By Bill Fancher, Fred Jackson and Karen Battles
May 14, 2003

(AgapePress) - Pro-family leaders recently met with Republican National Committee Chairman Mark Racicot to voice concerns that it appears the Bush administration has been courting the homosexual voters. One of those leaders talks about why this might be happening.

Campaign for Working Families director Gary Bauer says there needs to be a purge in the administration.

"There are some political operatives advising the Republican Party that it cannot resist the demands of the gay rights movement without looking 'intolerant.'" Bauer believes that advice is foolishness and says those political operatives ought to be fired.

Bauer says it is especially important for the administration to make a strong pro-family statement right now -- and back it up with action.

Referencing pending court cases Bauer says "in a few months, we are going to have a massive attack in the institution of marriage being between one man and one woman." He stresses that "it is very important for the party of Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan to stand up and defend marriage against this assault."

The assault Bauer refers to is pro-homosexual legislation.

Another Republican Angers Conservatives
Although she is normally a champion of many pro-family issues on Capitol Hill, Florida Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen recently took action that shocked and angered many Christians.

On the National Day of Prayer, the congresswoman invited a minister of a homosexual church to deliver the morning prayer in the House of Representatives.

Culture and Family Institute director Bob Knight says while Ros-Lehtinen "has championed for many good causes, like the life cause... [but] she seems to have a very serious blind spot" on the homosexual issue.

Knight feels the Republican lawmaker is ignoring the negative impact the homosexual agenda imposes on the traditional family and the safety of children.

"She doesn't see the threat to freedom it poses, the threat to children it poses, the threat to homosexuals themselves that it poses. Knight hopes "that somebody [will] enlighten her as to why it is not a good thing for anyone for the homosexual cause to be advanced."

One Senator's Version of Civil Rights
Democratic Senator John Edwards of North Carolina is campaigning in Georgia for support in the states' Democratic [presidential] primary.

According to the Associated Press, Jennifer Palmieri, Edwards' spokeswoman, confirms that he "will be spending a lot of time in Georgia," because it is considered an important primary state.

During a recent visit to Atlanta, the Senator clearly indicated that he believes homosexual rights is a civil rights issue when he addressed a dinner sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign, the largest homosexual and lesbian organization in the nation. The day before, Edwards visited students at Henry W. Grady High School, one of the city's first schools to integrate.

Both the homosexual rights dinner, and high school visit are part of Edwards' campaign to achieve total civil rights and equality for all Americans.

"Supporting civil rights is one of the most important issues to Senator Edwards," Palmieri said. "Growing up during the civil rights movement, he feels a personal responsibility to lead on issues of civil rights and discrimination."

Edwards hopes the early endorsement from former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes will boost his campaign in the southern state.

Alas, a Victory for Traditional Marriage
But not all things are deteriorating. A trial court in the state of Indiana has thrown out a case where three same-sex couples were suing for marriage licenses.

According to a report from Family News in Focus, this was a big win for traditional marriage.

Glen Lavy, Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) staff attorney, says "Indiana law recognizes marriage as being between one man and one woman. Any other combination does not count."

Lavy points out that the court found it irrelevant whether or not same-sex couples could be good parents.

"The legislature does not have to take that into consideration because the legislature is permitted to prefer the natural birth and raising environment."

But the case is certain to be appealed. New Jersey and Massachusetts are also being sued for issuing marriages licenses only to heterosexual couples.

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