
"values" include gay-bashing and bigotry.
? William E. Oyler, Minnetonka
New York Times, December 12, 1999
229 W. 43rd Street, New York, NY, 10036
(Fax 212-556-3622 (E-MAIL: [email protected] )
(http://www.nytimes.com)
President Admits 'Don't Ask' Policy Has Been a Failure
By ROBERT PEAR
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. ? President Clinton said on Saturday that the
official policy toward gays in the military was "out of whack" and that
military leaders were not carrying it out as he intended and as they
promised
in 1993.
Accordingly, Clinton said, the policy should be re-examined or at least
carried out in a more humane way, to prevent the harassment of homosexuals
in
the armed forces.
Clinton's comments, in a radio interview with CBS News, echo remarks
made
on Tuesday by Hillary Rodham Clinton at a political fund-raiser in New York
City. But the president did not go as far as his wife, a candidate for the
United States Senate in New York, who said gay men and lesbians should be
allowed to serve openly in the military.
Asked today about his wife's comments, Clinton said, "I'm quite
sympathetic with what she said." After all, he added, "that's what I said
back in '93."
Clinton said he hoped the beating death of a gay soldier at Fort
Campbell, Ky., last July would "give some sobering impetus to a
re-examination about how this policy is implemented." In the trial of the
soldier charged in the slaying, witnesses described a casual culture in
which
gibes and taunts had been directed at the victim, Pfc. Barry Winchell, for
months.
The unusual public dialogue between Clinton and his wife on gay rights
seems to illustrate the nature of their political relationship, as it has
been understood for the last seven years in Washington. On gay rights, as
on
health care and some other issues, Mrs. Clinton appears to be nudging her
husband a bit to the left.
The president's initial efforts to make it easier for homosexuals to
serve in the military, in 1993, touched off a political uproar and prompted
many in Congress to question his judgment as commander in chief.
The president later adopted the policy known as "don't ask, don't
tell."
Under this policy, the military may not inquire into a soldier's sex life
unless there is clear evidence of homosexual conduct. But gays who
volunteer
this information can be discharged.
In the interview on Saturday, Clinton said, "The policy as implemented
does not work as I announced and as the leaders of our military at that
time
in 1993 pledged to implement it."
Clinton said he was working with the Pentagon now to achieve the vision
he had in mind in 1993.
"Let me remind you," he said today, "that the original intent was that
people would not be rooted out, that they would not be questioned out, that
this would be focused on people's conduct. If they didn't violate the code
of conduct and they didn't tell, their comings and goings, the mail they
got,
the associates they had ? those things would not be sufficient to keep them
out of the military, or subject them to harassment.
"So what I'd like to do is to focus on trying to make the policy that
we
announced back in '93 work the way it was intended to, because it's out of
whack, and I don't think any serious person could say it's not."
In the interview and earlier Saturday, in speaking to a convention of
the
Florida state Democratic Party in this resort near Orlando, Clinton spoke
repeatedly of the Fort Campbell case, in which Pvt. Calvin Glover, 18, was
found guilty of killing Private Winchell, 21, with a baseball bat. The
victim had been harassed for months by fellow soldiers, who denounced him
as
a homosexual and "a faggot."
Clinton said, "I can only hope this last brutal beating death of a gay
soldier will give some sobering impetus to a re-examination about how this
policy is implemented, and whether we can do a better job of fulfilling its
original intent."
In his remarks to Florida Democrats, Clinton expressed anguish over the
killing and the hatred that he said had prompted it.
"Both these young men put on the uniform of our country, and I could
have
sent them some place to die," Clinton said. "They both swore to go
wherever
I told them to go, and do whatever I told them to do. I was aching for the
young man who had died, and for the young man whose life is now destroyed,
who wasn't born hating that way; somebody had to teach him to do that." Kenneth Bacon, a spokesman for the
Pentagon, said Saturday, "We are as
concerned as the White House about the reports out of Fort Campbell.
Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen has told all commanders that they
should look at the climate on their bases to prevent harassment of gay and
lesbian soliders, Bacon said.
In August the Pentagon reissued the statement on the "don't ask, don't
tell" policy, reminding the military that it focused on what gay and
lesbian
soliders could not do: disclose or act upon their sexuality.
"Secretary Cohen expects the policy to be implemented with fairness for
all and no room for harassment," Bacon said.
Gay rights advocates say the policy is deeply flawed. Far from making
life easier for gay men and lesbians in the armed forces, they say, it has
left many to suffer in silence and has led to an increase in discharges of
gay service members and an increase in complaints of harassment.
Clinton said Saturday that his 1993 decision was the best he could do
in
the circumstances that existed then.
"The reason I went for 'don't ask, don't tell' is that it's all I could
do," Clinton said. If he had provided more protection to gays in the
military, Clinton said, Congress would have reversed his decision by
"overwhelming majorities."
As for Hillary Clinton's desire to let gays serve openly in the armed
forces, Clinton said, "If there's a sense in the Congress or in the next
White House that that ought to be done, then maybe together they'll have
enough votes to do it."
In his speech to the Florida Democrats, Clinton also discussed
affirmative action
[cut]
New York Times, December 12, 1999
For Gay Soldier, a Daily Barrage of Threats and Slurs
By FRANCIS X. CLINES
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. ? All about the base there was the surface bustle of
the modern Army: Troopers jogged by in crisp formation to a proud cadence.
A sergeant in tailored fatigues darted into the PX with an infant on her
hip,
shopping for the evening meal.
Beyond this reassuring scrim, a steady stream of young paratroopers
quietly arrived at the door of the fort's humble white courthouse, summoned
to tell of more aberrant days and nights on the post.
Though trained to be tough, the young men were clearly nervous in
testifying at a court-martial that was gauging the Clinton administration's
"don't ask, don't tell" policy toward homosexuals as assuredly as it fixed
the guilt of an 18-year-old private who crept up with a baseball bat and
bludgeoned a gay soldier to death last July here in the barracks of Delta
company.
By the end of the trial this week, the court's pronouncement of guilt
upon Pvt. Calvin Glover for the premeditated murder of Pfc. Barry Winchell
seemed almost anticlimactic to the larger set of facts gradually
established
before the court about the ineffectiveness of the administration's
controversial policy toward gays in the military.
The young witnesses disclosed a casual culture in which gibes and
taunts
were directed for months at Private Winchell by Private Glover and others.
Such terms as a "faggot," "queer," and "homo" echoed amid beer-filled
nights
of barracks carousing that, the record showed, were devoid of superiors'
reprimand or notice. Testimony demonstrated that regulations were
regularly
violated and harassment complaints positively discouraged.
"Nothing was done, sir," said Sgt. Michael Kleifgen, who told of one
fruitless effort to complain to the post inspector general about what the
sergeant considered a clear violation of regulations by a master sergeant,
who referred to Private Winchell as "that faggot."
"That's the way all of us were, sir," Specialist Lewis Ruiz, a friend
of
the slain soldier, testified about the barracks culture in which braggarts
and bullies stepped to the fore to pick on soldiers' perceived weaknesses,
to
coin stinging epithets, and to goad conflict that superiors made no sign of
stopping in the case of 21-year-old Private Winchell.
As rumors and taunting spread about Private Winchell's dating of a
nightclub drag queen, friends testified that the private kept his silence
about his harassers because he feared the consequences of the "don't tell"
part of the policy that provides for expulsion if a soldier's homosexuality
becomes known.
The trial showed that Private Winchell, of Kansas City, Mo., had
already
had his rights violated under the "don't ask" stricture as Sergeant
Kleifgen
had questioned him about his sexuality and looked into his private life,
despite official prohibition.
"Everybody was having fun," the sergeant responded, when asked why he
did
not order his platoon members to cease their harassment of Private
Winchell.
In the critical turn of events last July 3, the third dictum of the
administration's gay policy ? "don't pursue" ? came to haunt Private
Winchell. He knocked down his homophobic tormentor, Private Glover, of
Sulphur, Okla., and paid with his life 26 hours later as he slept.
