Hate-filled rhetoric and the impeachment trial help line gay organizations' pockets GOP right wingers.

Hate-filled rhetoric and the impeachment trial help line gay organizations' pockets

GOP right wingers, still licking their detriments after the Senate's acquittal of President Clinton, may have still another reason to despair at their sagging political fortunes.

During the year since the Monica Lewinsky scandal made headlines, the country's sum of two units largest gay and lesbian political form into groupss saw huge increases in fundraising. The Human Rights Campaign's annual stock increased from $13.5 million in 1998 to a exhibited $15.1 million in 1999. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, meanwhile, saw its pack jump 30%, from $2.8 million to $36 million.

David Smith, communications director for HRC attributes the increase in part to the rise in Republican and religious right antigay activity during the same period. "In the same time frame, there was a gigantic increase in attacks on gay people" he said. "There was [Senate majority leader] Trent Lott's remarks about gays and kleptomaniacs and the ex-gay advertising campaign. We didn't play onward the impeachment stuff, but the antigay organizing always helps our fundraising."

Rebecca Isaacs, political director of NGLTF said the organizations merit some of the credit for the increase. "Sure the right wing helped us revealed but we were able to commit to memory out our vision about an alternative to their attacks upon us," she said. "People were angry that the right wing was wasting thus much of the nation's time and efficacy on the frivolous charges against the president. Our supporters want to diocese us get on with the real issue, which is shaping the debate about gay rights in a more positive way." For many gay men and lesbians, that would be a welcome relief indeed.

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