In no way shape or form does the ADA protect gays and lesbians. The Texas Republican party is attacking the ADA and trying to dismantle it bit by bit, this is one of their tactics. By spreading the rumor that the ADA somehow protects gays and lesbians, they further discredit the ADA and what it is meant to be. Voter who don't even know what the ADA is, and aren't likely to investigate for themselves, hear that it protects gays and lesbians and then they support ANY efforts to dismantle the ADA.
Or, are people so ----- they can't see the forest for the trees? That my friends is exactly the point. Go ahead, support those who want to dismantle the ADA, squeeze the life out of our measly medicare insurance coverage, and put our low-income housing at risk, I'm beyond trying to convince this group.
River
do not know what the Democratic article said..
Perhaps you should do some reading on your own. Someday it will come back to haunt you if you believe everything you hear.
River
On Sep 10, 2004, at 3:30 PM, Dana Miller wrote:
I read this "after" I sent my other reply a few minutes ago I personally
agree with the wording and think it would clear up a lot of red tape and
abuse of the ADA.
I
Dana and ?
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bryant's" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Quad-List submission" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2004 8:58 PM
Subject: Re: [QUAD-L] ADA destruction
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.
http://www.texasgop.org/library/RPTPlatform2004.pdf
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
I will probably start a fight here but--being gay or lesbian is a
"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."
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