Date: Tue, 20 Dec 1994 17:33:32 -0500 (GMT-0500) From: "Thomas W. Holt Jr." Subject: paras answers charges of racism, marxism (fwd) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 20 Dec 1994 15:51:07 -0500 From: David B. O'Donnell To: Multiple recipients of list GLB-NEWS Subject: paras answers charges of racism, marxism [ Send all responses to Gayeditor@AOL.COM only. Any responses to the list or list-owners will be returned to you. ] The following is reprinted with permission from Update, Southern California's oldest Gay and Lesbian weekly. Controversy Swirls Around New NGLTF Executive Director By Roman Jimenez For Update "I am not a racist." The fact that Melinda Paras, the new executive director at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, has to answer these allegations so soon after her appointment, is an example of the turbulence surrounding the troubled organization. In a recent Update interview, Paras answered questions pointing to racism, Marxism, and purported insensitive comments, all arising from her tenure as a long-time San Francisco activist. Formerly a health commissioner in the bay area, Paras made many friends and several, very vocal enemies, all of whom had something to say regarding Paras' new job. Gay and Lesbian Americans (GLA), a Washington DC based group is openly opposed to Paras' appointment, calling her a "Marxist and intent with the overthrow of Capitalism. She is an incompetent manager for the task that lay ahead of the Task Force." Mickey Wheatley, national coordinator of GLA, signed an open letter to the NGLTF calling for the resignation of Paras before she could do "irreparable harm." "I am a competent manager," said Paras. "I have a very calm demeanor that allows me to work with people in a highly effective manner. I am up for this task." Gregory Fisher, spokesman for the NGLTF, in a separate Update interview, tried to clear up some of the confusion regarding Paras' record and why she is being opposed by many in her own home city. "To understand the opposition Melinda faces, one must understand the quagmire that is San Francisco politics." Fisher explained how the political lines were drawn in that city between which mayoral candidate was supported by which PAC (political action committee). "At the time, the Black Caucus of the Harvey Milk Democratic Club supported [existing Mayor] Art Agnos. The rest of the club however, supported [challenger] Frank Jordan. The Black caucus decided to secede from the Milk Club over this single issue, and then formed what is now LGADDA (Lesbian and Gays of African Decent for Democratic Action). Melinda was not in public support of either candidate as she would, eventually, have to work with the candidate who won on domestic partnership benefits. It was simply, guilt by association. Because Melinda would later work with and within the Jordan administration, Gwen Craig (former chair of LGADDA) deemed Melinda racist and insensitive to the needs of African Americans." Craig is outspoken in her criticism of Paras. She says, "She [Paras] hides behind 'I'm a Lesbian of color' to defend against her critics., though she's a racist." "That allegation is completely untrue," said Paras. Paras again pointed to her record. "I have worked closely, throughout my career, with Black student groups, with the Black United Front in Brooklyn, and to be honest, I was disappointed to see the Black Caucus of the Milk Club leave. Other than our mayoral differences, I thought we worked well together. I also think that it is an integral part of the Milk Club and I hope that [one day] the two are adjoined again." Racism is not the only serious charge being brought by Paras' detractors. Accusations of Paras misusing funds have plagued her as well. A highly publicized scandal at the Shanti Project, an AIDS service organization in San Francisco, have raised questions about Paras' competence handling a large public budget both effectively and legally. During her stint as deputy director of Shanti, $450,000 were misappropriated into administrative costs. The money, which came from federal grants, was earmarked for providing housing services to PWAs. Shanti has yet to pay the sum back to the AIDS Office. While Eric Rofes, then executive director at Shanti SF, took the fall for the "error," Ellen Hardtke, former director of residence at Shanti, claims that Paras was also to blame. "She knew exactly what she was doing," said Hardtke. Hardtke was concerned that the issue of the unpaid funds would be "swept under the carpet" when Paras left Shanti shortly after the scandal broke to join the [Mayor] Jordan Administration as a Health Commissioner. Paras' involvement was made moot after she joined the Health Commission, but to avoid any allegations of conflict of interest , Paras abstained