JANUARY 18 . 2002 • Q-NOTES
Anti-war sentiment grows
NGLTF signs on to statement
opposing US attack on Iraq
by Duncan Osborne
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
joined a coalition of progressive groups that
oppose a US war against Iraq when it recent
ly endorsed a statement from the “Keep
America Safe: Win Without War” coalition.
The Task Force signed on after senior
staff and some board members reviewed
various anti-war credos issued by groups
across the country.
“Ultimately that group made the recommen
dation when ‘Win Without War’ came out,”
said Lorri L. Jean, NCLTF’s executive director.
“While we didn’t find anything perfect, we felt
this was a good, progressive coalition.” The
coalition includes groups such as the NAACP,
the National Organization for Women, the Sierra
Club, and the National Council of Churches.
The Task Force will not shift any financial
or staff resources to anti-war organizing,
according to Jean.
Queer, anti-war activists had pressed
NGLTF to oppose the war during the Creating
Change Conference, an annual event pro
duced by the Task Force, held this past
November 2002 in Portland, OR.
Initially NGLTF refused to take a position and
insisted on further study which angered some
activists who accused the group of avoiding a
controversial stance for fear of losing funding.
NGLTF saw both positive and negative
consequences when it opposed the 1991 Gulf
War. The LGBT community did not see the
Gulf War as a specifically related issue.
Oposing that war cost NGLTF “good will”
and some financial support among some con
servative supporters.
Recent anti-war stance more positive
“It’s been a very small response,” Jean said.
"By and large, I think this is an issue many
people in our community are concerned
about, but I also don’t think it is number one.”
The Task Force has received one negative
email, four positive ones and a commentator
on the Independent Gay Forum, a web site
that features the work of moderate to conser
vative gay writers, chastised the group,
according to Jean.
“We heard from many peopJe who told us
‘We will support the Task Force no matter
what you do,”’ Jean said.
Part of the reason for the muted reaction
may be the timing of the announcement com
ing, as it did, the day after Christmas and right
in the middle of the holidays. The announce
ment was posted on NGLTF’s web site and dis
tributed on its press and member email lists.
At least one activist who lobbied NGLTF to
oppose the war during Creating Change was
unaware that the group had issued the state
ment. He was happy to see it.
“I think it’s great," said Joseph N.
DeFilippis, coordinator of the Queer Economic
Justice Network. “The statement looks fine. It
was shrewd of them to do it as part of a coali
tion so they don’t have to stand up and get
attacked by the conservative elements in our
community.” There has been some criticism
from left-leaning activists who see the “Keep
America Safe” statement as insufficiently
tough — calling it, “anti-war lite.”
Mandy Carter, a long-time black, lesbian
activist, offered a similar critique.
“When I hear the line about patriotism —
this is why we have wars in the first place,” she
said. “We continue to have wars because we
are guarding the flag and the nation states.”
Still, Carter approved of NGLTF’s position see
ing it as part of a spectrum of positions that
groups are taking against any US war with Iraq.
“I’m glad they are doing it," she said. “They
are certainly in some very good company. Of
course, there are varying degrees of how peo
ple are wanting to oppose this particular war.
We need to have that wonderful range of peo
ple speaking out against the war.”
Carter and DeFilippis agreed, the Task
Force position will make it easier to convince
other queer groups to oppose the war.
“Keep America Safe: Win Without War" —
the statement:
“We are patriotic .Americans who share the
belief that Saddam Hussein cannot be allowed to
possess weapons of mass destruction.
We support rigorous UN weapons inspections
to assure traq's effective disarmament. "We believe
that a preemptive military invasion of Iraq will
harm American national Interests.
Unprovoked war will increase human suffering,
arouse animosity toward our country, increase the
likelihood of terrorist attacks, damage the economy,
and undermine our moral standing in the world. It
will make us less, nol more, secure.
"We reject the doctrine — a reversal of long-
held American tradition - that our country, alone,
has the right to launch first-strike attacks.
see SEmmEUJ on 18
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