Bay Windows - National News, August 26, 1999
Scott A. Giordano, Bay Windows Staff

Before President Bill Clinton's sex-and-lies scandal with Monica Lewinsky, Vice President Al Gore was nearly a shoe-in winner of the next Democratic presidential primary election. But after more than one year's dosage of the Clinton-Lewinsky saga that left a bad taste in many people's mouths, Gore's ties to Clinton may turn out to be more harmful than beneficial.

A wave of national newspaper articles and editorials, including those from the Associated Press (AP,) have noted that former Sen. Bill Bradley of New Jersey is drawing increasingly larger crowds to his campaign stops and dazzling audiences with his charismatic personality, while some are accusing Gore of being mundane and boring. An Aug. 12 AP article about Bradley noted that his campaign speeches are stocked with people who are new to Democratic politics, many of whom are worried that Gore will not be able to distance himself enough from Clinton's shadow to beat a Republican candidate in the general election.

While Gore has an obvious advantage of capitalizing on his legacy within the Clinton Administration ù that includes support of gay-rights legislation and appearances at gay and lesbian dinners ù an Aug. 11 article in the N.Y. Times sums up the sentiments of many Democrats when it says the Democratic rivals have virtually identical records on gay issues, and both of their campaigns have fund-raisers working directly with gay donors and are competing for the gay community's support. Bradley and Gore both have expressed support for two pending gay-related bills in Congress: the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA,) which would prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, and the Hate Crimes Prevention Act (HCPA) of 1999, which would enhance penalties for crimes committed because of anti-gay bias and allow federal assistance in local investigations of hate crimes. The candidates also agree that same-sex partners should be eligible for health insurance benefits and hospital visitation rights, while also both saying that civil rights for gay people should extend to but not include the legal recognition of same-sex marriage.

The result: a Democratic race between two pro-gay candidates that gay activists say could end up moving gay-rights legislation forward as both candidates vie for the "gay vote."

"The good news is that both Bradley and Gore understand gay and lesbian issues from the beginning, which shows with their support for hate-crimes legislation and domestic-partnership (DP) benefits. ... So I hope that means as their campaigns continue, and the gay and lesbian constituency becomes more politically active, that both candidates will be speaking out more to the gay and lesbian community and doing more for the gay and lesbian community," said Winnie Stachelberg, political director for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC,) the nation's largest gay and lesbian political organization based in Washington, D.C. "The first thing they can do is to get fully behind hate-crimes legislation. ... I would like to see them working hard to make that part of their campaigns and to call on the Senate and the Congress of the United States to pass [HCPA.]"

Mark Merante, co-chair of the Bay State Gay and Lesbian Democrats, agreed.

"As long as Gore can't really line up an overwhelming majority of people committed to him and Bradley manages to keep raising money, it may become a very competitive race. That fact is good for our community because it provides us with an opportunity to pressure both candidates to be more aggressive in advancing the community's interests. ... We could benefit by having them be more outspoken advocates for us," Merante said.

The questions then become exactly what each candidate can offer the gay and lesbian community, beginning with what each has already done and where they need the most work.

Bill Bradley

Bradley served as a U.S. Senator from New Jersey from 1979-1996 and has been chair of the National Civic League since1997. Prior to his political work, he was a professional basketball player for the New York Nicks from 1967-1977; and he was in the United States Air Force Reserve from 1967-1978.

During his congressional tenure, Bradley had opportunity to vote for and against several gay-related bills ù including ENDA and the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act (DoMA,) a 1996 bill that was passed by Congress and gives states authority to pass anti-gay marriage legislation.

The HRC gave Bradley a 78 percent rating in the 102nd Congress and a 100 percent rating in the 103rd Congress, based on his voting record as it pertains to gay-related issues. Bradley voted against an anti-gay amendment that would have prohibited federal money from going to any school that "directly or indirectly" encouraged or supported the gay "lifestyle."

In 1996, during the U.S. Senate's historic votes on ENDA and DoMA, Bradley supported both the pro-gay and anti-gay bills, respectively. When explaining his position on DoMA to Detroit News lesbian columnist Deb Price in September of 1996, Bradley said, "In trying to balance the religious and historical idea of marriage with the need for extending rights, I say that rights should extend up to, but not including, recognition of same-sex marriage."

Several AP articles and other published reports have cited Bradley's support of gay and lesbian civil rights legislation. And in March of this year ù following a wave of high-profile, anti-gay murders ù Bradley issued a public statement that condemned anti-gay, and other forms, of hate crimes.

"We will not move forward as a nation to reach our full potential unless we realize the potential ù the untapped potential ù of each individual American," Bradley said in that statement. "That means valuing each individual for what he or she is, and that will be a fundamental principle of a Bradley presidency."

