From: hays@ssd.intel.com (Kirk Hays)
Subject: Re: The NRA has an image problem with gays
Organization: Intel Supercomputer Systems Division
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 00:53:18 GMT

In article <1il3orINN480@flash.pax.tpa.com.au>, anon.526@pax.tpa.com.au writes:

|> If the NRA actually cared about showing that it isn't right-wing,
|> which it doesn't, then it would be just as concerned about attracting
|> gays to it as it is about attracting women and minorities.  I've
|> already seen a spate of "I wish I hope I pray there were more women
|> in the NRA" in talk.politics.guns.

Instead of pissing and moaning about it, contact me, non-anonymously, and I'll
show you how to do something about it.

|> Most gays, fanatic pseudo-libertarians excepted, have good reason to be
|> steamed with the NRA, because the NRA supports William Dannemeyer.
|> When a buck goes into Dannemeyer's campaign chest, it isn't earmarked
|> for "pro-gun efforts".  Dannemeyer can use that dollar for anything he
|> wants pertaining to his re-election, including writing anti-gay slurs
|> into the Congressional Record, although that particular act of his was
|> free.  And Dannemeyer isn't the only A-grade NRA Congresscritter who
|> hates gays enough to shackle them with the law.

Politics makes strange bed fellows.  In case you hadn't noticed, anti-gunners in
Congress aren't exactly buddy-buddy with the gay populace, either.

|> So it would be good for the NRA to officially announce that they aren't
|> like the Boy Scouts, for example, where gays just aren't welcome.

Well, since I've never seen any other National organization, like the AMA, ADA,
NEA, ACLU, or even HCI announce that "gays are welcome," I see no reason the NRA
should be held to a higher standard.

|> But I seriously doubt they can get themselves to do it.  I doubt there
|> exists a single sentence of NRA literature that denies discrimination
|> on the basis of sexual orientation.  I could be wrong, of course.
|> If I am I'll gladly eat my words.

The NRA, in their _Member Guide_, states:

"What is the NRA and How Does it Work?

First and foremost, the NRA is you -- its members.  Millions of Americans
representating a diverse contrast of age, sex, race and religion.  You join us
from every state in the union, from every economic background, from every
political affiliation."

This, of course, doesn't disprove that the NRA doesn't discriminate against gays,
but since the NRA doesn't ask if you're gay, nor does the NRA issue positions on
gay issues, nor try to affect legislation WRT gays, I have to conclude the NRA
doesn't care whether you're gay or not.

The NRA fights for everyone's RKBA, and is _inclusive_, not _exclusive_.

The only persons excluded from membership are felons, ex-felons, and persons with
a dishonorable discharge from the armed forces.

The latter catagory, due to the neanderthal thinking of the armed forces, will
include some gays simply because they are gays.  This is not a problem with the
NRA, but with the armed forces, I contend.

|> On the subject of Jeff Cooper:  I don't want to libel anyone by
|> claiming he is an NRA director when he isn't.  I saw in the 
|> American Rifleman that a Jeff Cooper had voted on some internal
|> NRA resolution or other.  Who knows if it was the same guy.

I believe Cooper is a former director, which may explain the confusion.  Remember
that Cooper is in his seventies, and formed most of his adult preconceptions
during WWII.  That doesn't make his prejudices ok, of course.

-- 
Kirk Hays - NRA Life, seventh generation.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to
do nothing."  -- Edmund Burke (1729-1797)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns