National Gay & Lesbian Task Force
1734 14th St., NW, Washington, DC 20009
VOX (202) 332-6483 FAX (202) 332-0207
TTY (202) 332-6219
lob_ngltf@aol.com

NGLTF CITES FAR RIGHT'S MISLEADING "SPECIAL RIGHTS"
 STRATEGY IN ELECTORAL LOSSES

 Washington, D.C. -- (November 3, 1993) -- Peri Jude Radecic, Executive
Director of The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force issued the following
statement today in response to electoral losses in Cincinnati, Ohio,
Lewiston, Maine, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire:

 "The Far Right's bold face lie that our struggle for civil rights is a
crusade for special rights has carried the day. Their strategy of isolating
the gay community from other minorities was successful in these elections.
The cities of Cincinnati,  Lewiston, and Portsmouth  have succumbed to an
anti-gay rampage from right wing extremist organizations that is only the
beginning.  They are mobilizing for a full scale assault against the civil
liberties of gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals in the 1994 election cycle,
with 6 - 14 states facing an anti-gay ballot initiative.

 "A study released today by People for the American Way documenting anti-gay
right wing extremist activity in 41 states is shocking. The study, entitled
Hostile Climate,  crystallizes the sobering reality that we are fighting an
unprecedented mobilization by the Far Right, who are trampling over the
ideals of freedom and liberty in their pursuit of political power.

 "In the coming months, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force will be
working with other national, regional, and local groups, gay and non-gay, to
turn back this march of hatred which masquerades as legitimate politics and
threatens the real American values of fairness and decency."

 In Cincinnati, Ohio, voters approving 61% - 31% a measure which invalidates
the city's current ordinance banning discrimination against gay men, lesbians
and bisexuals and prohibits the city council from enacting future civil
rights protections.

 In Lewiston, Maine, voters approved 70% - 30% a measure which repeals the
city's ordinance banning discrimination based on sexual orientation.

 In Portsmouth, New Hampshire, voters voted down 60% - 40%  a non-binding
referendum to gauge public support for instituting a ordinance banning
discrimination based on sexual orientation.



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[Editors: To receive a copy of the People for the American Way report Hostile
Climate call Virginia Witt at (202) 467-4999]