Merante said there is a sense that Gore is assuming he will win the Democratic primary and is thus running a more "centrist" campaign, which could end up benefiting Bradley.

"The interesting aspect is that there is some talk of Bradley running as a liberal alternative to Gore. ... Bradley has definitely moved himself into a position now where he is a real challenger. He has raised a significant amount of money and ... Gore has not managed to impress some people," Merante said.

"Bradley has, on many issues, a very liberal stand, which is a very good thing because I think he would join [the gay community] on many of [its] views on things outside the gay movement," added Keith Morrison, managing director of the National Stonewall Democratic Foundation.

But most activists don't expect the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal to play a role in a Gore defeat.

"There may be some backlash that has helped Bradley right now. But in the end, Gore and Bradley will be elected on their abilities and records and visions for the future," Morrison said.

"Vice President Gore has been an outstanding leader and has demonstrated his commitment to the gay and lesbian community. He will emerge from [the Clinton] scandal," predicts Stachelberg.

Al Gore

Vice President Gore has the obvious advantage of capitalizing on his record in the Clinton Administration, but he also has a strong record in support of gay rights while he served as a U.S. Senator from 1985-1993, and as a U.S. Representative from 1977-1985. The HRC gave Gore a 90 percent rating for his gay-related votes in the 101st Congress and a 100 percent rating in the 102nd Congress.

Gore voted in favor of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination based on someone's disability; and he voted in favor of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Reauthorization bill that allowed funding for survey research on human sexual behavior that had been proposed by the NIH to combat the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

He also opposed a wide range of anti-gay amendments, including one for the Hate Crimes Statistics Act which would have added the sentence, "The homosexual movement threatens the strength and survival of the American family" and "state sodomy laws should be enforced;" an amendment that would have removed materials from schools that "promote homosexuality;" one that would have allowed organizations working with children in the District of Columbia to discriminate based on sexual orientation; one that would have allowed health-care workers to test patients for HIV before invasive medical procedures, without notifying patients; and another that would have prohibited the National Endowment of the Arts from funding projects that depict or describe in a patently offensive way, sexual or excretory activities and organs.

However, Gore stood by President Clinton's side when the president signed DoMA into law in 1996, and the vice president has repeatedly spoken against the legal recognition of same-sex marriage. The N.Y. Times quoted Gore as saying he opposes "a change in the institution of marriage as we now know it."

But Gore became the first vice president in the nation's history, earlier this year, to express support for the extension of health insurance benefits and hospital visitation rights for unmarried same-sex partners. Gore is expected to pick up on the DP theme as part of his presidential campaign. "Vice President Gore, about [one month ago,] became the first vice president ever to endorse domestic-partnership legislation for federal employees and domestic-partnership rights for all Americans, and that is an area that he will develop," said Richard Socarides, the gay community's presidential liaison during a recent event held in Provincetown.

The vice president also sent an open letter to the gay community on May 11, 1999, and attended the HRC's National Dinner on Sept. 19, 1998.

"And when some, in recent months, have launched unprecedented attacks on the very idea of fair treatment ù trying to punish and scapegoat people just because of their sexual orientation ù I have been amazed and outraged. For this, I believe with all my heart: If we can conquer the forces of hate and division that still exist in our society, we can never redeem the American dream," Gore said in public remarks at the HRC dinner, then going on to express support for ENDA. "So I say to Congress: Let's give everyone who is willing to work for it a fair and equal chance to succeed. Pass [ENDA] into law."

In October of 1998, the Clinton-Gore Administration released a "Record of Progress for Gay and Lesbian Americans," which calls for passage of civil rights legislation. "It is time for all Americans to recognize that the issues that face gays and lesbians in this country are not narrow special interests ù they are matters of basic human civil rights."

Although Gore has been an outspoken advocate of gay-rights issues, he also has been targeted by AIDS activists who say he hasn't done enough to combat HIV/AIDS, specifically by trying to block South Africa's access to less expensive, generic HIV-fighting drugs. But perhaps in an effort to ease the concerns of AIDS activists, Gore recently proposed an unprecedented $100-million increase in federal funds to fight the international HIV/AIDS epidemic, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where HIV infection rates are rapidly rising.

This July, Gore also unveiled a series of new initiatives designed to engage others in the global HIV/AIDS crisis. Those initiatives include a multi-lateral Partners Meeting to enhance worldwide coordination, which will be led by First Lady Hillary Rodham-Clinton; a United Nations conference on people orphaned by AIDS; and new partnerships with private sector leaders from the religious, business and labor communities.

