From: WolfePax@aol.com Date: Mon, 5 Aug 1996 13:18:52 -0400 Subject: OUT IN NEW ENGLAND OUTS CONGRESSMAN MARK FOLEY (R FLA) OUT IN NEW ENGLAND 57 Parker Rd. Shrewsbury, MA 01545 OUT IN NEW ENGLAND REPORTS THAT CONSERVATIVE CONGRESSMAN MARK FOLEY (R Florida) IS GAY For Immediate Release Monday, August 05, 1996 Contact: Kurt Wolfe Executive Producer (508)791-4199, E-Mail WolfePax@aol.com Robert Cousins, Producer voice mail: (508)327-6631 Scott Sherman, General Manager voice mail: (508)327-6632 August 3, 1996 MASSACHUSETTS: OUT IN NEW ENGLAND has for some time been engaged in a thorough and an ongoing investigation of numerous Congresspersons and Senators who voted for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). As part of that ongoing investigation, OUT IN NEW ENGLAND is announcing in a SPECIAL REPORT to air this week, that Republican Congressman Mark Foley of Florida is gay. This has been substantiated at great length by three independent sources who have been highly reliable in the past on several issues. Indeed, two of these sources were used to disclose the status of Kolbe/McCreary. Kolbe recently acknowledged the accuracy of the report by coming out. At 12:00 noon EDT, Congressman Foley’s office returned our call. Mr. Foley’s press secretary said that they would neither confirm nor deny that the congressman was gay. He further said that the congressman’s personal life had no bearing on his job. According to the Human Rights Campaign: Mr. Foley’s office does have written policy of non-discrimination in employment with regards to gay men and lesbians. He voted to retain the D.C. Domestic Partnership Act. The domestic partners policy would allow for hospital visitation rights and health benefits for partners of D.C. employees who live in the same residence for at least 6 months. Mr. Foley has not sponsored the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a bill which would prohibit discrimination against gay men and lesbians in the workplace. He voted against the Hobson Amendment to Treasury/Postal Appropriations, and against maintaining the integrity of HIV/AIDS training for federal employees. Mr. Foley further did not vote on the House Appropriations Committee vote to restore $36 million for people living with HIV/AIDS. He voted for the Defense of Marriage Act DOMA. OUT IN NEW ENGLAND recently disclosed, and broke the story that Republican congressmen Jim McCreary, Louisiana, and Jim Kolbe, Arizona were gay. Congressman McCreary was cited by the Human Rights Campaign with an overwhelmingly poor gay rights AIDS/HIV voting record, Kolbe had a somewhat better record, although he recently voted to strip funding for HIV/AIDS education and prevention to Native Americans in order to use those funds to purchase a third telescope for an Arizona University. McCreary and Kolbe both voted for DOMA. OUT IN NEW ENGLAND is continuing this investigation into other Congresspersons, and Senators. OUT IN NEW ENGLAND is the only weekly television news and information program, reporting on, and for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, AIDS/HIV communities of New England.