Some of the News:
Bush Administration Retreats on Diversity

by Victoria Frost

June was Gay Pride Month, and previously had become a time when many federal agencies and their employees sponsored a variety of activities to celebrate diversity in the federal work place. Many of these celebrations had gay pride activities supportive of the greater gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) community.

Some agencies have programs and committees specially devoted to "participate with management in the development of human resource strategies that improve recruitment, promotion, advancement, career development, and retention of women; minorities; individuals with disabilities; gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender individuals; and multi-racial, multi-cultural and other employees." U.S. Geological Survey - Special Emphasis Program Advisory Committee

Such support is dwindling under the Bush Administration, as reported by Brian Faler in the Washington Post; Saturday, June 7, 2003; Page A08; Policies Vary on Gay Pride Month. Among the changes reported by Mr. Faler:

Attorney General John D. Ashcroft told the Senate Judiciary Committee, during his 2001 confirmation hearings, that he would allow DOJ Pride to use the agency's facilities on the same basis as its other employee groups. After confirmation, however, the Justice Department has decided not to allow its employees to hold gay-pride events on its property - the first time, gay activists said, that a federal agency has banned such activities. The department did not return calls requesting comment.

Although the White House has given individual agencies discretion to decide how to respond to the gay activists' requests, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said: "[The president] does not believe we should be politicizing people's sexual orientation."

Nonetheless, Outgoing EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman, issued a statement this month acknowledging the event. "I encourage employees to support Pride Month and to remain committed to an inclusive workplace in which we all enjoy respect and the opportunity to excel," she wrote.

The Department of Transportation has sanctioned a lecture on which federal benefits are available to employees' same-sex partners. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has approved several events, including a workshop on sexual-orientation discrimination.

Conservative groups, including the Family Research Council and the Concerned Women for America, have criticized administration efforts to reach out to gay groups.

Postscript: Subsequently, on June 10, 2003, after a flurry of publicity and criticism, the Department of Justice reluctantly reversed its decision to ban its annual gay pride event. However, the event will not enjoy the sponsorship of the department as it has in the past, and as other diversity events currently do.

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Updated: 05/08/04