Date: Sat, 6 Jun 1998 16:32:47 -0400 (EDT) From: A Jay Eddy Subject: ISSUES: Log Cabin Texas - Log Cabin Florida Press Release June 5, 1998 BROWARD LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS OF FLORIDA P.O.Box 1218, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33302 (954) LCR -1995 TEXAS EVANGELICAL FUNDAMENTALISTS EXCLUDE LOG CABIN FROM STATE GOP The members and friends of the Broward Log Cabin Club of Florida salute the courage and integrity of those Republican members of the Log Cabin Texas who have been denied equality of access by evangelical-fundamentalist who have risen to positions of state leadership in GOP of Texas. "In a denial of access to Log Cabin Texas Republicans, the concept of Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech and Freedom from Religious Persecution has obviously been set aside by evangelical fundamentalists who are political activists in the Republican Party of the State of Texas," alleged Andy Eddy, Director of Communications for the Broward Log Cabin Club of Florida. "We are proud of those members of the Republican Party of Florida who have not demonstrated such intolerance and we hope and pray that in good conscience people of wrong doing see the real light of day when it comes to discrimination and equality of access in the political process," stated Jack Majeskie, Chairman of the BLCCF Board of Directors. ********* MORE ****** Date: Fri, 05 Jun 1998 15:21:48 -0500 From: "Robert O. Blanchard" Subject: Log Cabin Announces Ad Campaign, Rally in Ft. Worth Charging Republican Faction's 'Party Purification' Attempts, Texas Log Cabin President Announces Ad Campaign, Ft. Worth Rally Comments From Friday 06/05 LCR Press Conference at the State Capitol My name is Steve Labinski, I am the President of the Log Cabin Republicans of Texas. We are calling todays press conference to formally respond to recent actions and statements made by the Republican Party of Texas regarding the upcoming GOP State Convention in Fort Worth. Last April, the Log Cabin Republicans of Texas applied for booth space at the 1998 Republican Party of Texas convention to be held in Fort Worth on June 12th and 13th. Two weeks ago we received a terse letter, along with our application and materials from Wayne Hamilton, the Executive Director of the party, simply stating that the Republican Party of Texas chooses to exclude our organization from having booth space at this years convention. This is the first public statements Log Cabin has made on this matter. For the past two weeks, we have made numerous efforts to contact the state party chair and executive director to discuss the situation, and a find a resolution to this problem. After yesterdays comments in the Dallas Morning News by the Party's Communications Director, which essentially compared the Log Cabin Republicans to the Klu Klux Klan and the National Man/Boy Love Association, we see that the minority faction that operates the party willfully excludes Republican groups based on sexual orientation. To the Texas GOP I say this, We Are Republicans. We are Americans. Open the door. The individuals who operate the Texas Republican Party are clearly not interested in electing Republicans in November. They are solely interested in party purification. We think this is chilling. We have handouts of proposed changes to the party rules to be offered next week by this faction in the party, which will effect everyone who considers themselves Republican in Texas: #1) There are new rules which turn the GOP primaries into caucuses. For example, the Republican candidate for Governor, Lt Governor, US Senator etc would be chosen by the delegates at the state convention [instead of statewide primary elections]. #2) There are rules providing for reprimand and censure of GOP candidates who do not support the party platform 100%. This element in the Republican Party at this time are in all the party officer positions, and since its candidates lose the GOP primaries, they feel like they must perpetuate themselves without regard to the democratic vote. We feel like it is important to show our fellow Republicans this danger. It is also important to say that the Texas GOP's actions and comments are fundamentally wrong. For this reason, Log Cabin will run advertisements in the major state newspapers ne t week asking the state GOP leaders why they are excluding Republicans from the state convention. We are also announcing today that Log Cabin will stage a rally to be held sometime during the convention to protest the party's decision to exclude the Log Cabin Republicans from having boothspace. We will have more details on this rally next week as soon as possible. I want to thank you all for coming, and God Bless Texas. ************ more ************ ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 05 Jun 98 18:01:12 EDT From: Wayne Besen Subject: HRC Supports Next Week's Log Cabin Demonstration ________________________________________________________ NEWS from the Human Rights Campaign 1101 14th Street NW Washington, DC 20005 email: hrc@hrc.org http://www.hrc.org ________________________________________________________ TEXAS GOP'S FAR RIGHT-WING SILENCES MODERATE PARTY MEMBERS HRC Supports Next Week's Log Cabin Demonstration Against Intolerance WASHINGTON -- The Texas Republican Party's refusal to allow a gay Republican organization and a mainstream, non partisan religious group to take part in next week's Texas GOP convention in Fort Worth highlights how far out of touch the GOP's far right-wing is with the