American-Rhodesian Association, which lobbied the U.S. government to do more to support Rhodesia. Despite its public claim to be working independently of Rhodesia, the American-Rhodesian Association worked closely with the Information Office of the Rhodesian government, engaging in propaganda that downplayed the racism that black Rhodesians had to endure while playing up the image of the guerrillas of ZIPRA and ZANLA as fanatical Communists who committed all sorts of atrocities. In its propaganda, the American-Rhodesian Association argued there was a special bond between white Americans and white Rhodesians, portraying both as rugged and tough pioneers who conquered harsh landscapes while defeating the indigenous "savages" such as the Indians and the Africans to carve out "civilization". The Information Office also recruited white American veterans of the Vietnam war to enlist in the Rhodesian military, portraying the war for Rhodesia as part of the same fight against Communism that the United States had fought in Vietnam. He enjoyed a long-time friendship with William F. Buckley, Jr. and his family. Liebman viewed Buckley as an inspiring mentor. Despite being born into the Jewish faith, under Buckley's guidance Liebman had converted to Roman Catholicism. At his baptism, Buckley served as Liebman's godfather and Buckley's sister Priscilla served as his godmother. With the Ronald Reagan presidential victory in 1980, Liebman went to Washington, DC. He was Consultant to the Office of Policy and Planning for Action from June through October 1981, consultant to the Office of Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Education from October 1981 to February 1982 and director of the Office of Public Affairs and director of special projects for the National Endowment of the Arts from February 1982 to July 1987. He later served as director of special projects and acting director for the Office of Public Affairs at the National Endowment for the Arts. Coming out In July 1990, Liebman shed a lifetime of closeted living after writing a coming-out letter to William F. Buckley, Jr., who was then editor-in-chief of the National Review. "I am almost 67 years old," he told Buckley. "For more than half my lifetime I have been engaged in, and indeed helped to organize and maintain, the conservative and anti-communist cause...the Conservative Party of New York...the Goldwater and Reagan campaigns...All the time I labored in the conservative vineyard I was gay." Liebman contended to Buckley that his efforts to detoxify American conservatism had not