Newspaper Page Text
THE NEWS, page 6
News Notes
Protests to confront
GOP New Orleans
convention in
August as well as
Democrats in Atlanta
Although a lot has been heard in
Atlanta about plans to make the influ
ence of lesbian and gay voters felt at the
Democratic National Convention in
July, efforts are also proceeding in New
Orleans to coordinate protest activities
at the Republican National Convention
in August.
A local New Orleans group,
GLITER (Gay and Lesbian Initiative To
Educate Republicans), is planning to
welcome out-of-town activists as well
as mobilizing local residents, arrang
ing housing, and securing legal serv
ices. Visitors needing housing are
urged to contact GLITER as soon as
possible, and to arrive as early as pos
sible during the weekend preceding
the convention in order to take advan
tage of the media presence for the
opening of the convention. To contact
GUTER, call (504) 945-7508.
ACT NOW, the AIDS Coalition to
Network, Organize and Win is urging
AIDS activists to make plans to be in
New Orleans August 15-18 for the GOP
convention. The ACT NOW coalition
includes local ACT UP groups, the
AIDS Action Pledge, MASS ACT OUT,
and Chicago for AIDS Rights.
Direct action activities include "civil
disobedience to disrupt the smooth
anointment of George Bush as the
Republican standard bearer." Roving
squads of AIDS activists plan on con
fronting the, delegates with guerilla
theater as they tour New Orleans.
"The fact that the Republicans are
having a party when the Reagan/Bush
administration is directly responsible
for over 60,000 cases of AIDS, is ob
scene," said John Fall of ACT UP/L.A.
"We will be in New Orleans to make
sure the AIDS epidemic is addressed
by the Bush campaign. Those inter
ested in taking part in the ACT UP
protest in New Orleans should call
(213) 668-2357.
Other protest activities include a
local coalition march on August 14 to
protest administration policies. The
march will begin at the notorious'
"white supremacy monument" which
commemorates the overthrow of the
reconstruction-era state government
by white vigilantes, and will end with a
rally at Louis Armstrong Park.
The Lesbian and Gay Freedom Ride
1988 will be in New Orleans for the
GOP Convention, after having visited
Atlanta for the Democratic Convention
as well as other cities in the south to
promote gay/lesbian visibility in the
region. Freedom Ride participant
Martin Hiraga will display an AIDS
quilt from Bailey House, a New York
AIDS hospice, in Jackson Square dur
ing the Convention. For information
about the Lesbian and Gay Freedom
Rides, call (716) 442-3519.
March On, a continuation of the
March on Sacramento Committee
which coordinated a May gay/lesbian
march on the California state capitol, is
planning to stage giant "Die-ins" dur
ing both the Republican and Demo
cratic Conventions. The protests will
"bring the AIDS epidemic home to the
delegates and America in a moving
and solemn manner. For information
on March On or the Die-In, contact
(213) 281-7158.
NGLTF seeking
director of
development
The National Gay & Lesbian Task
Force, a national civil rights advocacy
organization, is looking for a director
of development who will be primarily
responsible for maintaining a broad-
based development program with
special emphasis on major support and
expansion of major donor programs.
NGLTFhopes to fill the position in time
for the individual selected to begin
work on September 26.
Applicants must demonstrate
working knowledge of all elements of
such a program, must have 3-5 years of
progressively responsible develop
ment-related experience, and demon
strate supervisory skills.
In addition to a salary in the high
20s, the position offers paid medical
and dental benefits as well as a pension
plan and three weeks vacation the first
year.
Applicants should send resumes
and cover letter no later than August 5
to NGLTF, 1517 U Street, N.W., Wash
ington, D. C. 20009, Attn: K.M. Web
ster.
Co-Sponsors Added
to Lesbian/Gay Civil
Rights Bill
The number of U. S. Senators listed
as co-sponsors for the federal lesbian
and gay civil rights bill has increased to
at least ten as Rhode Island Republican
John Chaffee and Maryland Democrat
Barbara Mikulski announced their
support for the measure.
"I believe that equal opportunity
must be guaranteed for all Americans,"
said Chaffee in a statement as he signed
onto the bill as a co-sponsor. 'To dis
criminate against individuals because
of race, sex, age or sexual orientation is
to deny them their civil rights. Based
on this conviction I am proud to give
my strong support to S. 464."
The bill would amend the 1964 Civil
Rights Act to forbid discrimination
based on "affectional or sexual oriental
tion" as the Act now outlaws discrimi
nation based on race, color, religion,
and other categories. The 1964 Civil
Rights Act covers such areas of pos
sible discrimination as employment,
housing, public accommodations and
federally-assisted programs.
A House version of the bill, H.R. 709,
with 73 co-sponsors, was introduced in
January by Rep. Ted Weiss (D-N.Y.).
Chaffee is the second Republican to
declare his support for the bill, joining
Sen. Lowell Weicker of Connecticut.
Mikulski joins with seven fellow
Democrats including California Sena
tor Alan Cranston, original sponsor of
the bill, and Senators Daniel Inouye of
Hawaii, Paul Simon of Illinois, Edward
Kennedy and John Kerry of Massachu
setts, Daniel Moynihan of New York,
and Brock Adams of Washington.
National gay rights organizations
attributed the increased support to
their own lobbying and the efforts of
constituents.
Peri Jude Radecic, lobbyist for the
National Gay & Lesbian Task Force,
said Rhode Island NGLTF members
participated in a letter-writing cam
paign to Senator Chaffee, following up
on his efforts.
"We started lobbying Senator Chaf
fee back in December of 1987," said
Radecic. "Our strategy was to build
upon the work of activists during the
March on Washington Lobby Days."
"We now have 10 per cent of the U.
S. Senate signed up for civil rights
protection for 10 per cent of America—
the millions of gay men and women
who deserve to be treated with full
equality," said Eric Rosenthal, political
director of the Human Rights Cam
paign Fund (HRCF). The HRCF noted
that Chaffee's sponsorship is espe
cially significant because he is chair
man of the Senate Republican Confer
ence.
"We are reaching much harder to
get more Republicans to co-sponsor
the bill," said Rosenthal. "It's a terrific
victory for gays every time another
legislator signs up."
Episcopalians call
for AIDS services,
anti-discrimination
measures
The House of Deputies of the Epis
copal Church, which along with the
House of Bishops makes up the
church's General Convention govern
ing body, has unanimously approved a
resolution opposing discrimination
against people with AIDS. In other
action the Deputies, made up ofprip$t)»,-j
and laypeople, provided $120,000 over
three years for the National Episcopal
AIDS Coalition, which has conducted
efforts against the disease under the
slogan "Our Church Has AIDS." Other
resolutions being considered would
require educational efforts in every
Episcopal parish, endorse the Surgeon
General's report on AIDS and publish a
similar document under church aus
pices, establish the second Sunday of
October as a national day of prayer for
all who are touched by the AIDS epi
demic, establish a 12-member commis
sion on AIDS which would include
bishops, clergy, and laypeople, and
direct the Washington office of the
Church to support the establishment of
cost-effective means of providing care
for people-with AIDS, including hos
pices and other alternative care facili
ties.
Atlanta Gay Center
63 12th St.
Atlanta, GA 30309
876-5372
HOWARD S. COHEN
JUDITH C. COHEN
INTERNATIONAL RECORDS
PEACHTREE CENTER
231 PEACHTREE STREET
ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303
(404)584-5490
Patrick De Sercey, M.A.
Transpersonal Psychotherapist
Individual or Couple Therapy
Meditation Instructions and Training
For information: 237-4658
