From: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 08 Aug 94 17:21:37 EDT

NATIONAL GAY & LESBIAN TASK FORCE

LEGISLATIVE ALERT

HELMS
Record of Shame

 July 19, 1994
Helms proposed an anti-gay amendment to Agriculture appropriations that would
prevent the funding of a position or the carrying out of seminars that
"encourage its employees to recruit on the basis of homosexual orientation or
to accept homosexuality as a legitimate lifestyle."  Because the Agriculture
Department has no such recruitment policy, the actual impact of the amendment
would be to prevent federally-funded educational seminars on workplace
tolerance.  However, the rhetorical impact has been high - sending a chilling
message to gay, lesbian and bisexual employees. NGLTF OPPOSED THE AMENDMENT.
 Adopted 92-8.  Senate vote 212  (see attached voting record).

 July 20, 1994
Again utilizing USDA appropriations as a backdoor to bigotry, Helms proposed
an amendment that would "require a public hearing prior to the removal of an
Agriculture Department employee from a job position because of remarks made
by the employee outside of work in opposition to departmental policies
regarding homosexuals."  The amendment was offered in response to the
reassignment of one Agriculture EEO officer after he repeatedly made anti-gay
statements in the media. The actual effect of this amendment would be to
prevent Agriculture Department personnel managers from controlling the
enforcement of the Department's pro-tolerance and non-discrimination
policies.  NGLTF OPPOSED THE AMENDMENT.  Adopted 59-41.  Senate vote 214

 July 25, 1994
Helms proposed an amendment to Interior appropriations to further censor art
financed by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).  The Helms amendment
would prohibit NEA funding for "any activity or work that involves human
mutilation, invasive bodily procedures on human beings dead or alive, or the
drawing or letting of blood."  Sen. Dodd (D-CT) motioned to table (kill) the
amendment.  Although the amendment was not accepted, Helms was able to use
the Senate floor to encourage censorship and threaten the NEA.  NGLTF OPPOSED
THE AMENDMENT AND SUPPORTED THE MOTION.  Motion to table agreed 49-42
  Senate vote 230

 August 1, 1994
[See the enclosed "Helms Attacks Gay and Lesbian Youth" update for more
details]. Helms and Sen. Bob Smith (R- NH) proposed an amendment to
Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization (ESEA) that would prevent
federal funding for schools that "implement or carry out a program or
activity that has either the purpose or effect of encouraging or supporting
homosexuality as a positive lifestyle."  This amendment would cut off funding
for schools that  teach tolerance of homosexuality or provide gay-sensitive
counseling.  NGLTF OPPOSED THE AMENDMENT.  Adopted 63-36.  Senate vote 244

  August 1, 1994
Helms used a procedural maneuver immediately after his anti-gay ESEA vote, to
delay floor proceedings and limit press coverage of an amendment by Senator
Kennedy (D-MA). That conflicting measure would provide grounds for striking
the Smith/Helms amendment.  The Kennedy amendment later passed 99-0, but
press coverage focused primarily on the Smith/Helms vote.

  August 2, 1994
Helms threatened to propose an amendment to prohibit schools receiving
federal funds from distributing condoms.  As a counterattack, Kennedy offered
an amendment to prohibit federal funds from the ESEA for the distribution of
condoms in school.  (In effect, a meaningless amendment because the ESEA has
never been a funding source for condom distribution.)  NGLTF SUPPORTED THE
AMENDMENT STRATEGY.  Adopted by voice vote.

  August 2, 1994
Kennedy proposed an amendment to combine the Smith/Helms anti-gay amendment
with two other Kennedy amendments.  (See the enclosed "Helms Attacks Gay and
Lesbian Youth" update for full details.)  NGLTF SUPPORTED THIS AMENDMENT.
 Adopted 91-9.  Senate vote 250.

 August 4, 1994
Helms threatened a filibuster if members of the joint Senate/House conference
committee remove the Smith/Helms amendment from the final version of the
ESEA.

 August 4, 1994
Helms prepared to submit seven amendments likely to attack the rights of
veterans, government employees and others.

 Aug. & Sept. 1994
We expect Helms to continue his campaign of political gay bashing through
further amendments this month and next.