Bush Appointment Of Gay Man To Head US AIDS Program Dismays Social Conservatives Condoleeza Rice swears in Dybul while his homosexual “partner” and “mother-in-law” look on
By Hilary White
WASHINGTON, October 16, 2006 http://(LifeSiteNews.com) – With the swearing-in of Mark Dybul, an active and “open” homosexual, as the head of the US federal AIDS program, some Christian organizations are wondering how far acceptance of homosexuality has gone in the Bush Administration.
Dybul is the United States’ Global AIDS Coordinator, a position that carries the rank of ambassador. He has the role of leading the implementation of President Bush’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Dybul was sworn in by Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice October 10, while his homosexual “partner”, Jason Claire, held the Bible.
Referring to Claire’s mother, who was also present, as Dybul’s “mother-in-law,” Rice commented, “You have a wonderful family to support you, Mark.” Dybul is the third openly homosexual ambassador to serve in the US.
Christians are asking how appointing a man to be in charge of the US AIDS policy who adheres to the “gay” ideology could achieve anything other than further promotion of acceptance of homosexuality and consequently further spreading of AIDS and other homosexually transmitted diseases.
Peter Sprigg, vice president for policy at the Family Research Council, said, “The deferential treatment that was given not only to him but his partner and his partner's family by the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is very distressing.”
Unease in the traditional support base of the Republican Party is rising in the wake the Mark Foley sexual scandal which broke in late September. Foley resigned after it was revealed that he had sent sexually explicit e-mails and instant messages soliciting sexual favours to congressional pages and former pages.
“Has the social agenda of the GOP been stalled by homosexual members and/or staffers?” Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council wrote in an e-mail to supporters. “Does the party want to represent values voters or Mark Foley and friends?”
Even within the party, it has been suggested, by Newt Gingrich in a broadcast interview, that fear of being labelled “homophobic” discouraged Republican leaders from pursuing earlier indications of Foley's behavior with pages and interns.
Questions remain how the Bush team’s support for the homosexual lifestyle can coincide with their policies opposing homosexual “marriage”. Though Bush has endorsed a federal marriage protection amendment, Peter Sprigg wonders about the party’s support for marriage in the wake of Rice’s obvious very public acceptance of Dybul’s homosexual relationship as a form of “marriage”.
“We have to face the fact that putting a homosexual in charge of AIDS policy is a bit like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse,” said Sprigg.
Sprigg says in light of the Foley scandal, “It's inexplicable that a conservative administration would do such things.”