Press

The National Gay and Lesbian Task urged the Log Cabin Republicans to reconsider its decision to honor civil rights foe Ward Connerly. Log Cabin announced this week that Connerly will be presented with its Spirit of Lincoln Award for his support of same-sex domestic partnership benefits. Connerly is scheduled to receive the award at Log Cabin's national convention next month. In a letter to Log Cabin executive director Rich Tafel, Task Force executive director Kerry Lobel urged Tafel to reconsider the choice of Connerly.

Connerly led California's Proposition 209, which was passed by voters in 1996. Prop 209 effectively dismantled all affirmative action programs in the state. Many civil rights groups charged Connerly's campaign as a campaign of intentional misinformation and deception. Connerly has since spearheaded similar efforts in a number of other states.

"Mr. Connerly's support of domestic partnership for same-sex couples does not mollify me. Domestic partner benefits are of little value to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) people of color who cannot get a job or admission to a university where such benefits are offered," said Lobel. "To applaud those who would grant us rights while they actively strip civil rights away from others is to buttress the divide and conquer strategy of our enemies," she added.

Lobel further stated, "The gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender movement often calls on our allies to support our cause for equality. For reasons of conscience and reciprocity, we have a responsibility to honor the cause for equality of our allies. Affirmative action is an integral part of that cause for equality of people of color and women. Honoring Mr. Connerly's work divides our community by race and sexual orientation. We believe the GLBT movement has a responsibility to support equality for all people."

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The mission of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is to build the political power of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community from the ground up. We do this by training activists, organizing broad-based campaigns to defeat anti-LGBT referenda and advance pro-LGBT legislation, and by building the organizational capacity of our movement. Our Policy Institute, the movement’s premier think tank, provides research and policy analysis to support the struggle for complete equality and to counter right-wing lies. As part of a broader social justice movement, we work to create a nation that respects the diversity of human expression and identity and creates opportunity for all. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., we also have offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis and Cambridge.