The murder case, which is drawing national attention to the base as a
lethal example of gays' dilemma with the military, will conclude next week
with the court-martial of the man accused of being Private Glover's
accomplice, 25-year-old Specialist Justin Fisher, of Lincoln, Neb.
Witnesses
testified that Specialist Fisher provided Private Glover with the bat and
intense prodding for "letting that faggot" best him in a fight.
What the Army treated last summer as a slaying stemming from youthful
drunken violence finally evolved into something more decisive as the
court-martial slowly, obliquely accepted the possibility of a homophobic
hate
crime in the ranks. In the charge to the court, the presiding judge, Col.
Gary Holland, allowed Private Glover's record of repeated anti-gay epithets
and threats, as confirmed by barracks witnesses, to be weighed as a factor
in
determining motive and guilt.
"That's significant," said C. Dixon Osburn, co-executive director of
the
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a gay rights group that monitors
military justice.
"He specifically cited that important point," said Mr. Osburn, finding
a
glimmer of progress by the military as it wrestles with a gay policy that
has
produced mainly controversy over the past six years.
In that time, the number of discharges of gay service members increased
to 1,149 in 1998 from 682 in 1993. There has been a corresponding rise in
harassment complaints to gay rights groups, Mr. Osburn said, as gays either
leave the service or suffer abuse without complaint in fear of confirming
their homosexuality and being subject to expulsion.
The trial of Private Glover underlined the facts that little came of
promises of heightened sensitivity toward gays made by the Clinton
administration in 1993, when the "don't ask" policy was introduced, and
that
Army authorities did not begin to hold sessions down the ranks on the gay
policy until after Private Winchell had been murdered.
This week, a former soldier who is gay told of the joke that one of his
superiors here made of a token sensitivity session. Javier Torres, an Army
private for two years before he quit, told the CBS News program "60
Minutes"
that his superior declared with evident disgust: "This is a meeting about
fags. Don't bother them; they won't bother you."
A critical moment in his decision to quit the Army, Mr. Torres said in
a
segment of the program to be broadcast on Sunday, came when his drill
sergeant unapologetically bellowed a homophobic cadence in leading his
platoon on a five-mile run: "Faggot, faggot down the street/ Shoot him,
shoot 'til he retreats."
Beyond the spit-and-polish of this post's celebrated unit, the 101st
Airborne Division, the trial of Private Glover suggested a leadership void
in
the off hours of the unmarried soldiers who were part of Private Winchell's
world.
"We watch TV, drink, just talk ? that's about it," Pvt. Benjamin Boyer
told the court in describing the circumstances in which the taunting of
Private Winchell flourished.
The Glover defense team underscored the young soldiers' routine heavy
drinking at night as a factor in the cruel behavior of some.
Visitors can find the larger life of this base encouraging for its
sense
of normalcy, even as the trial of Private Glover laid bare a jagged
alternative. Private Glover's parents testified, keening at their son's
weakness in the face of peer pressure. "Cal wants to belong to something
so
bad," said his father, Rue Glover, sad-eyed before the court, which
sentenced
his son to life imprisonment.
After the verdict, Private Winchell's anguished parents expressed pride
in their son's putting himself at risk as a patriotic serviceman. But in a
statement, the mother and stepfather, Pat and Wally Kutteles, added, "We
never dreamed that he would be killed by labeling, prejudice and hatred at
home."
And they asked: "Why did leaders turn a blind eye to the excessive
drinking occurring on base? Where was the supervision in the barracks?
Why
were people allowed to taunt our son, hit our son and harass our son?"
Of the "don't ask" policy, they warned, "It won't protect anyone else's
child."
The most mournful-looking figure in the trial audience was Cal Addams,
the performer known as Calpurnia, whom Private Winchell befriended in
Nashville and began dating last March. A former Navy medic, Mr. Addams
commented as a veteran of a gay's travails in the service. "Barry had been
looking his entire life, he told me, for a way to feel comfortable with
himself," Mr. Addams said after the murder. "He had only just begun to
find
that."
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: [email protected] [email protected] UNKNOWN
CREATION DATE/TIME:12-DEC-1999 07:13:10.00
SUBJECT: SLATE NEWS: Sun., Dec. 12, 1999
TO: [email protected] [email protected] UNKNOWN])
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
[email protected]
12/12/99 12:09 PM GMT
To:
Robert Lawrence/FS/KSG@KSG
cc:
SLATE NEWS: Sun., Dec. 12, 1999
--today's papers: "Don't Ask" Don't Work
today's papers
"Don't Ask" Don't Work
By Andrew Nieland
The New York Times leads with President Clinton's announcement (or
admission) that the administration's "don't ask, don't tell" policy
regarding homosexuals in the military isn't working. Rather than
implement a new policy, Clinton is expected to push military
officials to better enforce the current one. The statement was
prompted by his wife's remarks earlier this week that gays and
lesbians should be allowed to serve openly. The Los Angeles Times
reefers Clinton's remarks, and leads with an expose on failings of
the state's education system. California's director of special
education maintains that as many as 250,000 children have been
incorrectly assessed as "learning disabled" and funneled into
California's special education programs simply because they were
not taught to read. The Washington Post leads with the State
Department's warning that Americans abroad should take extra
security precautions in the next month; the department has
"credible information" that terrorist groups are planning attacks
that target American citizens. The LAT, whose sources are quoted by
the Post, reefers the announcement.
Despite the WP headline, Americans abroad needn't run for the hills
just yet. Such announcements are relatively common, although they
usually accompany military actions, economic sanctions, or other
foreign policy initiatives (yesterday's warning was the fifth
since October). The Post suggests that the warnings are a reference
to Osama bin Laden's terrorist organization, but the link is
dubious: officials wouldn't name a group, they only "indicated that
[bin Laden's group] is the most important organization seeking to
undermine U.S. interests." The Post also points out
that attacks could occur any time from now until the first week in
January, when the Muslim holy month of Ramadan ends. Does the State
Department's announcement mention Ramadan, or did the WP add it? Either
way, someone seems to be equating Islam and terrorism without explaining
why. And wouldn't a Muslim terrorist be less likely, not more likely, to
take terrorist action during a holy month?
The WP and the LAT front stories highlighting different facets of
the AIDS epidemic. The Post examines Africa, where the disease
kills 5000 people each day, and could kill as many as 13000 per day
in 2005. The article stresses the economic ramifications of these
statistics: in Kenya and Zimbabwe, projected GDP in 2005 may be as
much as 20% lower than it would have been without the disease's
effect on young workers. The LAT article on AIDS in the US
emphasizes a more encouraging trend--hospices once filled with
patients dying from AIDS are emptying and closing because their
patients are getting better and leaving, a phenomenon dubbed "the
Lazarus syndrome."
The LAT points to today's to-close-to-call presidential race in
Chile as a sign that the country's democratization has progressed
since dictator Augusto Pinochet stepped down over ten years ago.
The contest, which includes candidates from Chile's main right and
left parties as well as four independent candidates, is expected to
end in a run-off, the first in the country's history.
A NYT special report examines Clinton fundraiser Terry McAuliffe.
McAuliffe is seen as part of a new breed of entrepreneurial fundraisers
who leverages their services not to obtain cushy ambassadorial posts or
lobbyist clout, but to help fuel telecommunications, banking, and
real-estate business deals. They've also help fuel some lawsuits:
"I've signed thousands of documents, but never read them,"
McAuliffe remarks. Unlike Vernon Jordan, who plans to relocate to a
New York City investment bank when his friend Bill steps down,
McAuliffe plans to stay active in politics, and is already raising
money for Hillary Clinton's senate bid.
Now That's Synergy: Used to be that only movie studios could use
high-profile glossy magazines to flog their product. Now, the NYT
reports, tobacco companies are paying publishers like Time, Inc.
millions of dollars to generate magazines similar in look and feel
to popular twentysomething mags like Maxim and Mademoiselle. The
new magazines, packed with tobacco ads, are an attempt to plug the
"communication gap" (as an RJ Reynolds memo puts it) created by
independent magazines, which generally limit tobacco ads to only
two or three percent of total ads. But persistent rumors that Joe
Camel has signed on to star opposite Gwyneth Paltrow in an upcoming
Miramax police drama are just that.
