Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 7, No. 31, Ed. 1 Friday, November 30, 1990 Page: 7 of 36
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TTASHINGTON — Despite
X a slow start, the recently-
adjourned 101st Congress
actually finished its 1990
session by approving the widest array of
pro-gay and AIDS-related legislation in
history. There is still, however, much
that needs to be done.
They were a tempestuous two
years, what with the numerous ethics
scandals, the pay raise controversy, the
Savings and Loan scandal, the Catas-
trophic Health Care repeal. But despite
months upon months of what seemed at
the time to be near-endless delays, a
bumper crop of issues were addressed
in legislation.
And in the final analysis, gay men,
lesbians and people with HIV infections
came out among the winners with bills
addressing anti-gay violence; AIDS- and
disability-related discrimination; the
AIDS care crisis; AIDS and homeless-
ness; and immigration by gays and the
HIV-infected all passing Congress before
the final bell.
On Capitol Hill, gay and AIDS lob-
byists had never seen anything like it.
First, there was the passage of the
Hate Crimes Statistics Act, which man-
dated collection of statistics on bias-mo-
tivated crimes, including those inspired
by anti-gay prejudice.
In early 1989, the coalition of gay,
ethnic, racial and religious groups back-
ing the measure rejoiced at its passage
in the House, but remained fearful that
Sen. Jesse Helms (R.-NC), who had ef-
fectively killed the bill in the 100th
Congress, might do it again.
But what a difference a year makes.
After a series of carefully-placed
newspaper ads sponsored by People for
the American Way attacked Helms for
his roadblocks, the conservative stalwart
allowed the bill to come to the Senate
floor. And after fancy maneuvering on
the part of gay lobbyist working with
key Republican Senate leaders, Helms
was defeated, the bill was passed over-
whelmingly and the first federal law ex-
pressly including reference to “Sexual
orientation” was signed by the Presi-
dent.
Gay and lesbian activists were even
invited to the signing ceremony for the
bill, much to the (continuing) consterna-
The good, the bad & the
ugly: the 101st Congress
LAST-MINUTE VOTES FAVORED SEVERAL GAY, AIDS INITIATIVES
News Analysis by CLIFF O'NEILL
tion of anti-gay religious forces.
The came the Americans With Dis-
abilities Act, a landmark measure which,
along with its broad prohibitions against
discrimination against the disabled, was
a long-sought ban on AIDS and HIV
bias.
The victory wasn’t an easy one,
with the multifaceted measure being at-
tacked on all sides for its limitations on
businesses. But victory did come, de-
spite a temporary distraction from a last-
minute amendment allowing discrimina-
tion against food handlers with HIV
(which eventually was defeated).
Finally, the millions of disabled
Americans, including those disabled les-
bian and gay Americans and the nearly
one million Americans with HIV, were
guaranteed equal rights.
And again gays and lesbians wit-
nessed the signing, this time on the
White House lawn.
In any other session, that would be
enough, but with the AIDS crisis contin-
uing to mount and urban and now rural
hospitals bursting at the seams with
AIDS cases, this year those victories
weren’t enough.
To meet the challenge, Congress in
near-record time overwhelmingly ap-
proved the Ryan White Comprehensive
AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act
of 1990, a bill which would channel mil-
lions in federal funds to urban and rural
areas disproportionately affected by the
AIDS epidemic and would provide
funds for early treatment for the needy
infected with HIV.
The victory was soured later in the
year when a key Senate subcommittee
opted to defer implementation of the
bill until next year. Yet when the final
dollars were counted, the CARE act was
appropriated less than originally expect-
ed, but it did get as much as lobbyist
could have hoped for the in face of the
oncoming recession and the endless
budget negotiations.
To add to the list of victories, AIDS
among the homeless was Finally ad-
dressed in legislation when an AIDS
housing measure sponsored by Reps.
James McDermott (D-Wash), Nancy
Pelosi (D-Calif) and Charles Scheumer
(D-NY) survived a major challenge to be
attached to a larger housing bill. Eventu-
ally the comprehensive measure passed
the Congress in the final moments of the
1990 session, handing AIDS activists
their third straight victory in less than a
year’s time.
But probably the biggest and most
unexpected triumph was the last-minute
passage of a comprehensive immigra-
tion reform act which effectively elimi-
nated the federal bans on gay and AIDS
immigration.
Long a key goal of the gay and les-
bian movement, the removal of the 24-
year-old gay ban had been stymied in
the 100th Congress. But in 1990, thanks
to the work of Rep. Barney Frank (D-
Mass>, who had made this one of his
key goals, the amendment sailed
through without a challenge. In a last-
minute development it even managed to
bring with it a provision effectively or-
dering the Secretary of Health and Hu-
man Services to strike the AIDS ban.
“It’s been a great session for gay
and lesbian Americans,” commented
Human Rights Campaign Fund Execu-
tive Director Tim McFeeley on the
Congress’ adjournment. “More hap-
pened in the one final week than hap-
pened in a decade in terms of gay and
lesbian Americans.
Despite the victories, of course,
there were compromises, near-losses
and at least one outright defeat.
In the 101st Congress, the issue of
the federal funding of controversial art,
including homoerotic works, exploded
with a vengeance. But by the time the
final door closed on Congress, gay and
arts activists had removed a one-year
decency pledge from the National En-
dowment for the Arts’ funding proce-
dures and were faced with an approved
bill vastly restructuring the agency with-
out restrictions on the content of art.
And, of course, there was the
painful saga of openly gay Rep. Frank
who, after a year’s investigation, was
reprimanded for actions he took on be-
half of male prostitute Steven Gobie.
Patti LePlae Safe’s
Christmas Ball
and Revue
The Rotunda in the Garden
at Texas Commerce Bank Tower
December 20, 7pm to lam
$5 — Tickets at Crossroads Market
A benefit for the
Oak Lawn Anti-Crime Project,
a Special Intercut Group of the DGA
n
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Vercher, Dennis. Dallas Voice (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 7, No. 31, Ed. 1 Friday, November 30, 1990, newspaper, November 30, 1990; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth615772/m1/7/?q=%22gay+urban+truth+squad%22: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.