Democratic presidential hopeful Al Gore stated his opinion concerning affirmative action at a fund-raiser in California on Thursday. He argued that there continues to be a large economic gap between minorities and whites and asserted his support for a measure presented to Congress that would forbid job discrimination against lesbians and gay men, as well as ban hate crimes.
Gore said the nation should not renounce the “special efforts” of affirmative action just because “we’ve had a generation of success.” He added that significant discontinuities that “capture the accumulated impact of history cascading down throughout the generations” continue to exist.
The 2-day fund-raiser netted over $1 million. Gore’s campaign stops included a gay and lesbian center and an affluent Bel Air neighborhood largely dominated by African-Americans.