Click here to share your opinion of this article and see what
others have said:
http://bbs.slate.com/bbs/slate-todayspapers/index.asp
For a glossary of newspaper terms used in Today's Papers, click
here:
http://www.slate.com/code/Explainer/Explainer.asp?Show=9/7/99&idMessage=356
4
Also in today's Slate http://www.slate.com
In Other Magazines: Kinda Ask, Sorta Tell
http://www.slate.com/OtherMags/99-12-06/OtherMags.asp?Show=11/29/99
Al Gore, Harasser
http://www.slate.com/code/BallotBox/BallotBox.asp?Show=12/8/99&idMessage=4l
43
Fall Legal Fashions
http://www.slate.com/dispatches/99-11-09/dispatches.asp
The Internet's informed look at politics and culture -- SLATE. What
Matters. (http://www.slate.com)
SLATE offers a variety of e-mail delivery services that enable you
to get your favorite SLATE articles delivered right to your in-box.
Go to http://www.slate.com/Code/Reg3/emailservices.asp and see
what's available to both SLATE subscribers and non-subscribers.
For additional information about SLATE, go to
http://www.slate.com/code/reg3/memberservices.asp for SLATE Reader
Services.
This delivery powered by Exactis.com http://www.exactis.com
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: [email protected] ([email protected] [ UNKNOWN
CREATION DATE/TIME:12-DEC-1999 22:47:42.00
SUBJECT: Articles 12.12.99.6
TO: "undisclosed-recipients:;"@eop.gov ("undisclosed-recipients:"@eop.gov [ UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
1. CORRECTION Andrew Sullivan piece in Articles 12.12.99.5 is from New
York
Times MAGAZINE, not the Times itself
2. SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Lesbian actress Peggy Shaw portrays
"Menopausal
Gentleman"
3. THE GARDEN ISLAND (Hawai`i) "Love Makes a Family" photo exhibit opens
on
Kaua`i
4. SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER Carol Ness: Clinton says "don't ask, don't
tell"
is a failure
5. SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER 1 1th-hour campaign frenzy for Brown, Ammiano
CORRECTION:
The Andrew Sullivan piece in Articles 12.12.99.5 (Not a Straight Story;
When it comes to public figures disclosing their sexuality, the new rule is
Kinda Ask, Sorta Tell) is from the New York Times MAGAZINE rather than the
Times itself. Any letters sent in response to it should go to
[email protected].
San Antonio Express-News, December 11, 1999
Box 2171, San Antonio, TX, 78297-2171
(Fax 210-351-7372 (E-MAIL: [email protected])
(http://expressnews.com/)
Lesbian actress portrays "Menopausal Gentleman"
Hector Saldana, Express-News Staff Writer
New York performance artist Peggy Shaw is the "Menopausal Gentleman."
The acclaimed lesbian actress, playwright and producer, winner of two Obie
Awards and co-founder of the Split Britches theater company, brings her
off-Broadway one-woman show to the Esperanza Center, 922 San Pedro Ave.,
at 8
tonight.
Tickets are $10. Call 228-0201. In her stylish double-breasted
pinstripe suit, she could pass for '20s gangster Bugs Moran or tough guy
actor Sean Penn.
Her disarming mantra in menopausal mode: "I'm a 53-year-old woman who
passes for a 35-year-old man." She is a self-proclaimed "queer culture"
provocateur. In the course of an evening, Shaw, 55 (she wrote the show two
years ago), will lip sync to Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell on You";
she'll strut like Tina Turner; she'll recite Sinatra's signature "My Way"
as
a poem; and talk Nina Simone. "The thing that's most amazing is that it
doesn't have anything to do with menopause, really. It has to do with how
funny and horrifying life is," Shaw said from her New York home. She
describes "Menopausal Gentleman" as a universal show about "being 'other'
and
honest." A comic's timing punctuates the one-hour solo performance, which
includes monologues, stand-up comedy, poetry and the blues narrated with a
Lower East Side accent.
She wrote "Menopausal Gentleman" with Rebecca Taichman with a
mainstream
audience in mind and has toured the world with it. "People think they know
what the show is about. The word 'lesbian' marginalizes you," she said.
"It's a thrilling hour of theater. I've been doing this for 30 years, so
I'm
a good performer. I've always used popular culture because everyone knows
it.
"Audiences can enter my work because I use popular images like Frank
Sinatra. I'm a working class person, and I love popular music, and I love
people liking me. "I don't like to alienate the audience, so I seduce
them.
I use images they can understand. Where I go is a universal place."
The Garden Island, December 12, 1999
3137 Kuhio Highway, Lihu'e, Kaua`i, Hawai`i 96766
(E-MAIL: [email protected]) http://planet-hawai.com/gardenisland
Family exhibit designed to dispel prejudice towards homosexuals
Cira de Castillo, TGI Staff
LIHU'E ? "Love Makes A Family," a nationally touring photo exhibit
aimed
at diminishing prejudice aimed towards homosexuals, opened on Kaua`i Friday
in the wake of a Hawai`i Supreme Court ruling against same-gender marriage.
The high court ruling rendered moot a complaint filed by three
homosexual
couples that their right to equal protection under the law should include
same-gender marriage.
The exhibit currently on display in Kukui Grove's Art Space, depicts
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their families. The
25-photograph exhibit and corresponding interview panels is sponsored by
Marriage Project Hawai`i and Lambda Aloha to "contribute to the process of
dismantling the destructive power of prejudice and intolerance, thereby
making the world a safer place for all families."
That message was echoed by Alesander and Jane Nakatani, special guests
at
the opening.
The Nakatanis lost their three sons ? Greg, was killed in a racially
motivated robbery and Glen and Guy succumbed to AIDS. Their story is the
subject of a book, Honor Thy Children, by Molly Fumia.
Al Nakatani said he was not surprised by the court's decision because a
constitutional amendment defining marriage as a contract between a man and
a
woman was passed overwhelmingly by Hawai`i voters in the 1998 election.
"Even our closest friends, who support related issues like AIDS
education
and racial intolerance, were not able to support the amendment," said Jane
Nakatani.
The gay community is not a viable political force alone," her husband
said. "The community needs to forge relationships with others who are
working for human rights. It needs to work on projects that will enable
the
straight community to know them as partners."
The Nakatanis are creating a positive future for families and children
who are part of the gay community with the Safe Passage Project, an
education
outreach program that addresses the challenges that children face growing
up
"gay" and acceptance by families of the alternative life their children
face.
The Nakatanis say they will continue to work so that parents, educatiors,
the media, and government will come to understand that all children, gay or
straight, should be safe in their homes, in their schools, in their
communities.
"We lost our children. We didn't understand what life was like for
them
until it was too late." Jane Nakatani said.
"Our message is that human denigration and suppressing of human rights
needs to be dis-institutionalized. All children should know they have a
place in the community, free of prejudice and safe to be who they are."
San Francisco Examiner, December 12, 1999
P.O. Box 7260, San Francisco, CA, 94120
(Fax 415-512-1264 (E-MAIL: [email protected])
(http://www.examiner.com )
Clinton: Gay policy a failure
Military's "don't ask, don't tell' is "out of whack,' he says, echoing
wife's
criticism
By Carol Ness of the Examiner staff
Following his wife's lead, President Clinton admitted on Saturday for
the
first time that his "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military
is
a failure.
"It's out of whack, and I don't think any serious person could say it's
not," the president said in an interview with CBS radio.
He criticized the Pentagon for not carrying out the intent of the
policy,
and said the White House would be working with military leaders to fix it.
Clinton didn't go as far as first lady Hillary Clinton did Tuesday in
New
York when she said she'd work to overturn the controversial policy if
elected
to the U.S. Senate.
