Subject: Fwd: Stonewall Democratic Club Press Statement on Defense of Marriage Act
From: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 24 May 1996 13:43:32 -0400

PRESSRELEASE

Stonewall Democratic Club
7985 Santa Monica Bl. #325
West Hollywood, CA 90046

For Immediate Release

Date:	May 23, 1996
Contact:	Eric C. Bauman
Phone:	818-780-4590
Fax:	818-786-6981

Stonewall Dismayed by White House Marriage Stance
Cheered by President's Anti-Discrimination Statement

Los Angeles, CA Today, President Clinton confirmed that he would sign the
Defense of Marriage Act if it is approved by Congress, but went on to
strongly denounce anti-gay discrimination, and castigated Republicans for
attempting to divert Americans from the real issues facing America. The
President said "I will do everything I can to stop this election from
degenerating into an attempt to pit one group of Americans against another
group of Americans."

The President was asked what he would tell gay Americans who disagree with
him on this issue, he said "Look at my record, there has never been a
President so pilloried for standing up against discrimination toward gay
Americans."

Stonewall Democratic Club President Eric Bauman said "Stonewall members are
obviously not happy with the President's position on the Defense of Marriage
Act, but his opposition to same-gender marriage is not news. While we had
hoped the President would oppose this bill on the basis of it being a state's
rights issue, we are clear as to why it has become an issue. The introduction
of this bill is nothing more than a cynical attempt by Republicans to try and
save the floundering campaign of GOP presidential candidate Bob Dole. Dole is
so far behind in the polls, the only strategy the right-wing extremists
running Dole's campaign could come up with is to make lesbians and gays the
"Willie Hortons" of 1996.

Bauman continued "President Clinton's statement today condemning
discrimination against gay Americans, and his forceful denunciation of
Republican attempts to divide our nation with divisive social issues makes
clear his refusal to allow right-wing extremists to make our community the
whipping-boys of the year."

"Lesbians and gays must resist the urge to turn their backs on President
Clinton, because that is exactly what the Republicans hope we will do. While
our community is once again disappointed with the turn of events, Bill
Clinton's record on gay issues exceeds that of all prior Presidents combined.
We must remember that Clinton is the first American President to endorse
legislation banning discrimination against gays in the workplace, the first
to ban discrimination in executive branch employment, the first to appoint
over 100 openly gay people to the executive branch, including two requiring
Senate confirmation, the first to appoint openly gay Federal Judges, the
first to make a commitment to fully funding Ryan-White and the first to make
fighting AIDS an Administration priority."

Bauman concluded, "While some in our community have already begun a chorus of
criticism, we must stand up and refuse to be sucked into the Republican plan
of divide and conquer. If lesbians and gays choose not to vote or to sit on
their hands during the upcoming campaign, we will be totally marginalized and
will have no one to blame but ourselves. Our community's best hope is to stay
the course while making clear our disappointment, and when we re-elect the
President and retake the Congress from the right-wing idealogues currently in
power this November, we must then demand aggressive action to establish our
basic civil rights in Federal law."

Stonewall Democratic Club is California's oldest and largest lesbian and gay
Democratic club. Its members hail from throughout California and a dozen
other states. Stonewall was the first group in the nation to endorse
President Clinton and Vice President Gore for reelection.

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