Gay Votes Matter HRC's Elizabeth Birch is coming to Houston to galvanize the LGBT community and explain how we play a crucial role in getting Gore elected by Matthew Eastus

"I wish every voter could just spend 15 minutes with Al Gore," said Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). "He'd win them over.... He is a man with a really good heart."

Birch spoke to OutSmart about Gore, George W. Bush, and the HRC during a telephone interview from Los Angeles at the conclusion of the Democratic National Convention. Birch made history in August with her speech to the Democratic convention, as the first leader of a gay civil rights organization to address one of the major political party conventions. Birch will visit Houston on September 27 to encourage the GLBT community to register for and become involved in the November elections, as well as recruit for more supporters to the HRC's sustained giving program, the Federal Club.

The HRC has enthusiastically endorsed Gore; Birch describes him as "beyond comfortable" with gay people and that he greatly "values the gay people around him" in his campaign, in his role as vice president, and in personal friendships. She characterized Gore and his wife, Tipper, as true friends to the gay civil rights movement, noting especially his deep commitment to the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).

Birch explained why, in her view, Gore is such a better choice for GLBT voters than Bush. Perhaps most important, said Birch, is the likelihood that the next president will have the opportunity to appoint three justices to the United States Supreme Court, along with hundreds of lower-court judges.

According to Birch, "nearly every issue we care about will probably end up in the Supreme Court for resolution." She cited court battles over the constitutionality of the antigay Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), domestic partner benefits, disability discrimination, and immigration as just a few examples. The close 5-4 ruling in the recent Boy Scouts of America v. Dale case shows the close division of power on gay issues at the Supreme Court.

High Court watchers speculate that Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Associate Justices John Paul Stevens and Sandra Day O'Connor are the most likely to retire in the next four years. Of those, Rehnquist is solidly conservative, Stevens generally leads the liberal wing of the court, and O'Connor is a key swing vote on many hot button issues, such as abortion. Birch felt the GLBT lobby will have a difficult time "having an impact on public policy decisions without a friend in the White House." As for the possibility that Bush could evolve into a gay-friendly leader, Birch didn't entirely rule out that possibility, but she did wager that the chances of that happening "appear slim."

In her view, Bush's tenure as Texas governor did not give him the depth and breadth of experience to allow him to act as a strong leader if he were elected president-especially since our governor has little power other than that of making appointments to various boards and commissions and filling judicial vacancies. Birch surmises that as a president, Bush might likely "be controlled by former President Bush's contemporaries and advisers," such as GOP Vice Presidential nominee Dick Cheney, and by other Republican congressional leaders who have been none too friendly to the GLBT movement.

"Do you want the country run by Tom DeLay and Dick Armey?" she asked rhetorically. Although Birch conceded that Bush will likely carry his home state, there are still compelling reasons why GLBT Texans should vote and participate in the political process.

"The gay community in Texas is extremely important," she said. "The members of that community serve as opinion leaders, especially on Governor Bush's record there." Gay Texans who have lived under Bush's leadership could act as "media outlets" to educate other GLBT voters around the country about what to expect from Bush.

In addition, gay voters should contribute monetarily, if possible, to help GLBT-friendly candidates around the country. HRC will focus its energy on about 15 key swing races for various offices, including a Dallas congressional race in which GLBT-endorsed Democratic challenger Regina Montoya Coggins hopes to defeat incumbent Republican Pete Sessions, who is generally unfavorable to gay causes. The seat was previously held for many years by Democrats and is considered winnable by many political observers.

HRC will also focus its efforts on defeating four antigay ballot initiatives in Oregon, Nebraska, Nevada, and Maine. HRC will soon dispatch 70 workers to battle those initiatives as well as assist on various campaigns around the nation.

Elizabeth Birch will appear at an HRC Federal Club reception Wednesday, Sept. 27, 7 p.m. If you are interested in attending, call 713/522-7777.

Matthew Eastus is an attorney and Mayor Lee Brown's liaison to the GLBT community, as well as a member of HRC's Dinner committee.