But he did say, "For me, what's important is that the policy as
implemented does not work as I announced and as the leaders of our military
at the time in 1993 pledged to implement it."
A soldier's murder was the catalyst for Clinton to acknowledge what
advocates for open military service by gays and lesbians have been trying
to
tell him since the policy was forged in a firestorm of controversy, in the
first days of Clinton's first term in office.
"I can only hope that this last brutal beating death of a gay soldier
will give some sobering impetus to a re-examination of how this policy is
implemented, and whether we can do a better job of fulfilling its original
intent," Clinton said, referring to the July murder of Army Pvt. Barry
Winchell by a fellow soldier who prosecutors said was driven by a hatred of
homosexuals. "Its original intent was that people would not be rooted
out."
Advocates for open service by gays and lesbians generally applauded the
president's determination to fix problems with "don't ask, don't tell,"
under
which the number of service members thrown out of the military, and the
number subjected to anti-gay harassment, have soared.
"I think the president's comments are dead on," said Dixon Osburn, head
of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a Washington D.C.-based
organization that's documented problems with "don't ask, don't tell" for
six
years and worked to help soldiers affected by it.
Osburn said SLDN, whose 1995 annual report predicted the policy would
lead to a service member's death, has tried to get both the White House and
the Pentagon to take action for years.
"What I hope is that the president's comments will provide the impetus
to
make sure something is done. We will be asking to meet with the president
on
Monday morning," Osburn said.
San Francisco Supervisor Mark Leno, who is gay, called the president's
words encouraging, but said "the fact remains that "don't ask, don't tell'
was ill-conceived and is ill-fated."
A recent poll by the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force found that 70
percent of Americans support the right of gays and lesbians to serve in the
military, Leno said.
"Our national leadership is far behind national opinion on this
subject,
and the cruel murder of Barry Winchell is an extreme example of why "don't
ask, don't tell' cannot and will not ever work," said Leno.
"Don't ask, don't tell" was the result of Pentagon and congressional
resistance to Clinton's 1992 campaign promise to end the U.S. military's
ban
on gays. The policy allows gay men and lesbians to serve in the armed
forces
if they do not disclose their orientation, and prohibits the military from
opening unfounded investigations about homosexuality.
The policy, which took effect in 1994, infuriated both sides ? those
advocating open service by gays, and those who wanted to keep the ban
intact.
Since then, the number of service members kicked out for being gay each
year has almost doubled, reaching 1,149 last year, the most since 1987,
according to Osburn.
Anti-gay harassment increased
Cases of anti-gay harassment have more than doubled, to 400 last year,
he
said.
And, according to SLDN, women soldiers have found themselves under
investigation as lesbians for turning down the sexual advances of a male
service member.
The kind of harassment that led to the killing of 21-year-old Winchell
is
common, according to SLDN, if its escalation to lethal violence is extreme.
Harassed by fellow soldiers who thought he was gay, Winchell didn't report
it
out of fear he'd come under official investigation and possible discharge.
Pvt. Calvin Glover, 18, was found guilty of premeditated murder
Wednesday
by a military court and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of
parole. A second soldier faces court martial this week.
"Both these young men put on the uniform of our country, and I could
have
sent them some place to die," Clinton told Florida's Democratic Convention
Saturday in Orlando. "And I was aching for the young man who had died
and
for the young man whose life is now destroyed, who wasn't born hating that
way; somebody had to teach him to do that."
Last August, after Winchell's killing, the Pentagon updated "don't ask,
don't tell" guidelines to require all troops to undergo periodic training
on
tolerance and to assign the task of investigating alleged homosexual
activity
to senior officials. But Osburn said that as of Saturday, the Army and Air
Force had still not sent the new guidelines to their troops.
"The White House and the Pentagon have been perfectly aware of the
failed
implementation of this policy every year for the last six years, and
responsibility falls on uniformed and civilian leaders at the Pentagon and
on
the commander in chief to make sure its original intent is lived up to,"
Osburn said.
"It's also important to note that President Clinton for the first time
is
saying strongly that the Pentagon shape up and follow the rules."
New issue for presidential campaign
In San Francisco, Keith Meinhold, the sailor who made legal history by
winning a court battle to stay in the military after saying he was gay,
called Clinton's remarks "significant progress."
Still, Meinhold, who is retired from the Navy, believes the
announcement
was only logical.
"What else could he have said? Could he have said the policy is
working?
Clearly it's not."
In Los Angeles, David Mixner, who rallied the gay community behind
Clinton's first presidential campaign in 1992 and felt betrayed by his
agreement to "don't ask, don't tell," felt vindicated by the president's
words.
"I think this is a major step for him to be saying this," said Mixner.
But he added that it's time for the United States to stop tinkering
with
the policy and to "do what's right, what every other major ally of ours has
done." Canada, Australia and most NATO countries allow gays and lesbians
to
serve openly in the military, he said.
Clinton's unexpected comments may heighten the impact of the issue in
the
presidential campaign.
Among the Democratic contenders, Vice President Al Gore last summer
called for a more "compassionate" handling of the "don't ask, don't tell"
rules by the military, while rival Bill Bradley has said the policy should
be
dropped and homosexuals allowed to serve openly in the armed forces.
Republican candidates, Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain
of
Arizona have expressed support for the current policy, while their more
conservatives GOP foes oppose allowing gays to serve.
Examiner wire services contributed to this report.
[Carol Ness is online at [email protected]]
San Francisco Examiner, December 12, 1999
11th-hour campaign frenzy for Brown, Ammiano
By llene Lelchuk of the Examiner staff
Armies of volunteers wearing buttons and carrying signs swamped
campaign
headquarters Saturday to pick up literature and spread it through The City.
They set up ironing boards on street corners and tackled phone lines in
search of undecided voters.
And in the frenzy of last-minute campaigning, Mayor Willie Brown and
rival Tom Ammiano shouted motivational messages to their troops, appeared
at
parades and then retreated to house parties to squeeze last drops of
support.
It didn't matter that Brown is ahead in polls. Or that Ammiano
expects a
groundswell of surprise voters will sweep him to victory in Tuesday's
mayoral
runoff election.
The candidates spent the weekend trying to make sure that by Tuesday
night, every registered voter has cast a ballot.
"These polls don't mean anything," Brown told a cheering crowd of 500
at
his South of Market campaign headquarters. "When you cut to the chase,
it's
who shows up to the polls."
At stake for Brown, The City's first African American mayor, is a
35-year
winning streak in electoral politics. If Ammiano, the Board of
Supervisors president, wins he would become the country's first openly gay mayor of a
large metropolitan city. He would also prove his grass-roots campaign had
tapped into a majority of voters' frustration with the status quo.
More appearances Sunday
The hectic campaign schedule continues Sunday with more rallies, church
visits and a pro-Ammiano parade by children, parents and pets at 1 p.m. at
Clement and 12th Avenue.
Brown's 72-hour campaign push started Saturday outside his headquarters
on a stage where he was flanked by heavyweight supporters Sen. Dianne
Feinstein, D-Calif.; Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco; Rep. Barbara Lee,
D-Oakland; Assemblyman Kevin Shelley, D-San Francisco; state Sen. Jackie
Speier, D-San Mateo; Assemblywoman Carol Migden, D-San Francisco; state
Sen.
Patrick Johnston, D-Stockton; and eight of the 11 San Francisco
supervisors.
Lee, former New York City Mayor David Dinkins and other officials from
around the country were scheduled to later walk the neighborhoods and knock
on doors for Brown.
At the rally, Feinstein reminded the crowd of volunteers that she, too,
was ahead in the polls 24 years ago when she was running for office in San
Francisco. And she lost.
"What I'm asking you today is not to believe the polls," she said.
It was a jubilant rally, during which Brown teased that Speier would do
her precinct-walking at Nordstrom and Feinstein snatched Brown's trademark
fedora off his head and tossed it into the crowd.
