Organization: Virginia Department of Health
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia
Date:         Tue, 29 Dec 1992 21:54:55 EST
From:         "Michael A. Kline" <MKLINE@VDH.BITNET>
Subject:      Before the Colorado Vote

                  From Christian American May/June 1992

                       COLORADO FIGHTS GAY RIGHTS
                           by John Wheeler Jr.

    MAKS> Being that this was in the May/June time frame and BEFORE the
vote, I thought it might shed a little light on the discussions that had
been going on. It talks a little bit about those "special rights" that
were "not really special rights". They were trying for special rights,
and it appears there was more going on that met the eye. If interested,
read the article, if not, discard now. There has been a lot of talk on
it and it was getting old, but I was getting ready to pitch these things
and as I said it was months before this whole thing blew up...

    "Tony Morco and his friends are waging a determined war to keep
homosexuals from securing special rights as a protected minority in the
state of Colorado. Morco's fledgling group, Colorado for Family Values,
was formed in May 1991 to head off concerted efforts by state leaders and
homosexual activists to confer special protected minority status on
homosexuals.

    It all started back in November of 1990, when Colorado Gov. Roy Romer
signed an Executive Order giving homosexuals special protection in hiring
and promotion for state jobs. In February 1991, a radical Ethnic
Harassment Bill was introduced in the state legislature which would have
made it a felony to preach that sodomy is a sin. "They wanted to
legislate special protected status for a lifestyle," Morco recalls, "But
their only common trait is shared sexual behavior. They are not an
oppressed minority." (MAKS> Sounds like "special rights" to me. Can't
even preach against the homosexual lifestyle? No free speech? I'd call
that special. What would be the result of Christians trying to get a
a law making it a federal offence to call us "Right Wing Fundamentalists?"
That would be "special rights"....)

    The Ethnic Harassment Bill was defeated in committee but a similar
local ordinance is on the books in Denver. And the national homosexual
newspaper THE ADVOCATE reported that the Colorado Gay and Lesbian Task
Force intended to pass a statewide Hate Crimes/HIV Privacy Protection
Bill. Romer, liberal Rep. Pat Schroeder (D-CO) and Denver Mayor
Wellington Webb were backing the effort.

    Morco knew he had to get organized. CFV was formed in May 1991 for
the purpose of amending the Colorado constitution to say that sexual
behavior is not the basis for special minority status.

    Supporters included prominent personalities like former U.S. Senator
Bill Armstrong and popular University of Colorado football coach Bill
McCartney, who led the Buffalos to a national championship in 1990.
Groups like Christian Coalition, Concerned Women for America, Eagle
Forum, and Traditional Values Coalition got on board.

    "The homosexual lifestyle is no example of we should accept as a
standard for our children, not only because of Biblical admonitions
against homosexuals, but because of health aspects for promoting the
lifestyle most responsible for spreading AIDS in Colorado." explained
Jayne Schindler of Colorado Eagle Forum. On March 20, 1992, Marco
delivered petitions bearing 85,700 signatures to Secretary of State
Natalie Meyer. He only needed 49,279 names to get the initiative on the
ballot for general election in November. A simple majority vote will make
the "No Special Rights" amendment law. "We believe we will win." Marco
said.

    The homosexual opposition was stunned. "We operated on a Stealth
campaign." Marco explained. "We went under their radar. They never knew
we had the strength we had."

    Marco said that many Black and Hispanic leaders have supported CFV's
effort. He noted that John Franklin, the former chairman of the Colorado
Civil Rights Commission has written a letter of support on the grounds
that homosexuals do not have a valid civil rights claim. "The group
cannot be defined and limited." Franklin said.

    "Special 'gay rights' cannot be likened in any fashion to the Black
struggle for civil rights," said Pastor Gill Ford of Salem Baptist Church
in Denver. "For me, this is a blatant insult to those who paid a great
price for basic human rights and equality."

    Homosexuals are one of the most privileged and affluent subgroups in
American society.

    "The homosexuals already have the same civil rights as everybody
else," said Christian Coalition state director David Nelson. "Gay rights
legislation is just opening the door to lawsuits. Prostitutes are a
minority too. What if they demand the right to teach your Bible class?"

    The Gay and Lesbian Task Force is reportedly prepared to spend $1
million to try to defeat the initiative through media disinformation.
"Now we have to educate the public to the fraudulent nature of these
homosexual claims of entitlement to special rights." Marco said.

Maks.
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