Posted on 08/20/2002 7:32:35 PM PDT by Polycarp
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT Rebecca Riggs (202) 488-7000 media.cwfa.org
August 20, 2002
Homosexual Tactics Threaten Political Rights
“Miami Arrests, Massachusetts Debacle Show Homosexual Lobby’s Win-at-Any-Cost Strategy,” Rios Says
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Concerned Women for America President Sandy Rios voiced concern at the recent arrest of a pro-family man who is leading a drive to repeal a local “gay rights” law — and warned about a systematic pattern of dirty political tactics by homosexual activists who “will stop at nothing to win.”
“Even as they claim to be fighting for civil rights, homosexual militants have shown that they are all too willing to trample over the civil rights of others,” Rios said. “Their tactics of harassing and intimidating voters who are simply exercising their citizen’s right to petition undermine Americans’ freedom and the rule of law.
“If homosexual activists succeed in shutting down political debate on this issue, the freedom of Americans to debate any issue is endangered.”
On August 16, at 6:00 a.m., Florida police came to the Miami home of Anthony Verdugo, an activist who is leading a repeal drive against a controversial “gay rights” law. They handcuffed and arrested Verdugo on a single count of falsely certifying a petition — even though he had certified thousands of the roughly 51,000 petitions approved by government officials for a September 10 ballot initiative on the “sexual orientation” law.
Noting that Florida “gay” activists have admitted to falsely signing petitions, Rios questioned the timing of the highly-publicized arrest — 26 days before the election — and said authorities must be vigilant not to apply a double-standard in enforcing election laws.
Rios said the allegations against Verdugo must be viewed in the context of a “well-established pattern of homosexual ‘scorched-earth’ tactics used against pro-family citizens attempting to exercise their right to petition against unpopular pro-homosexual legislation.” For example:
In Massachusetts, homosexual-allied militants took training sessions on how to disturb and harass pro-marriage petitioners. “Gay” activists stalked their opponents and “blocked” people attempting to sign petitions. Ultimately, the FBI was called in to monitor the abuses. Homosexual activists exulted when state politicians ignored the state constitution and refused to vote on the pro-marriage amendment at a constitutional convention.
In Michigan, Florida, Maryland and Massachusetts, homosexual activists have used the identical strategy of claiming that voters were “duped” into signing pro-family petitions, thus rendering them “fraudulent” and “invalid.”
In Maryland, homosexual militants routinely harassed pro-family petitioners fighting to overturn a pro-homosexual law. Ultimately, they used hardball legal tactics to ground the ballot measure, although state election officials had already certified it.
Homosexual activists now make the outrageous claim that there should be no popular ballot votes at all on “gay”-related issues — claiming that people’s “civil rights” should not be put up for a vote.
In Washington state, homosexual activists operating under the name “Bigot Busters” have openly interfered with pro-family petitioners — disrupting signature gatherers and creating a scene when a potential signer approached.
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Concerned Women for America 1015 Fifteenth St. N.W., Suite 1100 Washington, D.C. 20005 Phone: (202) 488-7000 Fax: (202) 488-0806 E-mail: mail@cwfa.org
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