Newspaper Page Text
Page 2 THE NEWS Mar. 14,1985
From The E * D * I * T * O * R
At this moment, the Atlanta Gay Center has no money in our general account and
very little in our NEWS account. Our rent of $730 is past due in four days. Our building
has been sold and we must move by April 6. The places we have found that will ac
comodate us are $300-500 more than we pay now.
The Gay Center's budget last year was $15,000. This figure does not include the $18,900
received from Fulton County for the clinic because we
actually have little control over its use.
A very conservative estimate of 100,000 gays and lesbians in Atlanta means you get a
gay center for 15 cents a year. A figure like that is ridiculous and one that should shame
the Atlanta gay/lesbian community.
I'm at a loss as to what we must do to make the community realize how vital your sup
port is to the Center.
Will it take gay groups being refused a meeting space because we could only afford
a one room office or no office at all?
Will it take someone calling-the Helpline after coming out to their parents or needing
a legal referral for a sodomy charge and hearing 'Tm sorry but this number is no longer
in service"?
Will it take losing your job or health insurance because of a positive HTLV lH virus test
because there was no Gay Center newspaper to alert you to confidentiality problems?
Will it take a policeman roughing you up because you're a "faggot" as a result of ceas
ing training at the police academy?
These might seem extreme but the financial situation at the Atlanta Gay Center is
extreme.
I feel very frustrated when I can't afford to mail responses to letters from people just
coming out inquiring about the Atlanta gay/lesbian community and my friends talk
about spending $20-30 in a single night at a local bar.
I also feel frustrated about the biggest monthly private pledge is $40 from my parents
and the ONE business pledge is $80 from the Pharr Library when a group of people
who supposedly control lfjof the country's $2.6 trillion disposable income only con
tribute $20 a year.
We don't want you to ignore other gay/lesbian organizations who need your support.
We, also, appreciate the support we are already getting, but when that support works
out to be 15 cents a person, something is wrong. Something needs to be done about it.
If the Atlanta gay/lesbian community doesn't start supporting the Atlanta Gay Center;
in a very short while tjjere might not be an Atlanta Gay Center.
The choice IS yours,
Jack Carrel
Guest Editorial
The Solicitor and the DA (in the name
of health, public nuisance, and
soliciting for sodomy) are trying to close
the baths. They will probably succeed.
What is sad is that they will get away
with another infringement on our
rights to live our lives the way we want
to. They did the same thing when they
banned our pornography, and their
brothers in injustice (at Bell South) did
it when they banned the words lesbian
and gay from their august publication.
I didn't buy pornography, I've never
been to the baths, and I know
Christopher's Kind's phone number by
heart. But I think if I don't stand up and
do something soon these folks are go
ing to tell me that I can't work on this
paper (a public nuisance?) or ask a
friend to make love with me (solicit for
sodomy?).
I got frightened as I thought about
that and then the lights came on. Being
frightened is their style and that won't
work for me. They are doing what they
are doing because they are frightened
of us; they are scared by our freedom
and creativity. Being scared (and not
very creatitive) they find it easier to at
tack us and eliminate the object of their
fears rather than to look at what causes
them to be so frightened. It takes a
brave and creative person to face his
own fears; the people who would op
press us are neither. Straight men have
hidden their fears behind the masks of
competition and control for years. I
know. I played straight for a long time
and I used their tactics. I won't do that
anymore because it doesn't work for
me.
Like frightened animals, frightened
people react rather than respond. They
lash out ’and try to solve their problems
by exercising power and control over the
groups that frighten them. Compassion
and reason are simply not in their
vocabularies. They can say that AIDS is a
"reasonable" issue, but it is pretty easy to
see through that masquerade. Closing
the baths or bars won't stop people who
engage in unsafe sexual practices from
doing that in other places.
Can we do something about their
fears? I think so.
• We can act not like them, but rather
like who we are; brave men and
women of compassion and reason.
• Be creative. Give a little bit of yourself
to some community effort. If you
have time, volunteer it. If you have
no time, give a little money.. .the
amount that you spend to "go out"
just once will work wonders for The
Gay Center, The ACLU, or some
other organization.. .on your behalf.
We can gather allies. Daniel Hyland's
suggestion in the last issue of THE
NEWS seems really appropriate—Come
out to someone. Let them experience a
gay person as a human being rather than
as the monsters that our detractors por
tray us as. Understanding defuses fear. If
we are KTof the population each of us
would have but to make nine new
straight friends in the next year to have
the entire population of the city with us.
Atlanta had a reputation during the
early civil rights movement as a city too
busy to hate. Could lesbians and gay
men make Atlanta the city too
understanding to be frightened?'
GaryKaupnvm
NOW THAT THE
DUST HAS SETTLED...
On February 12th, "Atlanta Journal"
columnist Dick Williams wrote (in
response to a letter he received and the
TV movie "Consenting Adult") an
editorial that likened homosexuals to
Adolf Hitler, Sirhan Sirhan, and Richard
Speck. Response from the community
was predictably strong. Most visible were
Alexander Wallace's editorial in "Cruise"
and Gene Loring's and Nick Dana's
published letters in the "Journal" on
February 20th and 21st-
Five members of the ACLU (3 gay—2
not) asked for a meeting with Williams,
Durwood McAlister (editorial page
editor) and three other editors. They re
quested an apology and/or retraction.
