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DA Files Suit To Close Baths
District Attorney Lewis Slaton and
Solicitor General James Webb filed a
civil suit against The Locker Room
Health Club and Club Atlanta last
Thursday, February 7.
The suit alleges that the establish
ments are a public nuisance and that
activities that are carried on there in
crease the "risks of Spreading con
tagious and infectious diseases, and in
particular acquired immune deficiency
syndrome"
The statute refering to public
nuisances 41-3-1 states: "Whosoever
shall knowingly erect establish, con
tinue, maintain, use, own, or lease any
building, structure, or place used for
the purpose of lewdness, prostitution,
sodomy, the solicitation of sodomy, or
masturbation for hire shall be guilty of
maintaining a nuisance; and the
building, structure, or place, and the
ground itself in or upon which such
lewdness, prostitution, sodomy, the
solicitation of sodomy, or masturbation
for hire shall be conducted, permitted,
carried on, continued, or shall exist,
and the furniture, fixtures, and other
contents of such building or structure
are also declared to be a nuisance and
may be enjoined or otherwise abated as
provided in this chapter"
Charles Hunter, Assistant Solicitor
General and chief counsel said in a
phone interview Friday February 8, that
their office had received a number of
complaints about the situation and one
in particular from a member of the gay
community. Those coupled with a six-
month vice squad investigation were
the impetus behind the suit.
"What the vice squad saw at those
establishments fit directly into the
nuisance law and the District Attorney
has a duty to abate that nuisance. In ad
dition, the activities that go on there
tend to spread the disease (AIDS) more
than if they did not exist," Hunter said.
"The spread of disease overrides any
civil liberties because a third party
might innocently be involved. Fbr in
stance, a bi-sexual man might have sex
at the baths and then have sex with a
woman and give AIDS to her or with a
man who doesn't go to the baths,"
Hunter said.
In response to the suit, a number of
gay community leaders met on Satur
day, February 9 to discuss what action
they would take.
Robert Devins, attorney for the
Locker Room, explained the suit. "I am
not at all discouraged about this case. It
is an excellent chance for us to present
our point of view" Devins said.
Devins pointed out that he has the
highest respect for Slaton and Webb
because they are only carrying out their
duties, but that he has a great deal of
difficulty with the statute.
"With the wording of the statute, if an
unmarried man and woman check into
a hotel, or solicitation goes on in a bar
like Elan, or you think your next door
neighbor allows his daughter to be lewd
(k
Feb. 14, 1985
' A Publication of The Atlanta Gay Center
TneNews
(continued, page 7)
Vol. 1, No. 6
The Issue Is
LOVE
The choice of Love as the focus for a
Valentine's issue seemed a logical and
easy one; the subject is, in fact, neither
logical nor easy.
The aspects of love that our writers
chose to examine demonstrate just a
few of the myriad forms that this most
talked about and least understood com
ponent of ourselves can take. It seems
the more we write or talk about love the
more questions we have. Love, it would
appear, may defy that law of physics
that says that energy is neither created
nor destroyed.
Jesuit priest and philosopher Teilhard
de Chardin comes close to saying it all,
"Some day after we have mastered the
winds, the waves, the tides and gravity,
we shall harness for God the energies
of love. Then for the second time in the
history of the world, man will have
discovered fire."
The staff of The News wishes you a
happy Valentine's Day and sends you
our love.
Delta Ban On AIDS
Rumors that Delta airlines would no
longer allow persons with AIDS to use
their aircrafts were confirmed last Fri
day, February 8.
In a telephone interview on Friday
February 8, Jim Cox, a consumer affairs
representative with Delta confirmed
that "as of January 31, persons with
AIDS would be added to the 'refusal to
transport' list"
According to Jim Ewing, Director of
Media for Delta, the decision was made
by senior management with the airline.
Delta issued a tariff on the matter,
Ewing said. Tariffs are the means the
airline uses to announce changes in
such areas as ticket prices and
regulations.
Ken South, Executive Director of AID
Atlanta said, "We feel that this action is
a denial of a person's cival liberties and
there is no clinical reason for such a
decision because we know that AIDS is
not passed through casual contact"
and...
Delta retracts ban
As this issue goes to press,
it has been learned that the
tariff banning AIDS patients
has been lifted by Delta. It
would be nice to think that
this is due largely in part
to public outcry aginst the
tariff. Further information
concerning this situation
will appear in future in the
NEWS as it becomes available
Police Raid Baths
On Sunday Feb. 10 at about 5:30pm an undercover police
officer entered The Locker Room to observe. At about 9:30pm
one undercover officers used in the civil case against the
bath tried to enter but was refused because of a false ID.
Moments later he returned with a officer with a gun and they
iwere joined by 9 others to make a total of 12. Of the 15—20
persons at The Locker Room, six were arrested. The whole
scene ended about 11:00pm.
Across town at Club Atlanta, a young man enters the bath.
-He notices a large black man who -is checking the place out.
The young man proceeds to the orgy room and is approached
and engages in reciprocal sex. He then dresses and goes to
his car. There is a commotion with another exiting car and
then a badge is flashed and frisking. When he asks what the
charges are he receives no answer except to be cuffed and
taken to a wall to be frisked again. He is read his rights
and escorted to a van. The van drives over to The Gallus
where he overhears the police say "We’ve got one, you can go
ahead." Later the young man learns that the police return
to Club Atlanta and when are,refused admittance, proceed
to literally break down the door. Four to six more people
are arrested.
The same large black man is seen at both locations•
There seems to be some question about a search warrant at
either location.
What we are left with is ten to twelve people who are
confused and don’t know where to turn for help or what the
hell caused them to be jerked around.
What we are also left with is one more step in our con
tinuing harrassment.
What will be the next step? The bars, the Gay Center,
or maybe your apartment or house? It’s really up to you,
Once again you can sit by and let your rights and civil
liberties vanish or you can call The Atlant Gay Center or
Atlanta Business and Professional Guild or the ACLU and
say "I want to help, what can I do to protect my rights?"
The choice is yours.