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Bush Publicly Reverses Himself
on Meeting with Log Cabin

Scorecard Showing Record
of the 106th Congress is Released

Voters Today--Super Tuesday�
Must Sustain Equality Gains

Compiled by GayToday

San Francisco�Candidate George W. Bush told the San Francisco Chronicle in an exclusive interview Monday that he was abandoning his much-publicized refusal to meet with members of the gay and lesbian political group, the Log Cabin Republicans.

``Yes, I would consider meeting with them,'' Bush told the newspaper. Last November, the Republican front-runner had told NBC's Meet the Press that he had no intention of meeting with gay Republicans and that they were, in fact, "a huge political nightmare."

George W. Bush is looking for a big win in today's Super Tuesday contests

He had also indicated that he would not be likely to hire "open homosexuals" because he assumed they would not share his conservative philosophy.

Democratic observers derided the candidate's change of heart as an evidence of his electoral panic on the eve of the Super Tuesday primaries today, hoping thereby to garner gay votes.

In preparation for these primaries, including California's, which faces the anti-gay Proposition 22, the Human Rights Campaign has released its voting scorecard for the first session of the 106th Congress.

The HRC analysis, say that organization's officials, will help voters evaluate which candidates support legislation that will increase the quality of life for lesbian and gay Americans. (see www.hrc.org )

"Electing candidates who have demonstrated leadership on gay and lesbian issues and are supporters of key legislation will have an enormous impact in the advancement and efforts to achieve equality," says HRC Political Director Winnie Stachelberg.

The scorecard reveals percentages on how the House and Senate members have voted on legislation affecting the lesbian and gay movement including the Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA) and the Employment Non Discrimination Act (ENDA).

In the House, the Democratic leadership earned a 96.0 percent and the Republican with an 8.2 percent.

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Related Sites:
Human Rights Campaign

Log Cabin Republicans

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In the Senate, the Republican leadership rated a 2.8 percent and Democrats with a 94.3 percent.

By party, Democrats rated with an all time high in both the House and the Senate with an 82.0 and an 88.4 while Republicans rated with an 18.2 percent and a 13.0 percent accordingly.

In spite of theses differences there are staunch supporters in both parties.

The Knight Initiative/Proposition 22, brainchild of conservative California State Senator Pete Knight, will also appears on today's ballot. It would codify anti-gay discrimination by prohibiting recognition of marriage for same-sex couples. The HRC has helped in the effort to stop the initiative by contributing to the No on Knight/ No on Proposition 22 campaign.

"On March 7, 39 percent of American voters will be at the voting polls. A large turn out of gay and lesbian voters can provide the margin of victory that will help determine the direction of our movement not only in California but also nationwide," says Stachelberg.

"Lesbian and gay Americans have the power to decide whether we continue to move forward or lose hard-won ground."

According to exit polls in 1996, five percent of all voters identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual, nearly equaling the number of Latino voters and exceeding the number of Jewish and Asian voters.