Clear choices for Congress, Senate

by Shamara Riley and Trudy Ring

While President Bill Clinton has drawn anger from gays and lesbians for some of his actions, he has won praise for others, and it appears he will have strong support from the community in the Nov. 5 election.

As he seeks a second term, Clinton is up against Republican Bob Dole and a host of challengers from alternative parties. A recent national poll by the WASHINGTON BLADE gay newspaper indicated 88 percent of self-identified gay, lesbian or bisexual voters planned to vote for Clinton.

Clinton is characterized by many gays and lesbians as the community's biggest supporter ever to occupy the White House. However, he recently upset gays and lesbians by signing the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages and allows states to deny recognition to such marriages performed in other states. Clinton also disappointed the community by compromising in his effort to lift the ban on gays and lesbians in the military, resulting in the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

However, Clinton won praise for endorsing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would bar job discrimination based on sexual orientation; the act failed to pass in the Senate in September (but just one vote), but its supporters plan to try again next year.

Gay and lesbian supporters also point to Clinton's appointment of fair-minded federal judges and Supreme Court justices, and note that there will be opportunity for other such appointments in the next four years. He also claims to have appointed "over 100" openly lesbigay people to positions within the administration (but no official list exists yet).

Other Clinton actions include signing a bill repealing the discharge of HIV-positive military servicemembers; lifting the ban on openly lesbigay people obtaining security clearances in federal positions; signing a bill reauthorizing the Ryan White CARE Act to fund AIDS services. He has obtained increased funding for a variety of AIDS programs, convened the first White House AIDS conference and appointed Patsy Fleming director of the Office of National AIDS Policy, but critics contend Fleming's office has little power, and the position should be cabinet-level.

In October, Clinton angered lesbigays when his campaign ran an ad, on Christian radio stations, highlighting his support for the Defense of Marriage Act; the campaign then pulled the ad and replaced it with one highlighting his opposition to late-term abortions. His record is primarily pro-choice, but he opposes late-term abortions except when the life or health of the mother is endangered. (He had vetoed a bill banning such abortions because it did not contain an exception for health endangerment.) Both ads were in response to an ad that Republican opponent Bob Dole's campaign had aired, accusing Clinton of being excessively liberal, and highlighting Clinton's effort to end the ban on gays in the military.

Shortly thereafter, the Republican National Committee ran another ad, this time on gay-oriented radio stations in northern California, saying it's "classic Clinton" to run an ad touting opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage while saying he's a pro-choice gay-rights supporter. "Can you believe this guy?" the ad asks.

Clinton's record also includes: signing the Family and Medical Leave Act; support for "mending, not ending" federal affirmative action programs; signing a bill ending federal entitlement to welfare; support for gun control measures.

He is endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign, IMPACT and Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization.

Dole was a U.S. senator from Kansas from 1969 until June of this year, when he stepped down to devote full time to his presidential campaign, and he was Senate Majority Leader from 1995 until his resignation.

While still a senator, he was lead co-sponsor of DOMA; voted against lifting the military ban; opposed ENDA; voted against funding the District of Columbia's Domestic Partner Law; voted for an amendment to cut off funds to local schools with programs aimed at preventing anti-gay violence, HIV transmission, and gay teen suicide; signed a pledge barring discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in employment in his office while in the Senate; co-sponsored and voted to reauthorize the Ryan White CARE Act to fund AIDS programs (but also voted for an amendment to the Act that sought to cut off all funding to gay community health organizations and to freeze Ryan White spending at 1995 levels).

He believes abortion should only be legal in cases of incest, rape, or to protect the mother's life; voted against the Family and Medical Leave Act; voted for the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act; voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1991 (which makes it easier for employees to sue for gender-based harassment). He opposes federal affirmative action programs; opposes federal gun control measures; and supported ending the federal entitlement to welfare.

He is endorsed by the Log Cabin Republicans. In recommending him for endorsement, Executive Director Rich Tafel cited Dole's "long and honorable record" on civil rights, and noted his support for AIDS funding and his office's anti-discrimination policy. The endorsement was subsequently ratified by Log Cabin's local chapters.

Libertarian Party presidential candidate Harry Browne opposed DOMA; opposes federal funds for all social programs (including AIDS services, Medicaid and women's healthcare); believes the free market is better for lesbigay equal rights-and ending race and gender discrimination-than "the force" of government measures. He opposes federal affirmative action programs and supports ending welfare. He is pro-choice but opposes federal funding of abortions.

Reform Party candidate Ross Perot also opposed DOMA; regarding the issue, he said, "the less government interference in people's lives, the better." He had stated in 1992 that he would not hire openly lesbigay people to positions in his administration if elected, but he has a gay liaison to his 1996 campaign. He is pro-choice on abortion and opposes federal affirmative action programs.

Natural Law Party candidate John Hagelin supports maintaining the current level of federal funds for AIDS care, treatment and research, while increasing prevention funding. He does not favor abortion restrictions, but also opposes federal funding. His strategy for ending racial discrimination includes establishing "coherence-creating groups" of meditation experts to "promote harmony in society and thereby increase [racial] tolerance."

U.S. Taxpayers Party candidate Howard Phillips opposes the use of federal funds "to promote homosexual conduct" and opposes same-sex marriage. His party views lesbigay equal rights as "special rights" that shouldn't be extended, and he supported Colorado's anti-gay Amendment 2. He supports a constitutional amendment banning abortion and cutting the federal government down to "constitutional size" by eliminating all direct taxes. He doesn't believe the federal government has a role to play in preventing gender or racial discrimination and opposes federal affirmative action programs.

Not on the ballot in Illinois, but encouraging write-ins, is AIDS Cure Party presidential candidate Steve Michael, who believes Clinton has done far too little on AIDS and has sought to raise the issue throughout the campaign.