Subject: Elizabeth Birch Condemns Anti-Gay Remarks from Dole Presidential Campaign
From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 1995 17:12:57 -0400

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PRESS RELEASE            PRESS RELEASE            PRESS RELEASE

                 THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN FUND                   

 The Nation's Largest Lesbian and Gay Equal Rights Organization
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To contact the HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN FUND, please call us at     
(202)628-4160, fax us at (202) 347-5323 or write to us at PO Box 
1396  Washington, DC  20013.  
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, August 28, 1995

        HEAD OF NON-PARTISAN GAY POLITICAL ORGANIZATION CONDEMNS
            ANTI-GAY REMARKS FROM DOLE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
                                    
          -- HRCF Executive Director Elizabeth Birch Denounces
          "Politics of Division" as GOP Hopeful Rejects Support
                     From Republicans Who Are Gay --

     Washington -- The head of the Human Rights Campaign Fund
(HRCF), a non-partisan lesbian and gay civil rights organization,
today condemned remarks by a spokesman for Kansas Sen. Bob Dole's
presidential campaign as the GOP hopeful rejected a donation by a
gay Republican organization.  In a phone interview with the
Washington Post, Dole spokesman Nelson Warfield claimed that a
$1,000 campaign contribution from the Log Cabin Republicans was
eventually returned because the gay GOP organization's goals are
"100 percent at odds with Senator Dole's."  So far the only
donation to the Dole campaign returned for reasons unrelated to
compliance with Federal Election Commission guidelines, the 
contribution had been solicited earlier by the campaign's finance
chairman.  Warfield accused the Republican group of supporting a
"special rights agenda," while claiming that Dole advocates
"equal treatment" for everyone.  HRCF Executive Director
Elizabeth Birch issued the following statement in response to the
campaign's rationale for the decision:

"It's disappointing to see Senator Dole's campaign playing the
politics of division.  In pandering to the extreme right, the
Dole campaign is trampling on the values of honesty and fairness.
Gay and lesbian people merely seek equal rights under the law and
freedom from discrimination.  Senator Dole deserves credit for
moving the Ryan White CARE Act through the Senate, and for
including gay employees in his office non-discrimination policy. 
His campaign should stick to mainstream values like these, and
avoid extremist rhetoric.

"The Human Rights Campaign Fund has contributed more than a
quarter million dollars to fair-minded Republicans, and we will
continue to support candidates of all parties who reject 
discrimination and support equal rights for everyone.  The far
right may have undue influence in the GOP primaries, but the
general election will remind Senator Dole that the vast majority
of Americans -- and most Republicans -- reject discrimination
against lesbian and gay citizens." 

The Human Rights Campaign Fund (HRCF), the largest national
lesbian and gay political organization, works to end
discrimination, secure equal rights, and protect the health and
safety of all Americans.  With a national staff, and volunteers
and members throughout the country, HRCF lobbies the federal
government on lesbian, gay, and AIDS issues; educates the general
public; participates in election campaigns; organizes volunteers;
and provides expertise and training at the state and local level.

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     1101 14th Street, NW  Suite 200  Washington, DC  20005      
          phone:(202)628-4160      fax:(202) 347-5323