from voting on any and all issues regarding funding for Shanti SF. After some preliminary investigation, Shanti's governing board exonerated Paras from any wrongdoing, and no legal action was taken. However, noticeably absent from a list of Paras supporters supplied by NGLTF, is anyone from Shanti. Said Paras, "I did not want to drag them [Shanti] in this. It is my job to protect the groups that help our community and Shanti certainly does. They have problems of their own right now without having to worry about a former employee's new job. When I took this post, I asked that they be protected from any unwanted press." While on the Health Commission, Paras is reputed to have made her most infamous statement. The San Francisco Sentinel says that in response to Mayor Jordan's threats to cut AIDS funding in 1993, Paras responded by saying "AIDS is not my disease." This report enraged activists. Paras called the report "simply sloppy journalism. They (SFS) asked me how I first became involved with health issues. I told them that I suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and that it was through that disease, not AIDS, that I became a patient advocate. I later became familiar with the plight of HIV/AIDS victims and began devoting a large part of my life to getting sufferers the services they need and deserve. How that got turned into a face-to-face, heated exchange with local activists in my office where I told them that AIDS is not my disease, is beyond me. I never ... repeat...never said that." While quick and adamant in denying rumors of racism, bigotry and incompetence, Paras offers no defense toward accusations of once holding Marxist views. Stemming from her involvement with a Marxist/Leninist group, Line of March, based in the Philippines, accusations of political radicalism have been thrown at Paras for years. Many [of her] opponents view Marxism as being too far left in thinking to adequately relate and represent the Gay community in the US. She is also reported as having been an advocate of the overthrow of Capitalism. When asked by Update if it's true that she is a Marxist, Paras is vague. "I will say that Marxism is no longer relevant to me. It is no longer an applicable." When asked if she had ever been a Marxist, Paras answered "yes. However, I left my Marxism in the 80s." In response to the charge that she advocated the overthrow of Capitalism; she responded, "It [Capitalism] is not my favorite system. Although, I do not have a feasible alternative for it. And until I do, I cannot advocate replacing it. " Paras went on to say, "I have often been the victim of words being put in my mouth by the media. It does bother me, but not much. I will continue to do my job and I know that my work will ultimately be judged by my co-workers. I am comfortable with that fate." In the four months that Paras served as interim director at the NGLTF, she has made some impressive gains. According to Chris Collins, co-chair of the NGLTF, "Melinda has reduced the deficit and helped stabilize a rocky organization." Said outgoing NGLTF executive director, Peri Jude Radecic, in an exclusive Update interview, "I do believe that Melinda has a good political mind and that she brings great skills to the table." Said Paras, "I have signed a two year contract with the NGLTF and I believe that we can turn this organization around in that time. We'll need three to six months to get our management team in place, and at that point, we'll see some of our plans implemented." Some of those plans include the full activation of the NGLTF Policy Institute, which, according to Paras, "will become a think tank in which the creative and vibrant analysis of the Gay/Lesbian movement will produce and disseminate reports and organizing materials." She continued, "The Task Force is going public access. We are going to really focus on the local grass-roots efforts of local community leaders as they are the real champions in this struggle for civil rights. Through what is going to be a field office, we are going to be in contact with local leaders to find out what the needs are, and offer our support, be it in court, or on the ballot. We are going to really concentrate on the local community." Paras concluded, "We were prepared for the massive Republican swing this election and are therefore already implementing measures to hold it in check. Our strategy is not focused on the federal level anymore. Certainly we are going to continue keeping a very visible, very proactive, very loud voice in Washington, but increasingly, Washington is getting to be a hostile city to work in, with limited results. We are going to now, more than ever, have a much broader voice in local politics so that we can accomplish change [one] step at a time, rather than not at all."