News

Call Senator Trent Lott and Register Your Opinion on His Recent Comments About Gays

June 16, 1998

The Battle Inside the GOP Widens:

Anti-gay activist Gary Bauer says his decision on a presidential run "may hinge pertly on whether" George W. Bush is "conservative enough." Bauer: "It would be inhospitable of me, wouldn't it, to come to [TX] and immediately start taking issue with the governor. ...But I will say this, I'm anxious for the Governor to get out of Texas and talk about some of these issues in the months ahead – which I'm sure he will do, if in fact he's got some ambitions in this matter." More Bauer: "Gov. Bush refers to himself as a conservative. I certainly would take him at face value on that. But I know that there are a lot of issues that people are anxious for him to address." Among them: whether Bush is "adamant enough against same-sex marriages and inclusion of homosexuals in the GOP." Bauer "refused to say whether he'd be on board if Bush wins the nomination in 2000" (McNeely, Austin American-Statesman, 6/13).

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), on the heels of Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott's comments about gays: "It's a very tough issue. We have a large party, a majority party. We have lots of facets to our party and lots of interests. The Log Cabin Republicans should be part of our party. The Christian Right should be part of our party; I respect their views. My view is that in the case of the military, the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy was appropriate. And I also believe that gays should not be in the military, and I know that's a problem that a lot of people would have. At the same time, I don't believe that we should discriminate against anyone, and that includes because of their sexual orientation. That may get me in trouble, but I don't believe that should be the case" ("Hardball," CNBC, 6/15).

Log Cabin Republicans of New York are working with Senator Alfonse D'Amato (R-NY) to move the New York state gay rights bill to the floor of the State Senate in Albany, where Majority Leader Joe Bruno is holding it up. D'Amato: "If a person can do a job, then by gosh, they should be protected; they shouldn't be discriminated against for any cause, and the question is can you do the job? Do you have the ability? That's my position. I've made that known to Senator Bruno, and I've urged him to be supportive of legislation that would see to it that this is a right that is guaranteed under the laws of New York." Bruno: "We have some difference of opinion on this, but we are continuing to talk to Senator D'Amato, and the Speaker, and within our conference, so I suppose we could leave it at that." (New York One News, 6/15)