"In terms of leadership and commitment, the vice president has demonstrated, over the last seven years of the Clinton-Gore Administration, that he understands the needs of the gay and HIV/AIDS communities and has the commitment to put that kind of leadership into action," Stachelberg said. "We have been very impressed by his support for gay and lesbian adoption, for example. And his work on the phones in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act was instrumental in securing the Democratic votes [in favor of ENDA] that were cast in September of 1996. Sen. Bradley had a strong record on gay and lesbian issues, but I wouldn't say he demonstrated as much leadership on those issues as the vice president is now doing."

Stachelberg also believes Gore has taken more opportunities to speak out on gay and lesbian issues. "Certainly, Bradley has reached out to the gay and lesbian community, but Gore has taken more opportunity to speak directly to and reach out to the gay and lesbian community," she said.

Morrison agreed that Gore's record with the Clinton Administration will weigh in his favor.

"Al Gore has a more pronounced record of support, being that he has been in office for 8 years and been visible and Bradley hasn't been. ... They are both very good for our community, but Al Gore just has a longer record in that he has been in office while Bradley left office four years ago," Morrison said.

The issues

The activists agree that Bradley and Gore have demonstrated commitment to gay and lesbian issues, and they now hope that dual commitment will push each candidate to take further steps towards gay and lesbian equality. The major issue in which both candidates need further education, activists say, is same-sex marriage. That is also an area in which the activists say the Democratic candidates can speak out against anti-gay sentiments and ballot initiatives in light of next year's California ballot initiative that could outlaw same-sex marriages in that state.

"There is a divisive battle going on in California right now. We need to ask all candidates to oppose those kinds of divisive ballot initiatives, regardless of where they stand on the issue [of same-sex marriage,]" Stachelberg said. "And everyone who is working on marriage issues needs to continue to remind the candidates that whom we marry is an individual decision, and that's a basic human right we need to have."

The same-sex marriage debate also can be used to advance DP benefits for gay and lesbian employees, activists say.

"We need to break down what marriage actually is and take a look at what the components of marriage are and seek support for those individual components as we would like to have, such as health insurance benefits, hospital visitation rights and inheritance rights," Stachelberg said, adding that it's too early to say whether the extension of DP benefits to federal employees could become a campaign pledge for the gay community.

"We all learned that pledges can be dangerous and candidates need to look carefully before they pledge to do something, no matter who they are," said Stachelberg, referring back to President Clinton's 1992 pledge to remove the ban on gays in the military that resulted in the controversial "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

Morrisey thinks DP benefits will become part of the candidates' campaign platforms, although not a major component.

"I wouldn't expect either [Bradley nor Gore] to have [DP benefits] be their number one priority, but I do think that idea [of extending DP benefits] stays in line with some of the things we would like them to see them do," Morrison said, adding that a DP Executive Order is "something that could be done easily and covered at nominal costs."

Stachelberg said the Democratic candidates also need to encourage state and local businesses to extend DP benefits.

"I would like to see workplace discrimination issues in terms of legislation and what corporate America is doing part of the campaign language. ... We just had three major airlines come out offering DP benefits for their gay and lesbian employees. Those kinds of steps need to be awarded and praised by the Democratic candidates," she said.

The Stonewall Federation will not endorse in the primary election; the other gay groups contacted by Bay Windows say they are months away from making an endorsement. Meanwhile, Morrisey said gay people should be thankful they have two Democratic candidates vying for the gay vote. "There is only one Republican candidate that I know of, John McCain, who has done anything positive, and he is trailing everywhere in the polls," Morrison said.

Stachelberg noted that six of the Republican presidential candidates recently signed a presidential pledge that would discriminate against the gay community, and she called upon the Democratic candidates and progressive Republicans to speak out against that pledge.

"As president, I will resist all attempts to provide the benefits and privileges traditionally accorded married couples to unmarried domestic partners ù as such efforts diminish the unique role of marriage as the bedrock of family and society," reads the pledge that was signed by Republican candidates Dan Quayle, Steve Forbes, Gary Bauer, Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, Alan Keyes and Pat Buchanan.

"As president, I will honor the spirit and intent of nondiscrimination policies and law by opposing federal legislation that would expand them to include special protections based on sexual behavior or preference," the pledge continues.

Republican candidates George W. Bush, Elizabeth Dole and McCain did not sign the pledge; neither did Democrats Bradley and Gore.

"This is the first time the [Republican] front-runners have been tested, and if they want to appeal to mainstream voters they will avoid falling into the perilous right-wing trap," Stachelberg said. "Most serious candidates have so far avoided overt, gratuitous gay bashing, because the 1998 elections taught them that pandering to the extreme right is a losing strategy."

(HRC has published a report detailing where the presidential candidates stand on gay issues, titled "Y2K Presidential Candidates & Gay and Lesbian Equality." The report is accessible at the HRC's web site: http://www.hrc.org.)
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