majority of the Republican party and most Americans, according to the Human Rights Campaign. "Political religious activists, in their unabated crusade to wrest control of the Texas GOP from moderates, believes that free speech and dissent are a threat to their extremism. These strong arm tactics and intolerance will backfire in the long run because they are contrary to the values of most Texans," said HRC Political Director Winnie Stachelberg. In a blatant disregard for party unity, Texas GOP leaders rejected convention booth requests by the Log Cabin Republicans of Texas, a gay Republican group, and the Texas Freedom Network, a faith based organization which serves as an alternative to the Religious Right. The Log Cabin Republicans of Texas have organized a Saturday, March 13th demonstration in protest of the Texas GOP leadership's polemical treatment of loyal party members who have dared to challenge the authoritarian party line. In a bombastic fashion indicative of their radical beliefs, the Texas GOP's leadership compared loyal members of their own party to the KuKlux Klan and a group who advocates sexually abusing children . "We're not going to allow a forum for the kind of hateful language against people of faith that the Texas Freedom Network, or the KKK or the National Man-Boy love Association or whoever else wants to spew," said party spokesperson Robert Black. "The comparison of a mainstream religious organization to destructive fringe groups shows the great lengths these extremists will go to in their attempts to discredit anyone who disagrees with their point of view. This unabashed demagoguery is a threat to democracy and civil society ," said Stachelberg. The Human Rights Campaign is the nation's largest national lesbian and gay political organization, with members throughout the country, effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support, and educates the public to ensure that lesbian and gay Americans can be open, honest, and safe at home, at work, and in the community. ************ PRESS RELEASE June 6, 1998 CONTACT: Dr. Charles LoPiccolo BLCCF Director of Membership (945) 491-5565 The Broward Log Cabin Club of Florida P.O. Box 1281, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33302 (954) LCR-1995 LOG CABIN HARVEY MILK PROJECT The members and friends of Florida's Gold Coast Log Cabin Republicans would like to inform you of the Harvey Milk Project which is intended to bring more gay and gay friendly men and women into the Republican party. We would like to correct the false belief that "all gays are democrats" and that there is no alternative to "politics as usual." Certainly much skewed press and propaganda has been generated to create the impression that concerned gays have no alternative but to support a liberal- socialist-leaning Democratic party BUT, THIS IN NOT TRUE. LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN AGGRESSIVE IN CONFRONTING the enemies of our community within the Republican party. We have advocated that our people, our friends and our supporters vote against Republicans who pose a threat to our well being. We must subsequently recognize that we also have enemies within the Democratic party. There are those within the Democratic party who see us as "serious competition" for the conjured image of "most victimized group" and actively work against us. One must consider also that within the first two years of President Clinton's administra- tion, both houses of Congress and the presidency were in the hands of the Democrats and they were more interested in perpetuating the corrupt Rostenkowski leadership than in protecting our rights. We certainly do not propose that our people vote for a Republican who is not supportive of our civil rights, but we do ask that our rights be considered as equal to those of others- DENIAL OF OUR RIGHTS BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION IS THE SAME AS DENIAL OF OUR RIGHTS BASED ON RACE OR RELIGION. Any Democrat who does not support this is equally as dangerous to our well being AND EQUALLY DESERVING OF OUR OPPOSITION. Any gay man or woman who presents himself or herself as a "leader" and does not support this principal solely for that purpose but rather for the purpose of protecting the privileged position and power of the Democratic party as well as his own is a hypocrite and fraud. Many of our people share the beliefs and principles of the Republican Party: less government, less intrusion into our lives, reduced taxes, a belief in personal responsibility, greater support for keeping criminals off the street, increased emphasis on protection of the rights of victims of crime, an end to the Democratic party's use of our resources to PAY OFF SPECIAL BLCCF-(6-6-98) Release Page 2 of 2 continued INTERESTS to gain their influence, and an end to the dishonesty, mismanagement and corruption within our society. GAY MEN AND WOMEN, THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS WHO SUPPORT THESE IDEALS, ARE INVITED TO JOIN THE LOG CABIN CLUB AND THE PROGRESSIVE REPUBLICAN PARTY. COME AND JOIN US at 7:00 P.M. ON FRIDAY EVENING, SEPT. 11, 1998. COME TO THE GREATER FT. LAUDERDALE GLB COMMUNITY CENTER AND MEET LCR'S GUEST SPEAKER AND GAY MEMBER OF THE BROWARD'S REPUBLI- CAN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE DR. CHARLES J LoPICCOLO. LEARN HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND LEARN HOW LOG CABIN IS THE ALTERNATIVE TO THE IMPRACTICAL AND INBRED SYSTEM OF "POLITICS AS USUAL." For information on Log Cabin call (954) LCR-1995.