From: Kevyn Jacobs Date: Mon, 31 Oct 1994 17:31:59 -0600 (CST) Subject: G&L NEWS TELEGRAPH: GOVERNORS RACE OFFERS NO CLEAR CHOICE From The Lesbian & Gay News-Telegraph October 28 - November 10, 1994 [REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION] ===================================== GOVERNOR'S RACE OFFERS NO CLEAR CHOICE FOR LESBIAN AND GAY KANSANS by Doug Glaze Historically, party identification has provided us with a good indicator of how a candidate will react when faced with anti-Gay proposals from radical conservatives. The Democratic party has been supportive of our community and its needs, while the Republican party has traditionally harbored our most dangerous enemies. However, the bipartisan organizing of radical conservatives in Kansas threatens to challenge our assumptions regarding who our friends are and where we may find them. This presents the Lesbian and Gay community with a dilemma in the voting booth, and nowhere is this dilemma more clear than in the current Kansas Governor's race. Predictions regarding this year's elections for the 1995 Kansas House show a shift towards the Republican Party. Respected political organizations and activists have predicted the Republican majority could go as high as 80 seats. At the same time, radical conservatives have begun to infiltrate the Democratic party in Kansas. Several radical candidates for the House are running as Democrats. Depending on how many of them win, the number of radical conservatives in the House could double or triple. Therefore, even if the Republican majority proves to be less than predicted, radical conservatives could form a controlling bipartisan faction. Because of this, the indications are that the radical right will almost certainly ask the next Governor of Kansas to support and sign anti-Gay legislative proposals. Lesbian and Gay Kansans will need a friend in the Governor's mansion more than ever before. Unfortunately, neither candidate can clearly be relied upon to oppose anti-Gay proposals. Democratic candidate for Governor Jim Slattery's campaign office regularly makes statements that, at first glance, appear supportive of equal rights for Lesbian and Gay Kansans. Jim McClean, press secretary for the Slattery campaign, has stated that Slattery "does not support legalizing discrimination against Lesbians and Gays, and would not support efforts to do so." The candidate himself, however, has yet to make a statement denouncing the radical conservatives' anti-Gay agenda, much less offered a statement of support for our rights. An indication of how a Slattery administration would work with Lesbian and Gay Kansans comes from how he has thus far run his campaign. Slattery has distanced himself from women's groups while seeking support from radical conservative groups in a campaign tactic known as "playing both ends against the middle." Slattery campaign workers speak highly of his "strong personal commitment" to equality for Lesbians and Gay men. Many activists in women's groups, however, have complained of Slattery's willingness to compromise his personal beliefs in an effort to win votes from radical conservatives. Would he be willing to compromise his "strong personal commitment" to our equality once elected Governor? Slattery has served as Congressman for Kansas' 2nd Congressional District since 1982. While representing Kansas in the U.S. House of Representatives, Slattery actively opposed lifting the ban on Lesbians and Gay men in the U.S. armed forces. Congressman Slattery also voted to support the ban on HIV+ persons from entering our country, and voted to remove Washington D.C.'s domestic partnership ordinance. Indeed, the Human Rights Campaign Fund has given him an approval rating of only 14 percent on issues important to us. In the past, Slattery's personal beliefs have offered us little in the way of support when it has come to legislative matters. On the other hand, running against Slattery is Republican Bill Graves. His campaign office regularly makes public statements clearly hostile to Lesbian and Gay Kansans. David Schlosser, a spokesman for the Graves campaign, has stated that Graves "do not believe homosexuals need special rights. He believes the Constitution protects everyone equally." Obviously, his staffers don't know many Gay men or Lesbians. However, it can be misleading to place too much emphasis on campaign staff, who in the heat of a campaign are likely to make statements that often do not accurately represent the candidate's own views. Bill Graves does not offer us a voting record to examine from his past experience as Kansas Secretary of State, but he has shown a desire to distance himself from the more radical elements of his party. Furthermore, Graves has demonstrated a willingness to work with various women's groups in an effort to win their support. Admitting that his past political experience offered him little opportunity to work on women's issues, Graves worked with leaders of women's groups to come up with some remarkably pro-woman, pro-choice positions for his campaign. Would Bill Graves be willing to admit a similar lack of knowledge concerning Lesbian and Gay issues and work on developing positions as Governor that we could live with? Many advocates for women's groups seem to think so, saying they are impressed with his ability to stand by his personal beliefs and his desire to learn. If this is true, the central question for Lesbian and Gay voters in Kansas is whether Bill Graves can out-maneuver the radical wing of his party. Sources in Grave's campaign say he is personally dedicated to staking out a more moderate position for the Republican party in Kansas, but they admit this will be difficult to accomplish. A microcosm of the dilemma we are faced with occurred during a televised debate between the two candidates in September. The candidates were asked whether or not they would support a "Colorado-style" amendment that legalized discrimination against Lbian and Gay Kansans. Both candidates appeared uncomfortable. Jim Slattery refused to address the question in his response, and Bill Graves responded with a trite statement that he does not "support special rights for alternative lifestyles." Unfortunately, what we see here are two candidates ignorant of and uncomfortable with Lesbian and Gay issues. However much the candidates might wish it were otherwise, radical conservatives simply won't allow the issues to go away. Whomever we elect will play a vitally important role in determining whether Kansas falls victim to an ever-increasing tide of anti-Gay proposals from radical fringe groups. ********** Doug Glaze is the Chair of Equality Kansas, a state-wide gathering of citizens, businesses, religious and community groups organized to insure the protection of equal rights under the Constitution for all people regardless of their sexual orientation. Last year Equality Kansas successfully opposed the Cornfield Resolution, an anti-Gay measure proposed for the Kansas House.