Serious approach for Ammiano
A few minutes later, a rally beginning at Ammiano's Mission campaign
headquarters was more serious in tone. Ammiano stood next to a stack of
six
file boxes containing copies of lobbyists reports, emphasizing how much
time
and money lobbyists spent in the last four years bending Brown's ear.
"We're going to fight against soft money when I'm Mayor Ammiano," he
told
supporters.
Jan Adams, campaign coordinator for Ammiano, said nearly 1,000
volunteers
hit the streets and phones this weekend.
The campaign is focusing most of its efforts on Ammiano's core
precincts
on The City's east side, which are dominated by renters and liberal voters,
Adams said.
Ammiano spent Saturday afternoon at fund-raisers ? he has raised
$244,765
to Brown's $3.1.million. He and Brown also attended house parties around
The
City.
"House parties are probably the most effective way to reach undecided
voters," Brown spokesman P.J. Johnston said.
Both candidates put the campaigning on hold only for about 30 minutes
Saturday when they appeared together at a groundbreaking ceremony for the
Bernal Gateway public housing development.
District Attorney Terrence Hallinan, who is in a tight race with Bill
Fazio, got a boost from both candidates during the frenzy of rallies.
Hallinan was invited to stand on stage at Brown's morning rally at
headquarters, although Brown didn't give him a mention during the event.
Later at Ammiano's Mission headquarters, Ammiano urged his supporters to
vote
for Hallinan.
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: LGBT Activists List <[email protected]> (LGBT Activists List <[email protected]> [
UNKNOWN 1)
CREATION DATE/TIME:12-DEC-1999 03:49:36.00
SUBJECT: Hillary Clinton Faults Policy of 'Don't Ask'
TEXT:
NEW YORK TIMES, December 9, 1999
(http://www.nytimes.com)
Hillary Clinton Faults Policy of 'Don't Ask'
By ADAM NAGOURNEY
Hillary Rodham Clinton told a group of gay contributors this week that
the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, intended to make it easier for gay men
and lesbians to serve in the military, had been a failure, her aides said
Wednesday. Mrs. Clinton, a candidate for the United States Senate, said
that
if elected she would work to overturn the policy, one of the first put in
place under President Clinton.
Mrs. Clinton, speaking at a fund-raiser in SoHo on Tuesday night, said
that gay men and lesbians should be allowed to serve openly in the
military,
according to participants. Acknowledging that it was politically
unrealistic
to expect Congress to approve such legislation now, she said the Pentagon
should take steps to reduce the instances of gays' being discharged from
the
military.
Mrs. Clinton's remarks, made at a private appearance organized by gay
supporters that raised about $100,000 for her campaign, were related by
people who attended and were confirmed by her office in a written statement
Wednesday evening.
"Gays and lesbians already serve with distinction in our nation's armed
forces and should not face discrimination," Mrs. Clinton said in the
statement. "Fitness to serve should be based on an individual's conduct,
not
their sexual orientation."
The statement puts Mrs. Clinton, once again, at odds with a policy
implemented by her husband's administration that her aides think could
cause
her problems as a candidate in New York. But it puts her in line with the
views of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, her likely Republican opponent. His
aides
say he also supports allowing gays to serve in the military and has been
critical of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
Mrs. Clinton's comments were the first time she had publicly discussed
her views about one of the more difficult episodes of Clinton's first term
in
office, said Jeff Soref, the co-chairman of the Empire State Pride Agenda,
which supports full rights for gays, and an organizer of the fund-raiser.
The fight over Clinton's effort to end the military's longstanding ban
against openly gay personnel dominated his first months in office. When he
issued an executive order ending the ban, questions about the new
president's
competence and ideology were raised among both supporters and opponents of
the ban.
Clinton eventually abandoned the executive order, instead agreeing to
legislation that permitted gay men and lesbians to serve in the military
providing they did not disclose or act upon their sexuality, and
prohibiting
the military from initiating unfounded inquiries about homosexuality. That
approach angered many of the people Clinton had set out to please in the
first place.
Mrs. Clinton, responding to a question posed at the fund-raiser, held
at
the studio of the artist Ross Bleckner, voiced her displeasure with the
policy in unequivocal terms, according to participants. There were murmurs
of
approval and soft applause as she described "don't ask, don't tell" as a
failure, taking note of the fact that there has been an increase in the
number of gays expelled from the military since the policy was put in
force.
Gay groups say that since the policy was put into effect, the number of
such
discharges had doubled, to 312 last year.
"I think, quite frankly, she expressed a view that is an emerging
consensus among people who are following this closely," said Richard
Socarides, the former White House liaison on gay issues, who attended the
fund-raiser. Socarides said she stated her views "directly and forcefully,"
adding: "I suspect that if you asked the president directly, he would say
that this is an area that requires a lot of work also."
The fact that both Mayor Giuliani and Mrs. Clinton have embraced the
same
position on an issue that so deeply split Congress in 1993 -- and caused
major political problems for the Democratic White House -- reflects the
extent to which both Giuliani and Mrs. Clinton view gay men and lesbians in
New York as a source of votes and contributions. Indeed, Alfonse M.
D'Amato,
the Republican who was unseated by Charles E. Schumer in last year's
election
for Senate, also called for lifting the military ban on gays.
Both Mrs. Clinton and Giuliani have already gone to some lengths to
court
support from gay voters, and Mrs. Clinton's advisers said they were
concerned
that Giuliani might do well among a group of voters that has historically
been viewed as a reliable part of the Democratic base.
Soref pointed to Election Day polls in 1997 that showed that Giuliani
had
won about 40 percent of the gay vote against his Democratic opponent, Ruth
W.
Messinger. "There is a perception that he has been an effective mayor,"
Soref
said of gay voters.
"I think in this election, people are eager to hear from Hillary,"
Soref
said. "I think she is a popular figure in the lesbian and gay community,
and
people have not heard from her before and where she stands on these
issues."
At the fund-raiser, Mrs. Clinton also voiced support for
domestic-partnership measures that would allow gay partners to receive the
same health and other financial benefits as married couples. At that, her
position is similar to the one taken by Giuliani, who supported a domestic
partnership law in 1997 that Soref described as sweeping.
The mayor frequently remarks that he, rather than any of his Democratic
predecessors, signed the city's first domestic partnership law.
Mrs. Clinton's spokesman, Howard Wolfson, said that the first lady,
like
her husband, supported legislation passed by Congress in 1996 that
effectively banned gay marriages. Soref said that in Mrs. Clinton's speech,
"She never used the phrase marriage, but she said same-sex unions should be
recognized and that same-sex unions should be entitled to all the rights
and
privileges that every other American gets."
In a more typical election in New York, a Democratic candidate coming
out
for an end to the "don't ask, don't tell" policy would be something short
of
remarkable. In this instance, though, it again demonstrates the ways Mrs.
Clinton has had to distance herself from certain aspects of her husband's
record to extend her political appeal in New York.
She parted from Clinton when he sought to grant pardons to members of a
Puerto Rican separatist terrorist group, and when she voiced support for
establishing Jerusalem as the permanent capital of Israel.
This instance is not quite so clear-cut. Clinton, while campaigning
before groups of gay men and lesbians in 1992, pledged to sign an executive
order lifting the ban, the same position now supported by his wife.
Faced with fierce opposition in Congress, Clinton backed off his
executive order, and instead agreed to the "don't ask, don't tell"
compromise.
But under the compromise policy, the number of people who were expelled
from the military for being homosexual increased, and last summer the
Pentagon announced revisions in the policy intended to make it harder for
commanders to conduct what critics have described as unjustified
investigations of military personnel they suspected of being gay.
Among the provisions was one requiring commanders to seek approval from
senior civilian officials before starting certain investigations. Mrs.
Clinton praised those efforts on Tuesday night, and said she would support
further regulations intended to make sure that "gays and lesbians can serve
without harassment."
