Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 19:03:22 -0800 From: Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation Subject: GLAADLines - December 13, 1999 GLAADLINES Contact: Bob Findle, GLAAD (323) 658-6775 ext. 31 findle@glaad.org http://www.glaad.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DECEMBER 13, 1999 News and Breaking Stories about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community 1. DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" TO BE REVIEWED 2. SAN FRANCISCO COULD GET GAY MAYOR 3. SECOND-GENERATION DORNAN RUNS FOR CONGRESS 4. RALPH REED PLAYING ON BUSH TEAM DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL" TO BE REVIEWED: Only a few days after President Clinton announced that the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue" policy is "out of whack," Defense Secretary William Cohen ordered a full review of the policy. Cohen's Dec. 13 order will be carried out by the Pentagon's inspector general and is due back in 90 days. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue" has been under heavier criticism than usual since Army Pfc. Barry L. Winchell was killed July 5, on base at Fort Campbell, Ky., by Pvt. Calvin N. Glover, who was sentenced Dec. 9 to life imprisonment for premeditated murder. Also, many newspapers have run columns and editorials calling for the end of the policy and last Thursday, while campaigning in New York for a U.S. Senate seat, Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke at a news conference against the policy, saying, "Fitness to serve in the military should be based on one's conduct, not one's sexual orientation."The calling for review also comes after the Pentagon refused to be interviewed by 60 Minutes for a Dec. 12 segment on the military's policy, the Winchell murder and the ongoing efforts of gay Arizona State Rep. Steve May to remain in the Army. Kenneth Bacon, a Pentagon spokesman, said the review will include spot checks on bases and installations to determine how the policy is being used. He also said the Pentagon would take "any steps that are warranted" to make sure harassment was not condoned. For more information on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue" and efforts to help gay and lesbian military personal, contact Steve Ralls at Servicemembers Legal Defense Network at 202-328-3244. SAN FRANCISCO COULD GET GAY MAYOR: History could be made Tuesday, Dec. 14, when San Franciscans go to the polls to elect either incumbent Willie Brown or Tom Ammiano, current president of the San Francisco's Board of Supervisors. If Brown wins, he will be the first San Francisco mayor re-elected in 16 years and one of the last major-city African American mayors; if Ammiano wins, he will be the first openly gay man to run a major U.S. city. The race has supplied plenty of color for media attention. In a surprise move, the Republican Party endorsed Democrat Brown, considered previously an "enemy." In a Brown television ad, a gay couple debate "voting for one of our own" and decide they don't have to "=8A if we don't agree with him on the issues." Ammiano says the media has had an anti-gay bias against him, calling him "the queen of City Hall" and a Nov. 28 Sunday Examiner cartoon comparing his voice to that of actress and singer Carol Channing. The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund will be following the election. It can be reached at 202-842-8679. SECOND-GENERATION DORNAN RUNS FOR CONGRESS: Mark Dornan, son of infamous ex-Congressman Bob Dornan, R-Calif., has announced his candidacy for the U.S. Congressional 48th District seat currently held by retiring Republican Ron Packard. Mark Dornan's political experience has been as a press spokesman for his father's failed 1996 presidential campaign and campaign manager for the senior Dornan's failed 1998 congressional run. During Bob Dornan's 18 years in Congress he was known for being prone to emotional outbursts and for making numerous verbal threats against fellow representatives. He was once officially banned from the floor of the House for screaming profanities. During his career, he consistently and vocally worked against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. The younger Dornan is trying to distance himself from his father's legacy, saying he starts his career with a "clean slate." Kevin Ivers, director of public affairs for the national Log Cabin Republican Club, a gay political organization, said of Mark Dornan's entrance into the race, "It is not something we welcome. It is clear that he shares the same views as his father, but it is not clear if he expresses them with the same erratic or over-the-top manner." For more information, contact Ivers at 202-347-5306. RALPH REED PLAYING ON BUSH TEAM: George W. Bush's presidential campaign is employing Ralph Reed as its senior advisor. During his tenure as Christian Coalition executive director, Reed is credited for helping make Pat Robertson's conservative political group a powerful voice within the Republican Party. Many pundits cite conflict between the more middle-ground Reed and the ultra-right Robertson as the reason for his departure in 1997 to start his own political consulting firm. At the Bush campaign, Reed has been keeping a low profile. "He is there," said Kevin Ivers, director of public affairs for the national Log Cabin Republican Club, a gay political organization. "They haven't made a big hoopla about it. =8A Reed's [consulting] career is riddled with failures. In 1998, every single one of his candidates lost. =8A Ralph Reed, for whatever it is worth on paper, doesn't seem to be a very valuable asset." Ivers said it's his understanding that Reed is focusing on the Feb. 19 South Carolina primary, where Robertson is expected to officially endorse Bush. 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