A quiet thumbs-up.Activists think Bush may be starting something good with the appointment of two openly gay aides As a candidate, George W. Bush waffled over whether he would name gay people to prominent Administration posts. So when President Bush tapped Wisconsin gay activist Scott Evertz Scott Evertz (born in Washington DC) is currently the Vice President for International Affairs, OraSure Techonolgies. Prior to that, he was the first openly gay director of the Office of National AIDS Policy,[1] to serve as director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy The Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) coordinates the continuing domestic efforts to reduce the number of new infections in the United States. In addition, the Office works to coordinate an increasingly integrated approach to the prevention, care and treatment of , he put some fears to rest--and sent a quiet signal of approval to gay Republicans. "The Evertz appointment is an example of what we were confident the White House was going to do all along," said Kevin Ivers, director of public affairs of Log Cabin Republicans The Log Cabin Republicans (LCR) is a federated gay and lesbian political organization in the United States with state chapters and a national office in Washington, D.C. The group consists of gays and lesbians who are supporters of the Republican Party. , a Washington, D.C.--based gay group. "President Bush is going to put the most qualified people in positions and then stand by them, regardless of sexual orientation sexual orientation n. The direction of one's sexual interest toward members of the same, opposite, or both sexes, especially a direction seen to be dictated by physiologic rather than sociologic forces. ." Indeed, four days after Evertz's appointment April 9, The Washington Times reported that Stephen E. Herbits had been hired as a consultant by secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. As an executive with Joseph E. Seagram Joseph Emm Seagram (April 15, 1841 - August 18, 1919) was a Canadian distillery founder, politician, philanthropist, and major owner of thoroughbred racehorses. Born at Fisher's Mills, now part of Cambridge, Ontario, his parents died when he was in his teens and for several and Sons in 1995, the openly gay Herbits helped assemble the traveling exhibit "The Long Road to Freedom: The Advocate History of the Gay and Lesbian Movement." Evertz and Herbits aren't likely to be the last openly gay appointees, Ivers said, adding that their presence could grease the wheels for others. "There are a lot of people in the hopper for a range of positions all the way up to the most advanced," he said. "We expect this administration to continue in the tradition of these appointments from time to time." In addition, gay and lesbian officials who have already earned posts but who are not out may feel more comfortable about identifying themselves now, Ivers said. Of course, not everyone is happy with Bush's latest appointments. In fact, religions conservatives blasted the president. "While the Bush administration may see the Evertz selection as a conciliatory con·cil·i·ate v. con·cil·i·at·ed, con·cil·i·at·ing, con·cil·i·ates v.tr. 1. To overcome the distrust or animosity of; appease. 2. effort towards homosexual activists, it is creating confusion and frustration among millions of pro-family social conservatives," complained James Dobson, president of Focus on the Family, a religious right group. But no one described the far right's point of view as succinctly as Beverly LaHaye, founder and chairman of Concerned Women for America Concerned Women for America is a conservative Christian political action group active in the United States. The group was founded in 1979 by Beverly LaHaye, wife of Christian Coalition co-founder Timothy LaHaye, as a response to activities by the National Organization for Women and . Of Herbits's appointment, LaHaye declared, "Even Bill Clinton wasn't this blatant!" |
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