The item above is being distributed as a free, non-profit informational
service to a limited number of individuals who have expressed interest in
this topic for educational and research purposes only. Please do not
redistribute or post copyrighted material anyplace on the Internet
accessible to the public without attribution and permission from the
author. Please note that distribution of this item does not necessarily
constitute endorsement of the content; in fact, often items are distributed
as "opposition research."
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: LGBT Activists List <[email protected]> (LGBT Activists List <[email protected]> [
UNKNOWN 1)
CREATION DATE/TIME:12-DEC-1999 21:48:40.00
SUBJECT: Pentagon Reviews Gays in Military
TO: [email protected] ([email protected] UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
Associated Press
December 12, 1999
Pentagon Reviews Gays in Military
By KALPANA SRINIVASAN
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Clinton's "don't ask, don't tell" policy
on gays in the military was caught in the crossfire Sunday, a day after he
declared it isn't working.
His top security adviser downplayed the significance of Clinton's
comments, saying the Pentagon is already working to retool the policy.
And the president came under fire from GOP presidential hopeful John
McCain, who questioned the timing of Clinton's comments ? a week after his
wife sharply criticized "don't ask, don't tell."
The exchanges highlighted the continued sensitivity concerning the
terms under which gays should be allowed to serve in the armed forces.
In an interview Saturday, Clinton said his policy had not been
implemented as it was intended.
"It's out of whack now, and I don't think any serious person can say
it's not," Clinton told CBS News. He said he hoped to work with the
Pentagon to bring the policy closer to its original intent ? to allow gay
soldiers to remain on duty without being persecuted.
Under the policy, the military is not supposed to ask service members
about their sexual orientation, unless there is evidence of homosexual
conduct. Still, soldiers who say they are gay may be discharged.
Clinton said the policy was never supposed to facilitate rooting out
people who are gay or allow for harassment. He has cited repeatedly the
case of a gay solider who was beaten to death in Kentucky.
But the Pentagon said Sunday that it is already working to fine-tune
its policy. It has developed new training guidelines that are expected to
be issued very shortly, Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon said in an
interview.
Those guidelines, announced in August, would require all troops to
undergo periodic anti-harassment training and assign investigations of
homosexual activity to more senior leaders.
"We are as determined as the president is to see that the policy is
implemented fairly," Bacon said.
Clinton's top national security adviser delivered the same message.
And he stressed that the president's comments were not different from the
conclusions of an internal Defense Department review.
Defense Secretary William Cohen "has issued new rules and regulations
to bring it back in line with its original intent. Let's see how that
happens," Berger said on "Fox News Sunday."
Clinton's comments Saturday were prompted by questions about Hillary
Rodham Clinton, who said last week that she did not support the policy.
Clinton did not go as far as his wife did, saying he understands why she
wants to allow gays and lesbians to serve without discrimination in the
military.
Clinton has often drawn fire on the gays in the military issue, and
Sunday was no exception. McCain ? running for the GOP presidential
nomination ? questioned why Clinton was calling for a reevaluation of the
policy in a news interview, rather than launching a formal review.
"Naturally suspicions will arise that he's following on to help his
wife's candidacy for the Senate," said McCain, appearing on "Fox News
Sunday." "It's an inappropriate comment, especially in the context in
which he made it.
"It seems to me that that kind of statement undermines the men and
women in the military who are trying to implement a policy that has been
in existence for seven years," he said.
In a related matter, McCain also said he would like to sit down and
talk with Lt. Steve May, the reserve lieutenant, who revealed his sexual
orientation while on the job as a state legislator.
A military investigator is recommending that the Army discharge May
after he discussed his homosexuality during a legislative hearing in
February. May was a civilian at the time, but was recalled to active duty
a few weeks later.
"I want to sit down with him and look at the specifics of his case,"
McCain said Sunday.
The item above is being distributed as a free, non-profit informational
service to a limited number of individuals who have expressed interest in
this topic for educational and research purposes only. Please do not
redistribute or post copyrighted material anyplace on the Internet
accessible to the public without attribution and permission from the
author. Please note that distribution of this item does not necessarily
constitute endorsement of the content; in fact, often items are distributed
as "opposition research."
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: LGBT Activists List <[email protected]> (LGBT Activists List <[email protected]> [
UNKNOWN ])
CREATION DATE/TIME:12-DEC-1999 21:48:41.00
SUBJECT: Army moves to discharge Rep. May
TO: [email protected] ([email protected] UNKNOWN]
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
ARIZONA REPUBLIC, December 12, 1999
Phoenix, AZ
(http://www.azcentral.com/)
Army moves to discharge Rep. May
Says he violated 'don't ask' rule
By Chris Moeser, The Arizona Republic
The Army is moving forward with plans to discharge openly gay state
Rep.
Steve May, an Army reservist, under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy,
despite glowing performance evaluations.
Officials had rated the east Phoenix Republican legislator as "one of
the
finest young officers" in the Army and had urged quick promotions,
according
to a report obtained by The Arizona Republic.
May's case has become a lightning rod nationally for opponents of the
Army policy since The Republic reported in August that he was under
investigation for violating it.
This comes at a time when the policy is under increasing scrutiny after
the beating death of a gay soldier at an Army base in Kentucky. Earlier
this
week, Hillary Clinton called "don't ask, don't tell" a failed policy.
And one of President Clinton's staunchest allies in Congress, Rep.
Barney
Frank, D-Mass., blasted Clinton's handling of May's case in a letter to the
president last week.
Frank also called on Arizona Sen. John McCain, whom May is supporting
in
the presidential race, to be supportive of May. McCain is courting gay
Republican voters and expects to raise $50,000 at fund-raiser held Tuesday
night by the Log Cabin Republicans.
May, 28, a lieutenant in the Reserves, who is scheduled to be
interviewed
tonight on 60 Minutes (Channel 5, 6 p.m.), argues that his case proves the
policy has been a disaster that forces highly qualified people out of the
military.
"If you look at my evaluations, they say, 'Yep, he's a great officer,
but
we're going to kick you out anyway.' It's absurd," May said. "This is
stupid. This makes no sense. There is no justification to prevent
qualified
gay and lesbian Americans from serving their country in uniform."
The Army investigation, which May provided to The Republic, was
launched
this spring after a soldier in May's Phoenix reserve unit noticed news
stories in which May said that he is gay. The Army notified May of the
report's findings when he reported for exercises Dec. 3.
May made the comments Feb. 3 in a legislative hearing in response to an
anti-gay bill. Two days later, he was recalled to active duty.
The Army concluded May violated the policy by discussing his sexual
orientation.
"Based on evidence from multimedia sources, coupled with your open
admissions, I have determined that you have made statements that you are a
homosexual," investigator Patricia Maddox wrote.
May and his attorneys have argued that he made the comments in his role
as a state legislator and not while he was on active duty. To prevent him
from exercising his rights as a legislator amounts to a violation of his
rights.
"Even for people who like the policy, it seems to me this is a clear
violation of a basic principle of legislative independence and the notion
that the federal government would in effect be censoring what a state
legislator says in the course of legislative business. It's outrageous,"
Frank said.
May's attorneys also plan to argue in their response to the charges
that
an obscure Defense Department directive allows a commanding officer to
disregard the "don't ask, don't tell" policy if discharging the person
would
not be in the best interests of the armed forces.
"The chain of command keeps hiding behind the regulations and saying
they
have no choice," said Dixon Osburn, co-executive director of the Service
Members Legal Defense Network, a Washington, D.C.-based group that has
defended more than 2,000 service people facing discharge over the policy.
"Losing Representative May would be detrimental."
May's evaluations confirm that view. His commanding officer, Maj.
Eileen
Norton, concluded in her final report that although May had openly
acknowledged his sexual orientation, he is an excellent officer.
"It is my recommendation that each commander in Lt. May's chain of
command
take into consideration Lt. May's outstanding military
performance
and his unlimited potential to be an outstanding asset
as a
future officer and leader in the Army Reserves," she wrote.
Other soldiers in May's outfit agreed.
"I do not believe that this knowledge has in any way been detrimental
to
the morale of my troops or the morale of the troops directly under Lt.
