In it's ongoing balancing act, the Bush administration has taken a symbolic move to appease it's Christian right critics who have been caterwauling about Bush "pandering to the homosexual lobby." So now the Department of Justice has decided not to allow its employees to hold gay-pride events on its property.
The Washington Post reports that DOJ Pride, which supports the department's "gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees," had planned an after-hours awards ceremony at the agency's main auditorium honoring two lawyers who have defended gay rights. Last year, Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson spoke briefly at the group's event -- outraging the religious right.
During his 2001 confirmation hearings, Attorney General John Ashcroft told the Senate Judiciary Committee he would allow DOJ Pride to use the agency's facilities on the same basis as its other employee groups. This followed then-nominee Ashcroft's meeting with national Log Cabin Republican leaders, who -- to the chagrin of gay anti-Republicans -- thereafter supported Ashcroft's confirmation.
As the Post puts it, "Conservative groups, including the Family
Research Council and the Concerned Women for America, have
criticized administration efforts to reach out to gay groups," and
that's what this is all about. GOP administrations will only make
real gestures of support for gays and lesbians when more gays and
lesbians support Republicans -- and thus are able as a bloc to
counter the threats of
religious right activists. But alas, more gays and lesbians
will support the GOP only when the party stops kowtowing to its
anti-gay constituency -- an unfortunate paradox.
--Stephen H. Miller