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| Christian Grantham was a student activist in the late 90s and later was a consultant to domestic policy forums for the Clinton Administration as well as events for HRC and GLAAD. | |||
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latest posts
March 22, 2004
Scott J. Bloch, head of the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), continues to illustrate why the Log Cabin Republicans are withholding their endorsement of President Bush in 2004. In his Senate confirmation hearings last year, Bloch promised to protect all federal employees against discrimination but now refuses to reaffirm that promise.
Last month, Bloch, who previously served on the Task Force for Faith-based and Community Initiatives at the Department of Justice, began deleting references to "sexual orientation" from OSC websites and training manuals. Bloch also deleted references to a recently settled case between a gay IRS employee and the federal government.
Such protections, Bloch now argues, go beyond his legal obligations, and that he intends to only protect people from discrimination, as it is defined in areas cleansed of references to "sexual orientation." When he was asking the American people for confirmation through the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, Bloch conveniently left that position out and lied.
Now that Bloch has the job, his personal desire to disempower the rule of law providing equal protections illustrates how far Republicans are willing to go to make discrimination against gays legal.
Deleting the references from all OSC documents is nothing more than an effort to void Bloch's obligation to provide recourse for discrimination based on sexual orientation to federal employees. By deciding gays don't deserve the equal protections granted them, Bloch is doing a great disservice to his faith, his party, his administration, and his county.
Gay GOP Group Wants Web Site Data Restored
By Stephen Barr
Washington Pos
March 22, 2004
Gays' 'protected-class' status doubted
By Jerry Seper
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
March 22, 2004
FEDERAL GLOBE DECRIES OSC PULLBACK ON FEDERAL EMPLOYEE PROTECTIONS FROM SEXUAL ORIENTATION DISCRIMINATION
FEBRUARY 12, 2004
Special Counsel Under Scrutiny
By Stephen Barr
Washington Post
February 23, 2004
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