May's
command," Lt. Jeffrey Clark wrote.
May's attorney, Christopher Wolf, has written to Norton and asked her
to
terminate the investigation.
Norton did not return a call seeking comment.
But the architect of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, Northwestern
University sociology Professor Charles Moskos, said May doesn't have a
case.
"By telling, he should be discharged.
A state representative, of
all people, should not be above the law," Moskos said.
He suggested the policy shortly after the Clinton administration became
engulfed in controversy surrounding the issue of gays in the military in
1993.
Moskos argues it would violate the rights of heterosexual service men
and
women to be housed in "intimate" conditions with gay members.
"I'm sure the Army will survive without Steve May," he said.
May calls the argument ridiculous.
"The idea that homosexuals should be prohibited from military service
because of the fears of a few homophobes is unfounded," he said. "We don't
forbid Blacks from serving even though there are racists in the Army."
Opponents also point out that with 1, 149 gay and lesbian service
personnel being discharged under the policy in 1998, military readiness is
being damaged. May, for example, is trained as a chemical-weapons defense
officer.
"It shows that the policy is dumb. It's not based on reality; it's
based
on political perception," Frank said. "This has never made a lot of sense
militarily, particularly when they come to complain to us that they can't
get
enough people in the military."
Last month, Frank wrote Clinton and asked him to call off the
investigation of May. He received a reply from a White House counsel, Beth
Nolan, stating that his request had been forwarded to the Defense
Department.
"I well remember the political difficulties that arose that led to this
decision, " Frank wrote back to Clinton last week. "But none of that
justifies the brush-off that Ms. Nolan has given me."
Frank also is critical of McCain, whom he said should take up May's
cause.
"This is an issue at home. He knows Steve May well. Does John McCain
think he should be kicked out of the military?" Frank asked. "McCain
thinks
I have been very unfair to him when I've said he's been very unsympathetic
to
the question of fair treatment for gay people. Steve May is a supporter of
his. He certainly does not seem to be reciprocating."
McCain's campaign spokesman did not return calls seeking comment.
May, who donated $1,000 to McCain as part of the fund-raiser Tuesday
night and has been a vocal supporter, said he has not discussed his
situation
with McCain. May was inspired to join the military as a kid after talking
with McCain about his experience in Vietnam.
"I don't think he wants his opinion to be confronted by the facts of
this
case," May said. "I think it would be hard for a man like John McCain not
to
recognize this is a failed policy."
May hopes his attorneys can persuade his Army commanders to end the
discharge proceedings. If they don't, the case will progress and he likely
will be discharged in the next four to six months.
"I don't feel my sexual orientation should be an issue. I should be
judged on the basis of my performance. I think most Americans agree," he
said.
"The Army evaluates me on the basis of honesty, integrity, courage,
responsibility and service. At the same time they expect me to live a
deceitful life. It's immoral."
The item above is being distributed as a free, non-profit informational
service to a limited number of individuals who have expressed interest in
this topic for educational and research purposes only. Please do not
redistribute or post copyrighted material anyplace on the Internet
accessible to the public without attribution and permission from the
author. Please note that distribution of this item does not necessarily
constitute endorsement of the content; in fact, often items are distributed
as "opposition research."
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: LGBT Activists List <[email protected]> (LGBT Activists List <[email protected]> [
UNKNOWN 1)
CREATION DATE/TIME:12-DEC-1999 02:56:10.00
SUBJECT: NYT Editorial: Rejecting 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
TO: [email protected] ([email protected] UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
New York Times, December 10, 1999
(http://www.nytimes.com)
Editorial: Rejecting 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
Hillary Rodham Clinton was exactly right when she told a gay audience
at
a fund-raiser in SoHo this week that homosexuals ought to be able to serve
openly in the United States military. That is the position her husband
held
when he campaigned for president, promising to issue an executive order to
end the Department of Defense's ban on homosexuals in the armed forces.
But
in 1993 the new president allowed opposition in Congress and the Pentagon
to
drive him to an ill-conceived compromise, the "don't ask, don't tell"
policy.
In her remarks on Tuesday, the first lady said her husband's policy had
been a failure, and that is an understatement. "Don't ask, don't tell" has
led to increased harassment of homosexuals and a doubling in the number of
discharges of gay service members. It has also turned barracks life into a
grotesque trap for many gay men and lesbians.
Nothing brings that fact into harsher focus than the murder of Army
Pfc.
Barry Winchell of the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky., in
July.
For weeks, while his company sergeant looked on and did nothing, Private
Winchell silently endured daily sexual taunts and harassment from his
barracks mates. When he finally beat his chief tormentor in a fistfight,
that man, Pvt. Calvin Glover, retaliated by beating him to death with a
baseball bat two nights later as he slept in his bunk.
As in other cases when Mrs. Clinton has criticized her husband's
policies, the politics here are plain. Her prospective opponent in the
2000
Senate race, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, has been critical of the Pentagon
policy. To continue to support the failed policy would have hampered her
ability to compete with Mr. Giuliani for New York City's influential gay
voters. In an odd campaign twist, Mrs. Clinton may have subsequently
damaged
her standing with those same voters by saying yesterday that she would like
to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. That event is shunned by many
Democratic politicians because the parade's organizers exclude the Irish
Lesbian and Gay Organization.
Whether or not the parade remark turns into a serious gaffe, the
clarity
of Mrs. Clinton's new position on the "don't ask, don't tell" policy is
encouraging. So was the verdict of a court-martial jury at Fort Campbell,
which on Wednesday found Private Glover guilty of premeditated murder.
The item above is being distributed as a free, non-profit informational
service to a limited number of individuals who have expressed interest in
this topic for educational and research purposes only. Please do not
redistribute or post copyrighted material anyplace on the Internet
accessible to the public without attribution and permission from the
author. Please note that distribution of this item does not necessarily
constitute endorsement of the content; in fact, often items are distributed
as "opposition research."
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: Rex Wockner <[email protected]> ( Rex Wockner <[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN D
CREATION DATE/TIME:12-DEC-1999 16:13:06.00
SUBJECT: NC11598: Discharge recommended for Steve May
TO: Rex Wockner <[email protected]> ( Rex Wockner <[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
Do not publish this item in any form without permission from the
originating media operation. Do not post this item in any online
forum. This is a small, free mailing list open only to my friends.
Associated Press
December 11, 1999
Army investigator recommends discharge for gay reservist-legislator
SCOTT THOMSEN, Associated Press Writer
PHOENIX (AP) ? A military investigator is recommending the Army
discharge a reserve lieutenant who revealed his sexual orientation while
on the job as a state lawmaker.
Army officials began investigating Lt. Steve May after he discussed
his homosexuality during a legislative hearing in February. May was a
civilian at the time, but was recalled to active duty a few weeks later.
"It appears the immediate commander has not an option but to recommend
initiation of a separation action to higher headquarters," the
investigator, Maj. Eileen Norton, wrote in her report. The report is part
of May's confidential personnel file, which he released to The Associated
Press.
Nevertheless, Norton recommended May's commanders consider his
performance ? he was rated an exceptional officer with an unblemished
career ? when deciding whether to recommend retaining or dismissing him.
In a sworn statement for the investigation, Capt. Stephen Sherbondy
supported his officer, saying: "May's performance as an officer under my
command has been nothing less than outstanding since he joined the unit."
Under Department of Defense regulations, homosexuals are not allowed
to serve in the armed forces. The military's "don't ask, don't tell,
don't pursue" policy is designed only to prevent it from seeking out such
information.
May's commanding general will decide whether to call a separation
hearing board of three senior officers. If the board votes to discharge
May, the decision would have to be approved by the secretary of the Army.
That process could take several months.
In the meantime, May, 28, is being considered for promotion to
captain.
"I'm physically fit, mentally fit, an outstanding officer and they're
kicking me out," May said. "I wish I could be left alone, serve my
soldiers, serve my constituents and serve my country."