McAlister told them that the "Journal"
was a free press and that he didn't
monitor everything that his columnist
produced. He did say that the paper had
gotten a large response (pro and con) to
the column and that a response would
be published.
That response was short and said that
Williams had not meant to liken gays to
Hitler, Sirhan and Speck but rather had
meant ot use "extreme examples" to
"convey that parents have a responsibili
ty, not to accept, but to try to correct
behavior in their children which they
believe to be wrong".
The ACLU spoke to Jim Minter (editor)
and David Easterly (publisher) of 'Jour
nal" because the group did not feel the
paper's response was adequate to
counteract the potential for violence and
discrimination that could result from
Williams' editorial. The group got
nothing concrete from this meeting but
Dana feels the 'Journal" will be more
careful in the future.
Williams, in an interview that took
place after the ACLU's meetings, was
cordial and spoke at length about his
feelings on the "homosexual rights
movement;" something he associates
with gays who want "full public approval
for their lifestyle no matter how publical-
ly aberational". He/s not "waging a battle"
with that movement; he would "remove
the present sodomy laws from the
books" and, says "I have an open mind -
I'm not closed to discussion".
Wiliams said he works with a number
of "homosexuals" and remembers work
ing with Truman Capote on his book "In
Cold Blood" by saying, "It was
fascinating. I couldn't get enough of it."
On the other hand, he readily admits
to being highly offended by effeminate or
outrageous men, public displays of affec
tion by same sex couples, and other
homosexually associated
outrageousness. Wiliams says that while
he would never do it in public (it's not
civil) he "reserves the right to verbally
assault flaming faggots in private."
Doesn't he consider his column an
assault? 'Tm an aggressive columnist.
One of my weapons is hyperbole. I'm not
effective sucking my thumb."
Wiliams says that his conservative and
Christian beliefs combined with his belief
that gay people have made the choice to
b. the way they are form his feelings
at mt us. He believes that "life is filled
v ,h all manner of temptation" and
’ moral discipline" is required in such
matters. But, he feels that private sexual
acts between consenting adults are okay;
they are "between you and your god.. .if
there is one". He adds, "My house of
cards will crumble when it is medically
proven"...that being gay is genetic and
not a matter of choice.
GaryKaupmati
NEW AWARDS
ANNOUNCED
BY THE NEWS
THE NEWS has announced its inten
tion to periodically present the
LAVENDER PHOENIX to persons or
groups who (knowingly or unknowing
ly) acknowledge or do good service to
the lesbian and gay community.
"Pheeny's" counterpart THE PURPLE
TURKEY or "Urkey" will be presented to
those who (knowingly or unknowingly)
abuse or oppress us.
The first LAVENDER PHOENIX
award goes to:
WAGA-TV'S AD AGENCY—for their
display ad in the 25 February "Atlanta
Constitution" showing sports reporter
Jeff Hullinger and a curly haired hunk
(reclining on a weight bench) giving each
other looks that not even their mothers
could mistake. The copy for the ad in
cludes the line, "That way, he's got their
number long before the final score is
posted. And so do you." You're right
TV-5, we've got your number.
PURPLE TURKEYS to:
DICK WILLIAMS for his bigoted
editorial about us and to DURWOOD
MCALISTER, JIM MINTER AND
DAVID EASTERLY for not being brave
enough to admit the bigotry.
THE NEWS welcomes your nomina
tions for future awards:
c lM^ws
The News is published by
the Atlanta Gay Center, Inc
. for the people and organiza
tions that make up the Ies 1
bian/gay community. The
Atlanta Gay Center is incor
porated in the state of
Georgia, as a non-profit, tax
exempt, tax deductable cor
poration for the benefit of
the lesbian/gay community.
This newspaper reports the
events ana activities of our
community and encourages
discussion of community
concerns such as personal
liberty and postive les
bian/gay lifestyles.
Unsolicited contributions
are welcomed and en
couraged. Letters, manu
scripts, drawings and pho
tographs should be submit
ted to The News, 848
Peachtree St. NE, 3rd floor,
Atlanta, GA 30308. Unso
licited works will not be
returned.
Opinions expressed by col
umnists, writers, photo
graphers, or by any other ar
tistic expression, are those
of the writers and artists and
do not necessarily represent
the opinion of The News ox
the Atlanta Gay Center and
neither daim responsibility
for them.
Publication of names*
photographs or likeness of
any person, persons, or
ganizations or businesses in
advertising or articles in The
News does not imply, and is
not to be construed as, any
indication of the sexual
orientation of such persons
or organizations.
The News cannot assume
responsibility for claims
made by advertisers. The
News reserves the right to
reject any advertisements or
unsolicited materia] for any
reason.
The News is a biweekly
publication. Subscriptions
are $18 per year or as part of
membership to the Atlanta
Gay Center.
The mailing list of The News
is confidential and will
under no circumstances will
it be sold or made available
to any person or organiza-
The News\s Copyright, 1985,
Atlanta Gay Center; Inc. Per
mission is hereby granted to
all other avowedly gay or
lesbian publications which
affirm freedom for sexual
minorities to publish ex- .
cerpts from this newspaper
provided proper credit is
given to 'The News, Atlanta
Gay Center.” Others must
obtain permission in
writing.
The Staff:
Gary Kaupman, Gene Koland, J.P.
Sligh, Trudy, David O'Shields, Gene
Koland, A1 Cotton, N. Elliot MB