On Sunday, June 21, the Senate's assistant Republican leader, Sen. Don Nickles (R-Okla.), aggressively fanned flames of violence and prejudice against America's gay and lesbian communities. He said that President's Clinton's appointment of philanthropist James Hormel, who is openly gay, to an ambassador's post in Luxembourg should be denied because Hormel promotes "immoral behavior."

The Bible, according to the Oklahoma Senator's calculations, teaches that homosexual behavior is "a sin" and "if one promotes that behavior…that person shouldn't be a representative of this country."

The Senator's statement was delivered over Rupert Murdoch's Fox News Sunday and marks the third time that such a pointed attack has been made by a high-ranking Republican politician between June 15th and 21st.

There were immediate denunciations of Nickles' comments by prominent gay activists. In Washington, D.C., Dr. Franklin E. Kameny, 73, father gay activist militancy in the U.S., said "As a gay American, I put my life into jeopardy in World War II fighting….I did not do so in order that some two bit little public servant, who has not the slightest idea of what America and Americanism are all about could seek to exclude me or any of my fellow gays."

Franklin Kameny

Bob Kunst

Bob Kunst, Director of the Florida-based Oral Majority, was equally incensed. Addressing Nickles, he said: "You're holding up the nomination of 'Gay' Hormel as Ambassador to Luxemberg, not even allowing a vote, so scared are you that he'll be confirmed. You're a coward indeed... having so little confidence in what you believe, that you have to be deceptive, in order to manipulate policy…"

Kunst was referring to the Republican leadership's disallowance of a vote which would publicize Hormel's impressive qualifications for the ambassadorial post.

The Reverend Michael Piazza, pastor of the UFMCC's Cathedral of Hope, in Dallas, Texas, responded to the Republican leadership's attacks by inviting the GOP senators to Sunday services in the huge gay-friendly church. If Lott and Armey knew more about Jesus, he said, "they would know that Jesus said nothing about homosexuality, but did say 'Judge not, lest you be judged."

Last Monday, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott called same-sex love and affection "a sin." He compared homosexuality to thievery. On Tuesday he was followed by House Majority Leader Dick Armey who said much the same thing.

The Republican leadership, under "religious" pressures from Pat Robertson and James Dobson, has stalled a vote on the White House's nominee for months, while renegade Republicans such as New York's Alphonse D'Amato have openly critiqued his colleagues for doing so, saying that their stalling occurs solely because the nominee is gay.

Taunting Senator Nickles, Bob Kunst reminded him of yesterday's soccer loss by "Christian" America to a winning "Islamic" team from Iran. "Allah 2, Jesus 1," he chirped merrily. He told Nickles: "Watching the aimless American soccer team throw this game today with Iran was like being held' hostage' in America by a divided team, in a divided nation ,led by immoralists, and lawbreakers like yourself ,attacking Gay Americans to divert attention from your own miserable hang-ups. Yes, you flee from free expression, from allowing ideas to rise or fall on their own merit."

Dr. Kameny concluded by lecturing Senator Nickles, Trent Lott and Dick Armey on morality:

Kameny said: "THE bedrock…the fundamental, foundational basis for American morality comes from our nation's birth certificate, the Declaration of Independence, with its guarantee, as an inalienable right, of the Pursuit of Happiness. That includes our homosexuality fully as much as Don Nickle's heterosexuality. And that makes of Don Nickles, Trent Lott, and Dick Armey immorality incarnate and sin embodied."