Jesse Helms expresses "nausea" over gay "perversion"

From the Congressional Record:

BOSH AND NAUSEA: POSTAL SERVICE 'HONORS' HOMOSEXUALS (Senate - June 23, 1989)

Mr. HELMS . Mr. President, some days I decide that things cannot get any worse, but then they do. The U.S. Postal Service took a big step this week to accommodate the perversion. Tomorrow and Sunday, June 24 and 25, several post offices in New York City will issue a special postmark to 'honor' Gay and Lesbian Pride Week.

Obviously, I am appalled at this astounding lack of judgment on the part of the U.S. Postal Service. Mr. President, the post office produces more than 1,500 special postmarks each year celebrating such things as county fairs, local celebrities, anniversaries of special events, and so on. That is all well and good. But, the Postal Service has explicit regulations against the issuing of postmarks which contain political propaganda.

Obviously, the U.S. Postal Service has deliberately ignored its own regulations in order to pander to the whims of the militant homosexual minority, and I resent it.

The Postal Service is 'celebrating' what homosexual groups candidly regard and proclaim as the beginning of their political 'movement.' Twenty years ago police raided a 'gay' bar in New York City known as the Stonewall Inn. The homosexuals in the neighborhood responded by rioting. This is the event the Postal Service is helping to 'celebrate.'

The homosexuals are in a battle against American values. Their ultimate aim is to have the American people accept the proposition that their perverted 'lifestyle' is as worthy of protection as race, creed, and religion.

I do not buy that. I say to them, bosh and nausea, and a pox upon whomever in the Postal Service made this completely misguided decision.

Mr. President, instead of denouncing the homosexual 'lifestyle,' countless politicians, some in this Chamber, fall in line with a repugnant organized political movement--and that is what it is--attempting to persuade the American people that this is a desirable way to conduct their lives.

Recently, San Francisco took the final step toward recognizing homosexual marriages. Homosexuals in San Francisco may now register their relationships publicly. They may obtain hospital visitation rights and health insurance and bereavement leave. In the meantime, thousands more in this country will continue to die from AIDS while the homosexuals proclaim the virtues of their perverse practices.

So, Mr. President, the Postal Service, in the judgment of this Senator, has done a great disservice to its long tradition of public service to the American people.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a letter I wrote on June 19 to Postmaster General Anthony Frank and an article from yesterday's Washington Times be printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:

June 19, 1989.

Hon. Anthony M. Frank,
Postmaster General, U.S. Postal Service, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Postmaster General: I assume that there is no substance to strong protests I have received to the effect that the Postal Service has approved a Stamp Cancellation for June 24-25 promoting 'Gay and Lesbian Pride Week' in connection with the 20th anniversary of the Stonewall Station incident.

But if the reports are indeed accurate, I must myself register a protest. Surely the United States Government is not in the business of dignifying perversion.

Please assure me that this is not going to happen.

Sincerely,
Jesse Helms .