June 4, 2001

AIDS policy chief causes Bush grief
___By Kenny Byrd
___Associated Baptist Press
___WASHINGTON (ABP)--As President Bush seeks to walk a fine line on policies to appease both parties in Congress, some members of the Religious Right are attacking him for appointing an openly gay man to lead the White House HIV/AIDS policy office.
___And more criticism is coming from religious leaders who fear Bush is backing away from his pre-election stance against abortion. One group says Bush's budget proposal includes funding for family planning initiatives that amount to abortion.
___Bush announced in April the appointment of Scott Evertz, leader of the Log Cabin Republicans in Wisconsin, to lead the new Office of National AIDS Policy. Evertz is the first openly gay person to be nominated to an office in the executive branch by a Republican president.
___The Bush team initially had planned to scrap the HIV/AIDS policy office. But after a firestorm of criticism, Bush stepped in to not only keep the office first opened by President Clinton, but to expand it.
___"The president picks the best people for the job ... regardless of what their background may or may not be," said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer. "And that's why he has chosen Scott."
___Fleischer said the president respects Evertz, recognizes him as an expert and will welcome him at "this White House."
___News reports have indicated that Bush believes one solution to the AIDS epidemic would be to reduce the stigma of homosexuality in the African-American community.
___Fleischer said it is "important to allow the office to develop and to come up with as many ideas as they can, to fight what has been just a growing international problem that is wreaking terrible, terrible problems in many communities across our country and around the world."
___Religious Right leaders normally supportive of Bush criticized the Evertz appointment, claiming the AIDS pandemic cannot be stopped without addressing homosexual lifestyles.
___"We and other pro-family organizations are concerned about the appointment of Scott Evertz as director of the White House Office of National AIDS policy," said James Dobson, president of Focus on the Family. He said the appointment advances a "fundamental misunderstanding" of the cause of AIDS in the United States.
___"AIDS is primarily spread by promiscuous sexual behavior, and such behavior is rampant among male homosexuals," Dobson said in a statement. "This appointment sends a disturbing message that the problem of AIDS can be resolved without dealing with the promiscuity of many in the homosexual life. As long as that lie is perpetuated, Mr. Evertz cannot be successful in this position as head of the White House AIDS office."
___The Centers for Disease Control, however, report that the fastest-growing population being infected with the HIV virus that causes AIDS is heterosexual women.

Get printer-friendly version of this story


Send this story to a friend

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

---

Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!