Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

THE NEWS, page 5 Directory AFFIRMATION (UNITED METHODIST) AFRICAN AMERICAN L/G ALLIANCE AID ATLANTA ATLANTA ALTERNATIVE BUYERS CLUB ATLANTA BUSINESS/ PROFESSIONAL GUILD ATLANTA COUPLES TOGETHER ATLANTA FAERIE CIRCLE ATLANTA FEMINIST WOMEN’S CHORUS ATLANTA GAY MEN’S CHORUS ATLANTA LAMBDA CHORALE ATLANTA LESBIAN FEMINIST ALLIANCE ATLANTA GAY CENTER ATLANTA MARCH COMMITTEE ATLANTA VENTURE SPORTS BLACK AND WHITE MEN TOGETHER CHARIS BOOKSTORE CONGREGATION BET HAVERIM COUPLES, INC, DIGNITY ATLANTA EMORY LESBIAN/GAY ORGANIZATION EPISCOPAL INFORMATION LINE FIRST CITY NETWORK (SAVANNAH) 876-5372 794-2968 872-0600 233-0083 872-1922 432-1085 622-4122 355-8894 296-6581 874-1622 378-6769 876-5372 377-8312 242-4899 794-BWMT 524-0304 642-3467 634-3061 874-1694 727-6692 872-0979 (912) 236-CITY BOX 2442 SAVANNAH, GA 31401 4TH TUESDAY 662-4353 FRIENDS ATLANTA 634-2500 GAY HELPLINE, 6-11 PM DAILY £J| 892-0661 GAY/LESBIAN ALLIANCE, GA. TECH. “ 676-1339 GAY/LESBIAN PARENTS COALITION, INT’L • 296-8369 GEORGIA PHYSICIANS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS 876-8587 ®BANf1*AfiK/ALDERSGATE METHODIST 627-6221 G FI EATER ATLANTA POLITICAL AWARENESS 888-0510 GSU GAY STUDENT ALLIANCE 658-3636 INTEGRITY ATLANTA 875-2720 LADIES OF FRIDAY NIGHT SUPPORT GROUP 627-7387 LEGAL, INC.-GAY/LESBIAN DEMOCRATS 875-7500 LESBIAN SUPPORT CONTACT 627-7387 LESBIANS IN FUN ENDEAVORS (LIFE) 493-3966 MACGLO 242-2342 MCC ALL SAINTS 636-3507 MCC FIRST 872-2246 MCC STONE MOUNTAIN 879-18?2 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PWAS 874-7926 PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF LESBIANS/GAYS 934-1042 PLUS — HIV POSITIVE SUPPORT GROUP 876-5372 PRESBYTERIANS FOR L/G CONCERNS 377-5830 SOUTHEASTERN ARTS MEDIA & EDUCATION 584-2104 Sfb-VD CLINIC 876-5372 UNITARIAN—UNIVERSALIST L/G COMMUNITY 634-5134 YOUNG ADULT SUPPORT GROUPS 876-5372 Dignity ATLANTA EVERYONE Meeting: 1st. 2nd. 3rd. and 4th Sundays of Each Month Mass at 6:30 p.m. Programs at 7:30 p.m. WELCOME phone: 874-1694 Hate Crime Alert Miffed Mayor’s message to ACT UP: kiss off! A kiss - in demonstration sponsored by the New York City based AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) on July 18 during the Democratic National Convention unleashed controversy when Atlanta Police called out the riot squad to break it up. The demonstration, following on the heels of the violent confrontation between police and counter - demonstrators at a white supremacist rally on Sunday, was intended to dramatize the oppression under which gay men and lesbians must conduct their lives. About 25 demonstrators walked in a circle, kissing one another in a sort of gay version of musical chairs. Organizers were stunned when their peaceful direct action was broken up with a show of force which they said was an unconstitutional infringement upon their first amendment rights. Walking peacefully in a circular picket, participants kissed one another briefly in passing. Within 10 minutes, nearly 100 officers in riot gear descended on the small group, chanting "Move! Move! Move!" and forcing ACT UP members into and over barricades surrounding the free speech site. Participants attempted to regroup, but were againToree'd'off the sidewalk. Others in the area passed by freely. Mayor Andrew Young, plainly ignorant of the group and its purpose, admitted that officers’ homophobia may have played a role in the apparent suppression of free speech and may unwittingly have betrayed his own feelings on the subject. In an interview with Vivian Shapiro of the Gay Cable Network, Young remarked, "The police are committed to protect people against violence, and they’re trained to do that, and they are trained to — you know, to certain levels of tolerance; but that was a strain on the tolerance not only of the police, but of this community, and I don’t know — I don’t know that it was Simply the fact of kissing, but when you put that in the context of AIDS, and when you put that in the context of all the other things that we’re trying to do in the community, it — well, if the intent was to strain our level of tolerance, it succeeded." Young’s comments came after an apology which he later clarified and for which he further apologized. ACT UP members were unimpressed with Young’s explanations. Said Neil Braum, "(Mayor Young) said that when you have a name like ACT UP, you can expect problems — without even knowing what the acronym represents, he said that. His assessment was completely inaccurate. We came to this city not to be divisive, and he also did not make a clear distinction between a demonstration and what we were doing. What we were doing was an action. It was a kiss-in, and our fundamental right to assemble was not upheld. We were hit by police, and we were not obstructing the sidewalk. We were constantly moving." An attempt to complete the kiss-in on Wednesday was again thwarted by police officers in riot gear. The group finally managed to complete its action on Thursday following Young’s second apology, with Mayoral aide Shirley Franklin accompanying participants to ensure that police respected and protected their civil rights.