NEWS ANALYSIS By Bob Roehr
President George W. Bush delivered his state of the union address on the evening of Jan. 31. The event was, if anything, even more of a yawn than is typical.
The Clinton years were filled with anticipation as to whether the President might mention the 'g' or the 'l' word in the laundry list of interest groups that constitute the Democratic Party, and sometimes he did.
But there has been no such anticipation during the Bush administration as doing so would upset his religious right political base. He threw a restrained rhetorical bone to that audience, and perhaps backhandedly attacked gays, when he said many Americans are 'concerned about unethical conduct by public officials, and discouraged by activist courts that try to redefine marriage.'
However, Bush did not go that next step and reiterate his belief that marriage is between a man and a woman, or his support for a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.
National Stonewall Democrats Executive Director Eric Stern charged, 'It is dishonest for President Bush to ethically couple marriage recognition of American families with the permissive, slop-trough gorging on special interest money that has shamed the Bush administration and his Republican Party.'
Stern was silent on the pockets of Democratic legislators lined with money from many of the same special interests.
The President mentioned HIV twice, in both the international and domestic parts of his address to the nation.
'We show compassion abroad because Americans believe in the God-given dignity and worth of a villager with HIV/AIDS, or an infant with malaria, or a refugee fleeing genocide, or a young girl sold into slavery,' he said. He also linked it to aspects of security and urged Congress not to short-change these efforts.
That prompted gay pundit Andrew Sullivan to comment, 'How can he speak of Africans with HIV having dignity in the eyes of American when none of them is legally even able to enter this country? Does he even know?'
U.S. law prohibits persons with HIV from entering the country, though a waiver may be obtained. One impact of the policy has been that the International AIDS Conference has refused to meet in the U.S. so long as that policy is in place. [ See related story on Gay Games VII organizers' success in obtaining such a waiver for this summer's event. ]
Bush addressed the domestic side of HIV near the end of his speech. 'A hopeful society acts boldly to fight diseases like HIV/AIDS, which can be prevented, and treated, and defeated. More than a million Americans live with HIV, and half of all AIDS cases occur among African Americans.'
'I ask Congress to reform and reauthorize the Ryan White Act, and provide new funding to states, so we end the waiting lists for AIDS medicine in America. We will also lead a nationwide effort, working closely with African-American churches and faith-based groups, to deliver rapid HIV tests to millions, end the stigma of AIDS, and come closer to the day when there are no new infections in America.'
Among the guests of First Lady Laura Bush for the evening was Pernessa Seele, founder and CEO of The Balm in Gilead, a leader in the African American churches' response to HIV and a member of the board of AIDS Action.
The Democrats' response was delivered by newly installed Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine. He first reminded America that he had been a missionary in Honduras and said, 'Our faith and values teach us that there is no higher calling than serving others.'
His message focused on 'competent management' and 'bringing people together to find common sense solutions to our common problems.' There were no specifics on issues important to the GLBT community.
During his two weeks in office Kaine has reiterated his belief that marriage is between a man and a woman, while suggesting that Virginia's proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage should be changed so as not to preclude civil unions.
Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese saw Bush's call for reauthorization of the Ryan White Act as 'a positive sign … however, we continue to be troubled by this administration's policies that leave our nation's health programs underfunded and allow ideology, and not science, to determine HIV/AIDS policy.'
The AIDS Institute Executive Director Gene Copello was likewise 'heartened' by the President's reaffirmation of support for Ryan White. But he noted, 'Congress allowed the current law to lapse on Sept. 30, 2005. The ball is now in Congress' court.'
AIDS Action reiterated its commitment to work with the administration and Congress to reauthorize Ryan White and increase funding for those programs to adequate levels.
Rev. Nancy Wilson, moderator of the Metropolitan Community Churches, said the state of the union cannot be strong so long as issues of poverty, healthcare, civil liberties, and the war in Iraq remain. 'And regrettably, [ Bush ] once again failed to acknowledge the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons in the United States.'
Commenting on Bush's fealty to tax cuts and healthcare coverage, Solmonese said, 'Our [ GLBT ] community is being taxed at a much higher rate than our neighbors and the President and Congress should act on this disparity.'
'The Domestic Partners Health Benefits Equity Act would stop the federal government's taxation of health benefits provided by employers to any beneficiary covered under an employee's benefits plan, including domestic partners.'
The bill was introduced last June by Senators Gordon Smith, R-Oregon; Charles Schumer, D-New York; Jim Jeffords, I-Vermont; and Ron Wyden, D-Oregon. It has not moved forward and some believe that at least the gay portions of it might conflict with the Defense of Marriage Act.
