The caucus, representing lesbian, gay, bi, trans, and intersex Greens, issues a sharp critique of U.S. military policies
THE GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
MEDIA RELEASE
For immediate release:
Tuesday, January 7, 2003
Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624,
scottmclarty@yahoo.com
Starlene Rankin, Lavender Green Caucus delegate
to the Coordinating Committee of the Green Party,
916-215-1302, starlene@greens.org
Brandon Lacy Campos, Lavender Green Caucus,
612-729-2238, camposvive@hotmail.com
LAVENDER GREEN CAUCUS RELEASES A STATEMENT
OPPOSING WAR ON IRAQ
The caucus, representing lesbian, gay, bi, trans,
and intersex Greens, issues a sharp critique of
U.S. military policies
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Lavender Green Caucus of
the Green Party of the United States recently
adopted and released a strongly worded position
statement opposing President Bush's planned
invasion of Iraq. The caucus, representing
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and
intersex people in the Green Party, stressed the
special dangers that the war would pose to human
rights in general and the hypocrisy of the
Defense Department's discriminatory 'don't ask,
don't tell' policy.
"In November, the U.S. Army fired nine linguists,
including six trained in Arabic, for being gay --
at a time when translators might be most valuable
in everything from negotiation to intelligence,"
said Brandon Lacy Campos, a Minnesota Green and
caucus member. "But quite often, the military
suspends its discharge of gay personnel during
wartime. In other words, queer soldiers are
prohibited from peacetime careers, but may serve
as cannon fodder during a war."
According to Coit Blacker and Lawrence J. Korb in
The New York Times on January 13, 1999, "If
homosexuals undermined unit cohesion [as
defenders of the military bias have charged],
then discharges of gay soldiers should increase
in wartime, when cohesion is most important.
Precisely the opposite is true.... During the
Persian Gulf war the Pentagon issued a
'stop-loss' order preventing discharges on the
basis of gay orientation until after the fighting
was over."
http://www.gaymilitary.ucsb.edu/ResearchResources/PressClips/news1_13
_00.htm>
"Make no mistake -- American soldiers, gay and
straight alike, will serve as cannon fodder in
George W. Bush's bid to topple Saddam Hussein and
gain control over Iraqi oil reserves," added Lacy
Campos, who drafted the statement. "The
Administration's policies are not only
hypocritical and stupid (in the case of the fired
Army linguists), but show complete disregard for
human lives and human rights."
The Lavender Green Caucus is the first caucus in
the Green Party to have achieved official status
within the national party. The caucus holds a
voting seat on the party's central Coordinating
Committee, on which all affiliated state Green
Parties are represented. Other caucuses,
representing African Americans, Latinos, and
women in the party, are also forming. Green
caucuses offer policy and platform
recommendations to the national, state, and local
parties and to Green candidates, and help bring
more people and greater diversity into the Green
Party. The Lavender Caucus includes Greens from
at least 28 states and the District of Columbia,
as well as some living abroad.
"The military's current policies are truly
bipartisan," said Starlene Rankin, a caucus
member and California-based Green. "Clinton
approved 'don't ask, don't tell,' which led to a
dramatic rise in antigay witchhunts, and he also
conducted a low-intensity war on Iraq, through
the bombing campaigns and the sanctions that
killed and maimed Iraqi civilians. Bush has
taken all of these destructive policies to the
next level, with the support of many Democrats in
Congress."
United States Green Party Lavender Caucus'
Statement of Opposition to War with Iraq
December 29, 2002
The Lavender Caucus of the United States Green
Party stands united in opposition to military
aggression and war against Iraq and her people,
for the following reasons:
* The people of Iraq have a right to
self-determination guaranteed by historical
precedent and international law.
* President George W. Bush has failed to
demonstrate a clear and present danger to the
United States of America from Iraq.
* Domestic and international opinion is strongly
opposed to military action against the state of
Iraq.
* A pre-emptive attack against Iraq would be in
violation of international law and of United
States historical precedent, and the United
States' self-declared commitment to the
democratic process.
* A war with Iraq will further aggravate the
Middle East laying the grounds for future war and
violence.
* The United States military, with the sanction
of the President of the United States, continues
to deny gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender
individuals the right to serve openly in the
military during times of peace.
* During times of war the United States military
has suspended discharges based on sexual and
gender orientation thereby allowing gay, lesbian,
bisexual, and transgender individuals to die for
the United States.
* Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender United
States citizens continue to be victims of
violence and discrimination within the United
States military.
* Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
individuals continue to fight for basic civil
rights in the United States.
* We can cannot support institutions that
actively participate in the denial of civil
rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgender United States citizens.
* We view ourselves in solidarity with the people
of Iraq and with their right to
self-determination.
* We view ourselves in solidarity with lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and transgender Iraqis struggling
for justice.
As the Lavender Caucus, we call upon the people
of the United States to stand together in a
united front against the war machine of the
Bush-Cheney Administration.
We urge the United Nations, as the sole
international body mandated to protect the legal
and human rights of the several nations of this
world community, to resolve to reaffirm the
integrity, sovereignty, and the right to
self-determination of Iraq and her people.
We call on the United Nations and the world
community to oppose and stand strong against
United States unilateralism.
We call on Congress and the President to focus
resources and attention to the deepening domestic
crisis.
The United States stands at a unique moment in
history, and we call on the United States, as the
world's sole superpower, to stand as a symbol of
peace, justice, and democracy.
** This statement reflects the opinion of the
Lavender Green Caucus of the United States Green
Party and not necessarily the opinion of the
national Green Party.
** For more information, contact:
Starlene Rankin: 916-215-1302,
starlene@greens.org
or
Brandon Lacy: 612-729-2238,
camposvive@hotmail.com
MORE INFORMATION
The Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
National office: 1314 18th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
202-296-7755, 866-41GREEN
Lavender Green Caucus
http://www.lavendergreens.org
Center for the Study of Sexual Minorities in the
Military
http://www.gaymilitary.ucsb.edu/index.htm
Green Party of the United States statement in
opposition to U.S. plans to invade Iraq
http://gpus.org/press/pr_09_24_02.html
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Original: Lavender Green Caucus Releases a Statement Opposing War on Iraq