For those interested, here are some excerpts from what appears to me to
be a well-balanced story on Bill Clinton's lesgay actions / statements /
lack of actions, with good explanations from Arkansas people.

This article appears in the current (March 25) issue of "Update", a lesgay
paper based in San Diego.  The reporter is Renee Gomez, Update Assistant
Editor.  Extensive excerpts (without permission) follow:

"Gay activists have flanked [Clinton] with failings in his own state
concerning their issues while some national Gay and Lesbian organizations
appear to have embraced him.  He is lauded by his health department at
home on AIDS issues but blasted by Arkansas Planned Parenthood on abortion....

" 'Bill has a wonderful, nebulous position,' says Ronnie Ledbetter, president
of the Arkansas Fairness Council.  'We have a horrible sodomy law but he's
stayed neutral on it.  He's only come out for the first time nationally on
Gay and Lesbian issues.  Things really have to get into court before he
takes a stand.'

"Clinton, [Ledbetter] says, 'does have the ability to understand other
constituencies and, yes, he is sensitive and makes the correct appointments.
The power is in appointments.'

"Openly-Gay political activist David Mixner is part of Clinton's appointment
power structure.  Friends since 1968, .... Clinton asked Mixner as a personal
friend to work on his campaign, but the Los Angeles resident said he would not
agree until he knew where Clinton stood on Gay and Lesbian issues.

" 'How do I know that you won't betray us like Pete Wilson?' Mixner said. 'He
picked up the phone and called the 'Los Angeles Times' and said, "If I was the
governor of California, I would have signed AB 101 [the gay rights bill Wilson
vetoed]." The "Times" printed it the next day.'

[Recitation of Clinton's campaign lesgay promises, already adequately covered
here in GAYNET....]

"Dennis Lyons of the ACT UP Presidential Project [says,] '... He has done
nothing for the people living in Arkansas with HIV and AIDS.  Additionally,
he has passed some of the strictest AIDS discrimination bills in the country.'

"Indeed, until last year, only federal monies have been spent combatting AIDS
in Arkansas.  HIV and AIDS legislation signed into law during 1991 include a
criminal penalty for knowingly transmitting HIV, mandatory reporting of HIV+
persons, and some license for nonconcensual testing.

" 'We are a poor state with a lot of needs,' says Renee Carringer in defense
of the AIDS budget.  'The 1989 Legislature approved state funds for AIDS, but
it would have come out of the existing health dept. budget.  We just couldn't
afford that.'  Carringer is the AIDS program director for the Ark. Dept. of
Health.

"Asked about the strict HIV laws, she said that anonymous test sites are still
available and that only public sites report HIV+ persons....

"A report by the Arkansas Gay and Lesbian Task Force said:  '... there were
some 18 bills drafted for the 1991 regular session that were regressive
AIDS legislation that were *not* filed due to the Health Dept. / Governor's
influence.  Also, the Gov. vetoed a bill that would have made HIV testing
mandatory in all arrests for sexual offenses.... It really does appear to
me (Theodore Holder, director) that the Gov. and the Health Dept. did the
best they could with what they have had to work with.'

"This year the Health Dept. will receive state monies ($30,000) that will be
used solely for AIDS counseling and education.	The grant came from the Gov.'s
Emergency Release Fund, which the governor can use at his discretion....

[On abortion:]	"As President, Clinton said he would:

  * Issue an executive order repealing the 'gag rule.'
  * Sign the Freedom of Choice Act.  The measure would codify the
      constitutional right to an abortion in to federal law.
  * Support the repeal of the Hyde Amendment which prohibits federal
      funding for abortion.
  * Oppose federal parental notification requirements.

"Clinton has vetoed Ark. legislation requiring parental consent for women
under the age of 18 seeking an abortion, but he signed a parental notification
bill in 1989.

"In addition, an amendment was added to the state constitution in 1988 banning
public funds for abortions and declaring that life begins at conception.
Though the amendment was passed by the voters, Kerry Lobel of the Women's
Project in Ark. said that 'perhaps if the governor would have spoken up
against the initiative we wouldn't have it today.'

"Nancy Libby of Planned Parenthood in Greater Arkansas says the gov. has never
taken a strong position on women's reproductive rights, but again, Arkansas
itself is a factor.  'If he had been gov. of a more progressive state, his
stand on abortion would have developed,' Libby said.  'But the pro-life
movement here is so well organized and funded.'

"But, Lobel gives no quarter.  'This man has taken no risks, therefore he has
no record,' she says.  'I think he's going to waffle (on campaign promises)
and no one should be surprised.'...."

- - - - - - - - -

End of excerpts from Gomez's article.  As I said before, if it's Bush vs.
Clinton in Nov., as seems likely, I'm definitely voting for Clinton.  His
promises are now widely well-known.  And Pesidential appointments, esp.
judicial appointments, are of major importance to me.

  -- Rodney Hoffman