Bush's Homosexual Agenda and Other Civil Rights Lies

By Lara Riscol, AlterNet. Posted June 13, 2001.

"I hope that in this new millennium we will continue to break down the walls of fear and prejudice and work to build a bridge to understanding and tolerance, until gays and lesbians are afforded the same rights and responsibilities as all Americans," signed President William J. Clinton, proclaiming June 2000 as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.

But in this new millennium, a new kid sits in the House, and June's rainbow flag flies no more. Family Research Council's weekly issue "Culture Facts" leads with "Bush Quietly Rejects Gay Pride Month" and reports, "While conservative groups opposed President George W. Bush's appointment of an open homosexual as the new director of the National AIDS Policy Office [for what would a gay man know about AIDS?], they are applauding the president's decision to discontinue former President Clinton's practice of observing 'Gay and Lesbian Pride Month' in June."

Of course, "practicing" such an observation would mean tacit approval of "sodomites'" immoral lifestyle. And we all know the Right's mantra, "love the sinner; hate the sin." White House spokesman Jimmy Orr explains (presumably with a straight face), "The president believes every person should be treated with dignity and respect but, he does not believe in politicizing people's sexual orientation."

Now that's a good one.

Bush is the same poster child for the Religious Right, who with fellow Christian leaders strategized nearly 10 years ago to replace the abortion fight with "the homosexual agenda" as a moral wedge to politically divide and conquer the nation.

This is the same politician who, when governor of Texas, publicly supported the prosecution of two men arrested for having sex in the privacy of their own home. Bush defended upholding the state's sodomy law as "a symbol of traditional values" and threatened to veto any legislative attempt to overturn it. The couple was jailed for more than 24 hours before being released on bond and ultimately found guilty as charged. A Court of Appeals since found the 200-year-old law to be in violation of the Texas Equal Rights Amendment by making the same behavior criminal "for some but not for others, based solely on the sex of the individuals who engage in the behavior."

Governor Bush also aggressively fought and stalled the James Byrd Hate Crimes bill that riled conservatives for including protection of sexual orientation with other minorities. His Republican successor has since signed the legislation.

This is the same GOP leader, whose party has taken gay bashing to an art form. Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott has likened gays to alcoholics, sex addicts and kleptomaniacs, and opposed Clinton's executive order to protect federally employed gays and lesbians from job discrimination.

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