8 - OITM october 2001 VlE\X/S

Practice limited
to male clientele

 

THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE
William Coil, NCMT

802-658-2390
800-830-5025

 

Omsk CREEK Assocumas
MATRIX HEALTH SYSTEMS

Psychiatric and Psychological
Services for Adults, Children and Families‘

Edward R. Langlois, LICSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Diplomate in Clinical Social Work ‘

86 Lake Street Tel. (802) 865-3450

Burlington, Vermont 05401 . Fax. (802) 860-501 I

Orrisx CREEK ASSOCIATES

MATRix HEALTH SYSTEMS

Psychiatric and Psychological

Services for Adults. Children and Faniilies

Robert L. Keith, Ph.D.
Director of Training
l..it'i’I1.s'e'r/ l’.sj\‘clinIngi.tI - Doctorate
l.i'reii.s'ezl Nlurriiige and Fumil_\' Tlieriipixi

789 Pine Street
Biii'lingtoi1. Vcrninnt 05401

Tel. (802) 95 l-7089
Fax. (802) 95 l -2093

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blackwood@verizon.net Z fax; 302-353-0252

Concentrating in Employment, Special
Education and Civil Rights Law. Also Wills,
LGBT Issues, Estate Planning, Personal

Injury, other litigation and mediation.

Laurie S. Rosenzweig

Attorney at Law
18 South Main Street, P.O. Box 1455,
Rutland, VT 05701
802-786-2251
e-mail: Sabu234@AOL.com

Real Estate, Wills &Trusts, General Practice

 

  

  

   

 

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Good Riddance to a Bad Senator

 

BY GREG D. KUBIAK

Three words never sound-
ed so sweet. “Helms is retir-
ing.” '

But unfortunately, his
legacy of hatefulness lives
on the Senate where he
serves, and among the back-
ward constituencies around
the nation for whom he has
spoken. ’

Even though his term in
the Senate will not end until
January 2003, the departure
of Senator Jesse Helms (R-
North Carolina) reads like a
dark political obituary.
Considering the pox he’s
been to the minority and
Gay communitiesfor the last
twenty years, the end of his
reign of terror can’t come
too soon.

In 1979, he co-sponsored
the so-called “Family
Protection Act” that would
have banned federal funding
to any program that presents
“homosexuality, male or
female, as an acceptable
alternative lifestyle or sug-
gests that it can be an
acceptable lifestyle.”

In his 1984 campaign, in
the most expensive U.S.
Senate election to that time,
he wrote the playbook on
how to use the gay issue
against your opponent. He
accused his Democratic
rival, Governor Jim Hunt, of
being a puppet of special
interests including “militant
homosexuals.” This strate-
gy is being used by
Republicans in a “Virginia,
not Vermont” anti-gay effort
in that state’s gubernatorial
race this year.

Helms used that next six
years to nationalize his big-
otry by leading efforts
against gay rights, persons
with HIV and AIDS, and
funding for the arts. Barely
an issue came by that
“Senator No”, as he became
known, did not find a way to
stigmatize the nation against
Gays. In the next decade, he

turned his energy more per-
sonal, by leading efforts
against Roberta Achtenberg,
the first openly lesbian_fed-
eral official to be confirmed
by the Senate. He was also
instrumental. in President
Clinton’s backing away
from the nomination of
James Hormel as ambassa-
dor to the Fiji Islands in
1994, (though his nomina-
tion to be ambassador to
Luxembourg proceeded a
few years later.)

Helms’ latest victory
came earlier this year when
the Senate narrowly passed
an amendment that would
withhold federal funds for
any public school that
denies access to meeting
space for local Boy Scout
troops. The jury’s still out
on that one.

While the Gay community
has felt the sting of Helms’
harsh rhetoric, his prejudice
against minorities is
renowned. In 1983, he led

the filibuster against the-

Martin Luther King Jr.
national holiday. Years
later, he got into a shouting
match with African-
American Senator Carol
Mosley Braun over the
Congressional charter for
the Daughters of the
Confederate Revolution. In
between, he was public
enemy number one of affir-
mative action programs.
Washington Post colum-
nist David Broder recently
wrote of Helms’ legacy as
well. “What is unique about
Helms - and from my view-
point, unforgivable - is his
willingness to pick at the
scab of the great wound of
American history, the legacy
of slavery and segregation,

and to inflame racial resent- '

ment against African
Americans.”

Others in the national
press have been lax in

describing the real Jesse, as
though he’s already gone.
Perhaps the footage of him
needing to use a walker or

 
  

Sarah Harrington, a Realtor

dedicated to our community!

0 Mountain Pride Media - Board Member ’99, ’t)0
0 Pride Committee - Silent Auction ’98, ’99, 700

5 Rainbow Business Association - President ’98

 

 

Call Sarah if you’re buying or selling your home.

WM

553 Roosevelt Highway, Colchestcr. VT 05446

(802)655-3333 X30

. motorized cart to get around

the Capitol has made softies

of what Helms would
describe as the “liberal
press.”

Without a doubt, his

resume of hatred is a long
read. But what distinguishes
this aging politician is that '
no signs of self—redemption
are on the horizon. Consider
the way George Wallace, an

. avowed segregationist in the

South, sought to bring heal-
ing to the hate-filled scars
on his career. Although
soon before his death,
Wallace recanted the years
of bigotry he sewed as gov-
ernor ofAlabama and a 1972
Presidential contender. It

»was an act that brought some

solace to those whom he
hurt for decades. And
remember what President
Clinton said at the funeral of
Richard Nixon in 1994?
Clinton reminded mourners
that despite Nixon’s resign-
ing in the disgrace of
Watergate, the ex-President
should be judged on the
totality of his life and serv-
ice, which included many
progressive domestic pro-
grams, opening the doors to
communist China, and
efforts to give leaders the
value of his goodve~xpe_r.ience
in geopolitical affairs after

he left office. ' ll

’ Unless he starts soon to
rehabilitate his reputation, j
Helms unlike Wallace and
Nixon, will always be :
remembered as a racist and a .
homophobe. Make no doubt '
about it, the Senate will be
losing a bad man when
Helms casts his last vote. ,
And we /can all just sign,
good riddance.

Greg D. Kubiak, author,
activist, and public policy
analyst writes “In Our
Interest” for several Gay
publications. The Vice
Versa Award winner can be
reached via this publication
or by e-
mail, GKubiak@aol.com.

North Professionals

Exlifllfiaii Inkruiihioy l)vrul1I|ll')p<nIu.l

...____