The Green Party of the United States writes:

GAY CAUCUS EXPANDS IN THE GREEN PARTY; OTHER CAUCUSES ORGANIZE

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release: Wednesday, July 31, 2002

Lavender Green Caucus, winning accreditation in the Green Party, challenges
gay support for Democrats

WASHINGTON, DC -- The Lavender Green Caucus, representing gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgendered (GLBT) members of the Green Party, has emerged
as a national force in the Green Party of the United States, after becoming
the first caucus to gain a voting seat on the party's Coordinating
Committee. Other caucuses, representing African-American and Latino Greens,
are also planning to win seats on the Coordinating Committee, the party's
central decision-making body which includes delegates from 39 states.

"The growth of identity caucuses with voting power within the party expands
the power of people often excluded from political decisions, either because
they represent minority constituencies or because of outright bias," said
Badili Jones, an African-American and gay Green activist from Georgia who
was elected to the national party's Steering Committee during the recent
2002 Midterm Convention of the Green Party of the United States in
Philadelphia. "The Democrats and Republicans don't allow such voting
caucuses. Lavender, African-American, and Latino voters have a home with
the Greens."

"We're delighted to be the first official caucus of the Green Party," said
Starlene Rankin of Illinois, the Lavender Green delegate in the party. "We
intend to fully participate and we won't be shy about bringing our issues to
the table."

"Greens demand Instant Runoff Voting and public campaign financing -- the
kind of democratic reforms that won't just benefit third parties like the
Greens, but minority voting constituencies of all kinds, including queers,"
Rankin explained. "Move over, Stonewall Democrats and Log Cabin
Republicans!"

Lavender Greens dispute the reputation of the Democratic Party as the
defender of civil rights, recalling President Clinton's signature on the
antigay Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 and Al Gore's declaration, during
the 2000 presidential debates, that he opposed same-sex marriage rights.

Throughout 2000, Green presidential candidate Ralph Nader reiterated his
support for same-sex marriage, non-discrimination protections, and other
equal rights for GLBT people. At a July 19 press conference at the recent
2002 Midterm Convention of the Green Party of the United States in
Philadelphia, California Green gubernatorial candidate Peter Camejo included
same-sex marriage rights in his list of priorities.

"We dare GLBT voters and organizations to compare the Green platform with
the Democrats and Republicans," said Greg Gerritt, Green candidate for mayor
of Providence, Rhode Island. "Greens say that, just as biological diversity
is essential to the health of the planet, acceptance of human diversity is
necessary for the social and psychological health of society. Diversity and
feminism are key Green values. We demand legalized civil same-sex marriage
rights; safe schools and other equal rights and protections for GLBT
parents, children, and youth; repeal of restrictive immigration laws based
on sexuality and HIV infection; medical marijuana and needle exchange;
universal access to AIDS drugs; women's uncompromised right and access to
abortion; and national health insurance."

Lavender Greens note numerous other Democratic betrayals, including
President Clinton's 1993 'don't ask, don't tell' policy, under which
witchhunts against gay people in the military skyrocketed. Clinton opposed
medical marijuana and needle-exchange programs, and fired Surgeon General
Joycelyn Elders for speaking frankly about safe sex. The Clinton
Administration, goaded by U.S. pharmaceutical lobbies, threatened poor
nations in Africa, Asia, and South America with economic sanctions for
producing low-cost AIDS and other drugs. Clinton and Gore ended some of the
threats after protests from ACT UP and the Global AIDS Project (with Green
participation and a challenge from Ralph Nader).

The Clinton Administration further angered many GLBT supporters by
discarding the Democrats' pledge since 1948 to enact national health
insurance, by blaming unmarried and teenage mothers for the nation's
economic woes, and by Al Gore's call in 2000 for limits on reproductive
freedom -- candidate Gore endorsed outlawing late-term abortion rights (U.S.
Catholic Conference questionnaire, October, 2000).

"After nearly a decade of promise to pass national anti-bias legislation,
Democrats failed to advance it, wasting years in which they controlled both
Congress and the White House," said Vivian Houghton, Green Party of Delaware
candidate for Delaware Attorney General. "Furthermore, the current version
of the Employee Anti-Discrimination Act omits transgendered Americans. Now
we have a President who's openly hostile to all such discussion, while
Democrats have taken every opportunity to support the Bush-Ashcroft assaults
on the basic rights enshrined in the Constitution. GLBT Americans are ready
for a new party, one dedicated to all our rights and liberties."

MORE INFORMATION

The Green Party of the United States
http://www.greenpartyus.org
National office: 1314 18th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
202-296-7755, 866-41GREEN

Lavender Green Caucus http://www.lavendergreens.org

Index of Green Party candidates in 2002
http://www.greens.org/elections

Platform of the Green Party of the United States http://www.gp.org

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Forwarded by the D.C. Statehood Green Party http://www.dcstatehoodgreen.org

Contacts:
Nancy Allen, Media Coordinator, 207-326-4576, nallen@acadia.net
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, scottmclarty@yahoo.com
Starlene Rankin, Lavender Green Caucus delegate, 773-752-2801,
starlene@greens.org