NATIONAL GAY & LESBIAN TASK FORCE
PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contact: Robin Kane 
         Peri Jude Radecic
	        (202) 332-6483
         Ron.DeVrou@f70.n109.z1.fidonet.org     

NGLTF CALLS ON PRESIDENT BUSH TO REJECT
EVANGELICALS' "SPECIAL RIGHTS" RHETORIC


Washington, D.C., April 22, 1992....The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Policy Institute today denounced the demands made by evangelical leaders during
a closed meeting held yesterday with President George Bush, where right wing
extremists urged the President to oppose the "homosexual agenda" and "special
rights" for gays.  NGLTF calls on the President to reject their demands and to
meet with gay and lesbian leaders directly to discuss gay political issues.

	According to reports in The Washington Post and The Washington Times, President
Bush requested the meeting between himself and about a dozen evangelical
leaders, including Jerry Falwell, Beverly LaHaye, president of Concerned Women
for America, and Robert Dugan, director of the Washington office of the National
Association of Evangelicals.  NGLTF confirmed with the White House that a
20-minute meeting took place, during which about one third of the discussion
focused on gay issues.

	The evangelicals demanded that the President support "traditional values" and
oppose the "homosexual agenda" which they say includes "special rights."  During
the meeting, evangelicals also denounced a meeting held in February between Bush
Campaign Chairman Robert Mosbacher and representatives of NGLTF.  Dugan told
reporters that the evangelicals especially pressed the President to oppose the
recently-passed D.C. Health Benefits Expansion Act, which would grant certain
benefits to the domestic partners of city employees and also establishes a
city-wide registry for domestic partners. Some unmarried couples would be
defined as domestic partners under the law's language. 

	According to reports, the President stated during the meeting that he supports
the inclusion of gays in the federal Hate Crime Statistics Act, which gathers
data on bias-related crimes.  And the President did not agree to support a House
resolution which may be introduced to repudiate the D.C. Health Benefits
Expansion Act and similar domestic partnership laws. NGLTF encourages President
Bush, as well as members of the House and Senate, to respect the legislative
wishes of the citizens of D.C. and to reject attempts to overturn the law.	

	Sources and newspaper reports differed about President Bush's stand on gay
civil rights laws.  While The Washington Post reported that President Bush said
he opposes special laws to protect the rights of gay people, The Washington
Times quoted one unnamed White House official as stating, "The President said we
have to protect them (homosexuals) against being discriminated against."   NGLTF
calls on the President to clarify his position and make a clear statement
against discrimination by supporting the federal gay and lesbian civil rights
bill which is pending in the House and Senate.

	The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force requests that President Bush meet
directly with gay and lesbian leaders to discuss the issues of "special rights,"
"traditional values," and civil rights for the 24 million Americans who are gay
and lesbian.

	"The gay and lesbian community does not seek `special rights,'" said NGLTF
Public Information Manager Robin Kane.  "The right to get and keep a job based
on merit is not a special right.  The right to have housing is not a special
right.  The right to have and raise children without the state seizing them is
not a special right.  The right to walk down the street and not get attacked
because of who you are and whom you love is not a special right.  These are
rights already granted to heterosexual people."

	"But without civil rights laws in place which specifically ban discrimination
based on sexual orientation, gay people can lose their jobs, homes, and
families, be refused service at public accommodations simply because they are
gay -- with no legal recourse," Kane said.

	"The far right zealots who met with President Bush want the very special right
to discriminate against those they hate," Kane added.

	Those who attended the meeting with President Bush said they did not support
"gay-bashing."  However, their vilification of the gay community fuels anti-gay
violence which rose 31 percent in 1991.  In a report released by NGLTF last
month, agencies in just five cities documented 1,822 anti-gay incidents,
including physical assault, arson, police abuse, and murder.  Following the
closed door meeting with right wing extremists, NGLTF reiterates its request
that President Bush state he will not engage in anti-gay rhetoric during the
general election campaign.


Ron.DeVrou@f70.n109.z1.fidonet.org		

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