Subject: JOINT PRESS RELEASE ON STEVE MAY
From: Kevin Ivers <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1999 22:08:30 -0500

Joint Press Release
>From the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, Log Cabin Republicans, and the
>Servicemembers Legal Defense Network

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, Aug. 26, 1999

Contact:	Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund
	Sloan C. Wiesen
	Phone:  (202) 842-8679, ext. 310
	Pager:  (800) 759-8888, PIN 1169902

	Log Cabin Republicans
	Kevin Ivers
	Phone: (212) 661-9600, ext. 6181

	Servicemembers Legal Defense Network
	Stacey Sobel
	Phone: (202) 328-3244

OPENLY GAY REPUBLICAN STATE LEGISLATOR
TARGETED BY MILITARY¢S DISCRIMINATORY POLICY

Arizona State Rep. Steve May Faces Possible Discharge From Army;
News Conference Set for Friday, Aug. 27 in New York

	WASHINGTON * State Rep. Steve May of Arizona * a conservative
Republican, a Mormon, a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve and the
only openly gay GOP state legislator in the country * is currently under
investigation by the military under its anti-gay policy.  Three national
public interest organizations today decried the military¢s action against
May and the policy behind it * including the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund,
which helped elect May to public office; the Log Cabin Republicans, the gay
GOP organization for which May serves as a national board member; and the
Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which is advising May during the
investigation.

	*Lieutenant May has a flawless record of military service, and yet
he is being targeted for investigation just because he has the character to
be honest about who he is,* said C. Dixon Osburn, co-executive director of
the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network * which provides legal help to
members of the armed forces harmed by the military¢s *Don¢t Ask, Don¢t
Tell, Don¢t Pursue* policy.   *When Lieutenant May was called up for the
active Reserve, he was obligated and honored to answer the call.  Now he
may be penalized for doing his duty.*

	May won his seat in the Arizona House of Representatives in 1998
with Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund support, and while in the Legislature he
has continued to acknowledge his orientation.

	*The voters elected Steve May because he embodies the very same
leadership qualities of honesty and integrity for which the military may
now discharge him,* said Brian K. Bond, executive director of the Gay and
Lesbian Victory Fund.  *One day our armed forces will hold all of our
troops strictly and equally to the same high standards of conduct * instead
of arbitrarily discriminating against exemplary officers like Steve May.
It is sad that, while the people of Rep. May¢s district are willing to
treat him based on his job-related merits, the military is not.  Voters
value honesty * it¢s a shame that, at least with respect to our gay
soldiers, the military doesn¢t.  One day the military¢s misguided policy of
mandatory discrimination will end.*

	May had joined the Army ROTC while in college and then served on
active duty for two years before being assigned to the Inactive Ready
Reserve.  In February 1999, May received orders to report to the Active
Reserve when the recent crisis arose in Kosovo.  After May obeyed those
orders, the military began looking more closely at his public statements as
a legislator and opened an investigation of May under the discriminatory
*Don¢t Ask, Don¢t Tell, Don¢t Pursue* policy.

	*What is happening to Steve clearly shows how absurd this policy
is,* said Rich Tafel, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans.
*Clearly, the next president of the United States will have to address
°Don¢t Ask, Don¢t Tell.¢  There is no justification for kicking out an
exemplary public servant like Steve May.*

	The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund is the only national organization
whose sole mission is to increase the number of outstanding openly gay and
lesbian public officials.  As the nation¢s 14th largest nonconnected
political action committee, the Victory Fund has generated more than $2
million for qualified openly gay and lesbian candidates at all levels of
government.

	Log Cabin Republicans is the nation's largest gay Republican
organization, with state and local chapters nationwide, a federal political
action committee and a national office headquartered in Washington.

	Servicemembers Legal Defense Network is the only national legal aid
and watchdog organization that assists men and women in the military on a
daily basis who face witch hunts, hate crimes, harassment and discharge
under "Don¢t Ask, Don¢t Tell, Don¢t Pursue." In five years, SLDN has
directly assisted more than 1800 military members.

	[Note: Rep. May has scheduled a news conference for 12:00 noon on
Friday, Aug. 27, 1999.  It will take place in the Lexington Suite of the
Roosevelt Hotel, located at 45th Street and Madison Avenue in New York.
For more information on the news conference, please contact Kevin Ivers at
(202) 661-9600, ext. 6181.]

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Log Cabin Republicans		Kevin Ivers
(202) 347-5306 phone		Director of Public Affairs
(202) 347-5224 fax			http://www.lcr.org