Gay Today: World

Bush Still Backs Discrimination
Despite Salvation Army Flap

Compiled By GayToday

Washington, D.C.--The National Stonewall Democrats stated yesterday that the White House is pushing legislation that would discriminate against gays and lesbians. This comes after the Administration denied the existence of a backroom deal with the Salvation Army that would have accomplished similar goals.

Rep. Barney Frank is taking on the anti-gay Faith-Based Initiative bill in the House

H.R. 7, the Community Solutions Act of 2001 is once again expected to be voted upon today in the U.S. House of Representatives. As written, the bill allows faith-based charities to discriminate against gays and lesbians in employment and services. (See GayToday's Top Story Action Alert)

The National Stonewall Democrats have called on Congress and the Log Cabin Republicans to oppose H.R. 7 unless changes protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination are adopted. NSD leaders noted that this White House-backed legislation reached the House floor despite assertions last week by the Log Cabin Republicans that the White House had no plans to allow for discrimination.

"This legislation goes far beyond the alleged agreement between the White House and the Salvation Army," said Julian Potter, national co-chair of the National Stonewall Democrats.

"The Log Cabin Republicans can no longer camouflage the White House support for H.R. 7. By their own statements, they are accomplices allowing religious charities to refuse service to gays and lesbians, in addition to allowing discrimination in employment. "

H.R. 7 allows religious charities that accept federal funds to ignore local non-discrimination laws regarding employment. Furthermore, the bill permits charities also to deny services to gays and lesbians. Representative. Barney Frank (D-MA) revealed these facts in a House Judiciary Committee meeting on June 28.

Cornering Republicans, Frank pressed House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Representative James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), into disclosing that the bill's current language would allow broader discrimination against gays and lesbians. Frank and Representative Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) offered an amendment in committee to change such language, however the Committee's Republican majority voted it down.

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"If not for vigilance of Representative Frank, the White House would have quietly pushed through this language while Congress slept," said Potter. "Thanks to his leadership, even fair-minded Republicans now demand that the language allowing for discrimination be changed."

"We now know that the White House was pushing discrimination through Congress, even while denying a deal with the Salvation Army," said Potter. "It is time for all fair-minded Americans, of all parties, to oppose this hurtful measure."