WOW! They really listen in Washington. (trying hard to type with sarcasm) "DOJ Pride event is back on" -- Welcome To The Crzy House

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Date Posted: 21:50:16 06/10/03 Tue
Author: E.J.
Subject: WOW! They really listen in Washington. (trying hard to type with sarcasm) "DOJ Pride event is back on"
In reply to: Mitchell 's message, "Urge Attorney General John Ashcroft to Reconsider Decision to Ban Gay Pride Celebration" on 22:44:15 06/09/03 Mon

DOJ Pride event is back on
Curt Anderson, Associated Press
Tuesday, June 10, 2003 / 05:45 PM

A group of gay and lesbian Justice Department employees aren't being prevented from holding their annual event at agency headquarters after all. They'll just have to pay for it themselves.

That explanation was given Tuesday by Justice Department officials, who said they never intended to flatly bar the DOJ Pride group from holding its awards ceremony on June 18 in the agency's Great Hall.

Justice spokesman Mark Corallo said the only change in policy was that the DOJ Pride event would no longer officially be sponsored by the agency, meaning the group's members would have to foot any costs themselves.

Under the Bush administration, he added, DOJ Pride had been the only Justice Department employee organization that was given official sponsorship.

"They will not be officially sponsored this year, just like every other group," Corallo said. "They took that to mean they couldn't have the event."

The president of DOJ Pride did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment. Last week, the group said it was told the event couldn't be held because President Bush has not issued a proclamation designating a gay pride month as former President Clinton did.

Reports of the denial sparked outrage among gay and lesbian groups and from Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., who wrote an angry letter to Attorney General John Ashcroft questioning the Justice Department's commitment to fairness.

Ashcroft had promised during his Senate confirmation hearings in 2001 that he would continue to allow DOJ Pride to hold its event.

David Smith, spokesman for Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group in Washington, praised the department for reversing what he called its previous "outright denial" of the event. But he said withdrawal of department sponsorship still represents a step backward.

"Sponsorship sends an important message to the employee group: that their work is valued,'' Smith said."

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Like Dante, I�m under no illusion that these Bushies can be changed. But obviously THEY CAN BE PRESSURED! They are bullies. And, like most bullies, they tend to back down when people refuse to just sit quietly and take their BUSHIT! (NT) -- Dano, 23:00:54 06/10/03 Tue