[Copy of press release: El Paso military places gay bar off limits to personnel Page: 3 of 4
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"This is certainly not the first time in recent history that we have seen this type of
discrimination against gay and lesbian military personel in Texas." stated Laurie Eiserloh
Executive Director of the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas. "The military in San Antonio
also harasses gay and lesbian bars in that area. However, what is different about the El
Paso situation is the use of disease prevention as an excuse for placing gay and lesbian
bars off limits, In San Antonio, the military has stated outright that gay and lesbian bars are
off limits because of homosexual activities."
Over the past several years in San Antonio, the military police have worked dosely with
the local police department and the TABC in an effort to restrict military personnel at gay
and lesbian bars. One common technique was for the police department to block the
parking lot with police cars while the military police carded people inside the bars.
Kay Ford, co-chair of the San Antonio Lesbian/Gay Assembly, and former owner of the
Circle and the Jezebel, added that military police would peel military stickers off of cars
and then report individuals who asked for new stickers.
Currently, several gay and lesbian bars in the San Antonio area are off limits to military
personnel,
Ford also stated that in a city dependent upon the money spent by military personnel, raids
by the military police also have a highly adverse effect upon lesbian and gay businesses.
After Ford challenged the military, they left her bars alone.
"These harassment techniques by the military in El Paso and San Antonio are indicative of
a much wider problem of discrimination against gay and lesbian people in the military,"
Eiserloh stated, "At this point, the presidential campaigns are still fairly open to change.
However, we must keep in mind that Clinton has promised to repeal the military
exemption of gay and lesbian people. Brown is also supportive of this issue. Clearly,
George Bush's stand is against the repeal of the military policy. In a state like Texas where
the military has a large presence, we must not overlook the importance of this issue.
Remember that every vote counts in this upcoming election, I also encourage all Texans
to write to thefr senators and representatives in Washington and state that you support the
repeal of the military's anti gay and lesbian policy,"
Eiserloh also added, "it may seem intimidating to take issue with the US military, but
remember what happened to those affected by Nazism in pre-war Germany. We must
speak-out now before it is too lateI
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Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas. [Copy of press release: El Paso military places gay bar off limits to personnel, text, April 1, 1992; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc915803/m1/3/: accessed July 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.