Subject: D'Emilio Statement on DOMA
From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 14 May 1996 09:30:29 -0400

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PRESS RELEASE
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
2320 17th St. NW; Washington, DC 20009
Contact: Tracey Conaty (202) 332-6483  ext. 3303 [email-masked] 
or Kerry Lobel (202) 332-6483  ext. 3307or [email-masked]
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Statement of Dr. John D'Emilio on the "Defense of Marriage" Act

Dr. D'Emilio is the Director of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force  Policy
Institute 

 Bashing gays, lesbians, and their families has become a key method through
which the religious right-wing builds its strength.  Concerned Women of
America launched a major fundraising campaign in response to the National
Education Association's endorsement of gay, lesbian, and bisexual History
Month.  Lou Sheldon of the Tradition Values Coalition won a commitment from
House Speaker Newt Gingrich that resulted in Congressional hearings on
parenting, values and the schools, and then milked those hearings for
publicity.  The Defense of Marriage Act, which Sheldon helped draft, is no
different.

 So while having everything to do with strengthening the base and building
the coffers of these extremist groups, the Defense of Marriage Act does
nothing to strengthen the institution of marriage.  Instead it attacks the
integrity of lesbian and gay families.  Throughout the United States,
millions of lesbians and gay men have formed loving, committed relationships.
 They are caring for each other in good times and bad, contributing to the
welfare of their communities, and paying taxes to support government services
at every level.  Yet they are systematically denied the benefits and rights
of marriage.  Lesbians and gay men can be turned away at the hospital when a
partner has had an accident or illness, lack access to  "family" health
coverage and other forms of insurance, are denied the benefits of inheritance
and taxation that surviving heterosexual spouses automatically enjoy, have no
rights to a range of government benefits, and cannot make use of immigration
law provisions to secure entry for partners who are citizens of other
countries.

 Large numbers of lesbians and gay men are also raising children.  Estimates
of the number of lesbian mothers range from about 1 to 5 million; of gay
fathers, from 1 to 3 million; and of children of lesbian and gay parents,
from 6 to 14 million.  Data gathered from exit polling after the 1992
presidential election found that while one-third of heterosexual voters had
children under 18 living with them, one-quarter of lesbian, gay, or bisexual
voters did as well.  In other words, a population not thought to be at all
involved with parenting, is only 25% less likely to be raising children than
heterosexual adults.  The "Defense of Marriage" proponents claim to have the
best interests of children and their families in mind.  Yet,  their
legislative solution will penalize and stigmatize the millions of children
with lesbian and gay parents. 

 The anti-family tentacles of the Right-wing extremists do not stop at gay
families.  They reach in and seek to undermine other "non-traditional"
families as well.  The Right uses a rhetoric of traditional family values to
condemn the immorality of single mothers and to campaign for "welfare reform"
that is punitive.  It attacks government programs such as publicly funded day
care for  working mothers who need it. The Right supports a "parental rights"
movement that would undo gains made to prevent battering of women and child
abuse.  

 NGLTF urges all members of congress to turn back this mean spirited,
misleading, and deceptive effort.  The Halls of Congress should not be used
as an election forum to scapegoat gays and lesbians and divide the American
people.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is a progressive organization that
has supported grassroots organizing and pioneered in national advocacy since
1973.  Since its inception, NGLTF has been at the forefront of virtually
every major initiative for lesbian and gay rights.  In all its efforts, NGLTF
helps to strengthen the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender movement at
the state level while connecting these activities to a national vision for
change.

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