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Friday June 1 4:43 PM ET

Bush Won't Issue Gay Proclamation

By SANDRA SOBIERAJ, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush (news - web sites) is opting out of Gay Pride Month.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush will not, as President Clinton (news - web sites) did, issue a proclamation with such a designation for this month.

Nor, as another White House official put into writing this week, will the executive office of the president sponsor an observance.

``The president believes every person should be treated with dignity and respect but he does not believe in politicizing people's sexual orientation. That's a personal matter,'' McClellan said Friday.

In a staff memo circulated by the White House Office of Administration via e-mail, managers within the administration were advised:

``The executive office of the president will not sponsor an observance for Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. The executive office of the president will continue to observe, in some form or manner, the special emphasis programs that are traditionally recognized through the Affirmative Employment Program.''

``Those programs recognize minorities and women that have been traditionally underrepresented in the work force,'' the e-mail continued.

David Smith, spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, the country's largest gay and lesbian advocacy group, said that since Bush became president in January he has signed proclamations designating Black History Month, Women's History Month, and Irish-American Heritage Month.

Bush has ``reached out to other constituencies,'' Smith said. ``His refusal to reach out to our community calls into question his promise to be president of all the people.''

In previous years, Clinton signed proclamations for Gay Pride Month and his administration sponsored speakers' forums for the occasion.

This year, some executive branch offices, including the Interior and Transportation departments, are still planning their own observances regardless of White House endorsement.

-- (shifting@political.winds), June 02, 2001

Answers

I wonder what Mary Cheney thinks of this policy?

-- (happy@gays.web), June 02, 2001.

maybe it,s TIME for the gay's to go back in the closet & pray for =DELIVERANCE!!

-- al-d. (dogs@zianet.com), June 02, 2001.

G ay psychiatrist owes US Air Force $71000.

-- (Gay_shrink@Castro.St), June 02, 2001.

try again

-- (shrink@castro.st), June 02, 2001.