Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2000 15:30:26 -0500
From: Kevin Ivers <kivers@lcr.org>
Subject: McCAIN ENDORSES KNIGHT INTIATIVE

McCAIN ENDORSES KNIGHT INTITIATIVE

LCR Calls Statement "Misinformed" and "Disappointing"

(WASHINGTON) Senator John McCain (R-AZ) told reporters this morning that he
would vote yes on California Proposition 22, the so-called Knight
Initiative, which is on the California ballot on March 7.

McCain's comments came at a press conference where Mayor Susan Golding (R)
of San Diego and a number of other California Republican activists and
officials were announcing their endorsement of McCain for President.
McCain said he would  "vote yes" on the measure if he was a California
voter, adding that "this is consistent with my position in opposition to
same-sex marriage."

"We have a profound disagreement with Senator McCain on this issue, and it
appears that he is misinformed on Proposition 22," said Rich Tafel,
executive director of Log Cabin Republicans.  "Mayor Golding and a number
of leading Republicans have the same position on same-sex marriage as
Senator McCain, and they oppose Proposition 22.  We wish he would have
taken their lead on this divisive issue."

Proposition 22 seeks to limit the recognition of marriage in California to
only those "between one man and one woman."  California law already has
this definition under existing law.  The measure has been criticized by
leading Republicans, including Congressman Tom Campbell (R-CA), the
front-runner for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate, as being unnecessary
and gratuitous.

"Senator McCain's winning majorities until now have been made up of the
kind of people who would oppose gratuitous gay-bashing," said Rich Tafel.
"Furthermore, he stayed out of the divisive issue of the Confederate flag
in South Carolina.  I think this was a mistake, not reflective of the kind
of majority he wants to build, and we hope he will address it further."

Log Cabin Republicans is the nation's largest gay Republican organizations,
with state and local chapters nationwide, a full-time Washington office and
a federal political action committee.

###

Log Cabin Republicans              	Kevin Ivers
(202) 347-5306 phone                	Director of Public Affairs
(202) 347-5224 fax                  		http://www.lcr.org