The quoted article says: "The Texas
platform inaccurately calls for the immediate removal of persons with
"homosexual practices" from protection under the ADA."
Curious, so I went to the Texas Republican
Platform to see what it does say.
Page 14 of the Platform - "The Party
supports amendment of the Americans with Disabilities Act to exclude from its
definition those persons with infectious diseases, substance addiction, learning
disabilities, behavior disorders, homosexual practices and mental stress,
thereby reducing abuse of the Act."
It seems quite different to say "supports
amendment ... to exclude from its definition ..." than to say "calls for the
immediate removal of ..." I do not know if there have been attempts to use
the ADA for protection based upon homosexual practices. There may have
been. If so, supporting amendment to exclude those from the definition
would be a means of clarifying the intent. If not, it would seem to be an
unnecessary amendment. But the tone of the Democratic article was
certainly different from the tone of the actual words of the Texas GOP platform
and seems to be politics as usual.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dana Miller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "quad" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2004 8:22
PM
Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] ADA
destruction
> "lifestyle", not a disability.
>
> Dana and ?
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "River Wolfe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: "quad" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2004 9:01 AM
> Subject: [QUAD-L] ADA destruction
>
>
> Aug 11, 2004
>
> McAuliffe to Bush: Renounce Texas' anti-gay, anti-disability GOP
> platform
>
> Washington, D.C. - Today Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman
> Terry McAuliffe called on President Bush to renounce language in the
> Texas Republican party platform calling for unnecessary and
> discriminatory changes in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
>
> The Texas platform inaccurately calls for the immediate removal of
> persons with "homosexual practices" from protection under the ADA.
> Since its passage in 1990, the ADA has clearly stated that sexual
> orientation is not a disability, and as such is not covered under the
> law.
>
> "The Texas Republican party is changing facts in a blatantly
> homophobic attack against gay and lesbian Americans," said McAuliffe.
> "Republicans are abusing the ADA, which has guaranteed equal
> opportunity and access for millions of Americans, for their own
> political games.
>
> "This platform does not represent the values of Texans just as it does
> not represent the values of the American people. George W. Bush must
> take a stand and renounce the discriminatory and divisive rhetoric
> coming from his own party in his own state."
>
> Printer-friendly version from Democrats.org
>
>
