In Final Appearance, Simpson Leads Panel on Gay Vote

In his last appearance as the director of the Institute of Politics (IOP), former senator Alan K. Simpson moderated a two-person discussion about the influence of the gay vote in the 2000 elections yesterday.

The crowd of 60 filled the Starr Auditorium at the Kennedy School of Government (KSG). Richard Tafel, the executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans--the nation's largest gay and lesbian Republican organization--and Jeff Trammell, a senior policy advisor to Vice President Al Gore, mused about the importance of the gay population in politics, the history of the gay vote and the future of what has become a mainstream movement.

In the year 2000, Tafel said, Democrats are fighting "aggressively for the gay vote," and the "gay community [is] now a winning issue."

He went on to say that gays have "had an antagonistic relationship with George W. Bush, Jr.," but added that at Super Tuesday, Bush promised to meet more with gay groups.

Trammell echoed Tafel, saying, "I think this is a watershed year. That we're finally being honest about who we are is remarkable."

In the question and answer period that followed, Trammell talked about the key role of political coalitions between gay and other interest groups in fighting for gay rights.

"Nothing is more important than building bridges," he said.

Tafel emphasized that gain that can result from a political loss.

He said that initiatives, even those defeated in state or federal legislatures, can raise support for the gay rights movement. He drew on one example of a Colorado man who donated millions of dollars to the movement after the failure of a gay initiative in his state.

And he focused on the importance of local legislation.

"All change percolates up. [It's] unwise to focus on a federal strategy," Tafel said.

The panelists did not jump immediately into a discussion of current politics--they each opened their comments with a brief history of the gay vote.

Tafel began with 1988, saying, "It was a different world then. [There was] nothing on the radar screen for Republicans."

He gave President Clinton credit for bringing gay rights to the forefront. He said George Bush and Pat Buchanan did not do the same.

However, according to Tafel, Bob Dole's 1996 endorsement of the Log Cabin party marked a successful change for Republicans.

Trammell pinned his comments on statistics. He made reference to the five percent of the population which identified themselves as gay in 1996 and then pointed out that that number went up to 11 percent at the California Democratic Primary of 2000.

Both candidates said the gay vote will be very important come November. Tafel called the gay issue "mainstream" and the gay community a "coalition with the swing vote."

Trammell said the question is no longer how to avoid the gay vote, but rather how to attract it.

"We are going to be seen as a group that is like any other group of Americans," he added.

For most of the discussion and questions, both panelists avoided partisan commentary. However, Trammell labelled George W. Bush's attempt to meet with gays in Austin, Texas insufficient.

Tafel called for the end of what he called "cartooning" or labeling of gays as one group. He said gays are not "monolithic."