GAY AND LESBIAN ATHEISTS
klem0@ibm.net
February 16, 1998
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Person: Tom Klem
The Religious Right's successful effort in the recent Maine election to deny fairness and equal rights shows that the Religious Right is at least as dangerous as before and that lesbians/gays/bis/transgenders need to wake up to the threat posed by religious extremists.
Several factors have played a role in creating a false sense of security in the gay/lesbian/bi/transgender community. The softening of the tone of much of the Religious Right's rhetoric has given many the false impression that the Religious Right's intentions have become less hostile than before. "The Religious Right has learned to sugar-coat its hatred because it plays well in the media and is more effective in achieving its objectives," noted Tom Klem, Chair of Gay and Lesbian Atheists and Humanists (GALAH).
The broadening agenda of the Religious Right also has led many in the media to portray groups such as the Christian Coalition as being less interested in fighting against freedom and equality for queers. However, the expanded reach is as much a result of the increasing political clout of religious fundamentalists as anything else. The last minute effort by the Christian Coalition and other Religious Right groups from outside the state played a decisive role in the repeal effort.
Further complacency may be resulting from the difficulties, financial and otherwise, facing the Christian Coalition in the wake of the departure of Ralph Reed. Other fundamentalist organizations, especially the "Family Research Council," have more than picked up the slack.
"The ability of homophobic fundamentalists to pass an initiative where roughly 2/3 of the eligible voters disagreed with them shows the grassroots power of the Religious Right," Klem said.
"With lax IRS enforcement of tax laws severely limiting efforts by churches to influence legislation and the outcome of elections, many ministers have become de facto political bosses," Klem also noted. "The Maine results demonstrate how important the issue of separation of church and state is to our community and how we need to pay more attention to violations of tax-exempt statuses by churches." It is ironic that tax-exempt political lobbies, whose biblical tasks include world conquest, are accusing other groups of wanting special rights, or of having political agendas.
Gay and Lesbian Atheists and Humanists hopes that this tragic election result serves as a
wake-up call to all those whose rights and lives are threatened by the agenda of the
Religious Right. With the success of Ellen and high-profile media events at the White
House, it is far to easy to become lulled into a sense of complacency and forget how
things are out in the real world.
Go back to the main page.