May's attorney, Christopher Wolf, has written the Army asking May's
commanders to use their authority under regulations Wolf said would allow
retention of an openly gay officer when "separation of the officer would
not be in the best interest of the Armed Forces."
If that fails, May said he will challenge a discharge in court,
arguing the Army cannot limit his free speech rights as a civilian or
interfere with his ability to represent his constituents as a state
legislator.
"This would cost me nothing to walk away right now. Believe me, I
think about that every day," May said. "But it's my obligation to fight
this immorality."
Retired Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis, who helped draft the military's
"don't ask, don't tell" policy, said he expects May to be discharged
regardless of his service record.
In the few cases where gays have been allowed to remain in the
service, the soldiers promised not to engage in any homosexual activity.
But May has been open about his sexuality and is a partner in a 4-year gay
relationship, Maginnis said. "It's an open and shut case," he said.
The investigation began after May's company commander was given a copy
of an article from the weekly New Times newspaper about May's comments in
February on a bill that would have prohibited government benefits for
employees' gay partners.
During the hearing, the first-term Republican representative ? who has
been openly gay since before his first campaign in 1996 ? rebuked a
colleague who said homosexuality was "at the lower end of the behavioral
spectrum" and a threat to society.
"You can hate me. You can discriminate against me. You can be as
bigoted as you want to be. But treat me fairly under the law," he said.
He was recalled to duty a few weeks later in preparation for a
possible ground assault in Kosovo, and he reported to the 348th
Transportation Company, where he is the executive officer.
May's personnel file shows he consistently earned the highest marks in
performance evaluations throughout his military career, even after his
homosexuality became public knowledge.
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: LGBT Activists List <[email protected]> (LGBT Activists List <[email protected]> [
UNKNOWN 1)
CREATION DATE/TIME:12-DEC-1999 03:08:08.00
SUBJECT: Hillary Clinton's knowledge of city's issues questioned
TO: [email protected] ([email protected] [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
Boston Globe, December 11, 1999
(http://www.boston.com/globe)
First lady's flub casts doubts in N.Y.
Hillary Clinton's knowledge of city's issues questioned (excerpt)
By Fred Kaplan, Globe Staff
NEW YORK - Two questions stood out as Hillary Rodham Clinton campaigned
across Manhattan this week. First, will she ever be accepted as a New
Yorker? Second, does it matter?
It is a more prominent issue than Clinton, who has never worked or
lived
here, would like it to be. And it raised its head again this week in a
subtle but still damaging way.
She was appearing Thursday morning at a midtown restaurant called
O'Neill's to accept the endorsement of leading Irish-American Democrats,
all
of them grateful for her and President Clinton's role in the Northern
Ireland
peace talks.
A reporter asked whether she would march in the St. Patrick's Day
Parade,
and the first lady replied, with an eager grin, "I would certainly hope
so."
The thing is, most Democrats do not march in that parade because its
organizers prohibit Irish gay-and-lesbian groups from taking part.
Mrs. Clinton is hardly insensitive to gay causes. A few minutes
earlier,
she had criticized her husband's "don't ask, don't tell" policy for gays
in
the military.
The goof was that she appeared not to know that the parade was an
issue.
It may seem a small flub, but a telling one, in a city where one-fifth of
the
residents are Irish, a fair percentage are gay, and the parade is a
prominent
issue for both groups.
Anne Maguire, head of the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization, lashed
out.
"The idea that Hillary would march, or even that she doesn't know the
issue, is outrageous." She added yesterday, more coldly: "Clinton needs
to make her stand now. She either supports lesbian and gay men in New
York,
or she actively supports the bigots who tell us we can't be Irish and gay
at
the same time."
Thus, with a small misstep, the first lady winds up on the verge of
alienating two groups that she has never remotely offended.
More broadly, the incident serves to reinforce the widespread
perception
that she does not know her way around the land mines of New York politics.
The perception first took hold with flaps involving two other major ethnic
groups: her opposition to amnesty for Puerto Rican terrorists and her
"kiss
of death" with the wife of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat during a
Middle
East visit.
[continues on other issues]
The item above is being distributed as a free, non-profit informational
service to a limited number of individuals who have expressed interest in
this topic for educational and research purposes only. Please do not
redistribute or post copyrighted material anyplace on the Internet
accessible to the public without attribution and permission from the
author. Please note that distribution of this item does not necessarily
constitute endorsement of the content; in fact, often items are distributed
as "opposition research."
RECORD TYPE: FEDERAL (NOTES MAIL)
CREATOR: Rex Wockner <[email protected]> (Rex Wockner <[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN
CREATION DATE/TIME:12-DEC-1999 21:14:57.00
SUBJECT: NC11600: DADT heats up
TO: Rex Wockner <[email protected]> (Rex Wockner <[email protected]> [ UNKNOWN ])
READ:UNKNOWN
TEXT:
Do not publish this item in any form without permission from the
originating media operation. Do not post this item in any online
forum. This is a small, free mailing list open only to my friends.
Associated Press
December 12, 1999
Pentagon Reviews Gays in Military
By KALPANA SRINIVASAN
WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Clinton's "don't ask, don't tell" policy
on gays in the military was caught in the crossfire Sunday, a day after he
declared it isn't working.
His top security adviser downplayed the significance of Clinton's
comments, saying the Pentagon is already working to retool the policy.
And the president came under fire from GOP presidential hopeful John
McCain, who questioned the timing of Clinton's comments ? a week after his
wife sharply criticized "don't ask, don't tell."
The exchanges highlighted the continued sensitivity concerning the
terms under which gays should be allowed to serve in the armed forces.
In an interview Saturday, Clinton said his policy had not been
implemented as it was intended.
"It's out of whack now, and I don't think any serious person can say
it's not," Clinton told CBS News. He said he hoped to work with the
Pentagon to bring the policy closer to its original intent ? to allow gay
soldiers to remain on duty without being persecuted.
Under the policy, the military is not supposed to ask service members
about their sexual orientation, unless there is evidence of homosexual
conduct. Still, soldiers who say they are gay may be discharged.
Clinton said the policy was never supposed to facilitate rooting out
people who are gay or allow for harassment. He has cited repeatedly the
case of a gay solider who was beaten to death in Kentucky.
But the Pentagon said Sunday that it is already working to fine-tune
its policy. It has developed new training guidelines that are expected to
be issued very shortly, Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon said in an
interview.
Those guidelines, announced in August, would require all troops to
undergo periodic anti-harassment training and assign investigations of
homosexual activity to more senior leaders.
"We are as determined as the president is to see that the policy is
implemented fairly," Bacon said.
Clinton's top national security adviser delivered the same message.
And he stressed that the president's comments were not different from the
conclusions of an internal Defense Department review.
Defense Secretary William Cohen "has issued new rules and regulations
to bring it back in line with its original intent. Let's see how that
happens," Berger said on "Fox News Sunday."
Clinton's comments Saturday were prompted by questions about Hillary
Rodham Clinton, who said last week that she did not support the policy.
Clinton did not go as far as his wife did, saying he understands why she
wants to allow gays and lesbians to serve without discrimination in the
military.
Clinton has often drawn fire on the gays in the military issue, and
Sunday was no exception. McCain ? running for the GOP presidential
nomination ? questioned why Clinton was calling for a reevaluation of the
policy in a news interview, rather than launching a formal review.
"Naturally suspicions will arise that he's following on to help his
wife's candidacy for the Senate," said McCain, appearing on "Fox News
Sunday." "It's an inappropriate comment, especially in the context in
which he made it.
"It seems to me that that kind of statement undermines the men and
women in the military who are trying to implement a policy that has been
in existence for seven years," he said.
In a related matter, McCain also said he would like to sit down and
talk with Lt. Steve May, the reserve lieutenant, who revealed his sexual
orientation while on the job as a state legislator.
A military investigator is recommending that the Army discharge May
after he discussed his homosexuality during a legislative hearing in
February. May was a civilian at the time, but was recalled to active duty
a few weeks later.
"I want to sit down with him and look at the specifics of his case,"
McCain said Sunday.