News

Log Cabin Applauds Public Shift by Bush on Log Cabin Meeting

Reverses Earlier Stand in S.F. Chronicle Interview, Published Today

March 6, 2000

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Texas Governor George W. Bush today reversed his public stand against meeting with a national gay Republican organization, first taken on NBC's "Meet the Press" in November. In an interveiw published in today's San Francisco Chronicle, Bush "intended to abandon his much-publicized refusal to meet " with Log Cabin Republicans, according to the newspaper. Bush's public stand follows a number of private conversations between the Bush campaign and Log Cabin Republicans' national Board of Directors and local activists.

"We'd been hearing through a number of channels that the Governor had changed his mind concerning a meeting, and now for the first time he has made his opinion public," said Rich Tafel, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans. "There are too many divisions in the Republican Party now. A meeting between the Governor and our national board would mark an important step in healing our party's divisions. Our organization's role is to educate Republican candidates on issues of importance to the gay community, and a meeting would be crucial toward that end. We look forward to it."

Log Cabin Republicans launched a multi-state radio campaign last week critical of Governor Bush for refusing such a meeting. "If a meeting is now a reality, there won't be a need for that ad," Tafel said.

Log Cabin Republicans is the nation's largest gay Republican organization, with state and local chapters nationwide, a full-time national office in Washington, and a federal political action committee.