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WHEREAS, From June 18-26, 1988, the Atlanta Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee
will sponsor the 1988 Gay Pride Week; and
WHEREAS, This year's celebration will include a variety of activities for
the enjoyment of all under the theme "Celebration of Life." Gay
Pride Week promises to build on the success of past events to focus
attention of human rights and individual freedoms; and
WHEREAS, We commend all who helped to coordinate this celebration and extend
best wishes for a festive week; and
WHEREAS, On behalf of the people of DeKalb, I take great pleasure in expressing
my congratulations to the Atlanta Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee
for their numerous contributions to the spirit and vitality of our
County;
NOW, THEREFORE, WE, The Chief Executive Officer and the Board of Commissioners
of DeKalb County, proclaims the week of June 18-26, 1988, as Lesbian
and Gay Rights Week."
Manuel J. Maloof
Chief Executive Officer
Jean Williams, District 1
Kerry Sthblman, District 2
John Evans, District 3
Robert J. Morris, District 4
John^S^ Fletcher, Jr_o District 5
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Brince H. Manning, {ll, At-L/rge
Robert E. Lanier, At-Large
While the above proclamation speaks for itself with its
absence of certain signatures, we thought our readers
would like to know that the following Dekalb County
Commissioners are up for re-election in 1988: Jean Williams,
District 1 and John S. Fletcher, Jr., District 5.
Brince Manning III, At-Large, who signed the proclamation,
is also up for re-election.Need we say more?
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Jones Needs Intensive Education
To the Editor:
Congratulations on a job well done. Your publication is first rate and I hope that it continues
to get the support of the community. I am taking this occasion to write in response to the
interview with Ben Jones published in your May 26,1988, issue. It is a sad day when the
frontrunner for any Democratic party nomination espouses some of the misguided views
expressed by Mr. Jones. Although he would certainly be an improvement over the illustrious
Pat S windall, your front cover quip that Mr. Jones is "not perfect" is quite an understatement.
He claims that he is willing to be educated. If he is going to be any kind of candidate that the
gay and lesbian community can support, his education had better start early and be intensive.
The tenor of Mr. Jones' views first surfaces in his discussion of HTV testing. He advocates
widespread testing so that "AIDS carriers are identified" and then hedges on protecting those
who test seropositive from discrimination (and thus do not even have AIDS) by saying that "the
public safety comes before someone's job protection." Doctors widely acknowledge that
individuals who test sero-positive pose no danger in most normal workplaces and that many
people with AIDS can continue to work depending on their strength and the type of infection
they are currently battling. He also seems inclined to let insurance companies screen all
insurance applicants for HIV antibodies, which would lead to even more discrimination and
add a further strain on the meager social services now available for sick people without
insurance.
Another interesting window into Mr. Jones' mind is his rambling commentary on civil rights
legislation, which he purportedly thinks extends only to those characteristics that are
"birthrights." Mr. Jones claims that homosexuality is personal behavior and thus should be
unprotected. Without even getting into a discussion about whether sexual orientation is a
birthright, Mr. Jones might be surprised to know that most civil rights legislation protects
religious preference (obviously a personal lifestyle choice and not a birthright) as well as race,
color, sex, and national origin. As for his ridiculous argument that the founding fathers did not
intend civil rights protection to extend to sexual orientation, Mr. Jones should be made aware of
the fact that the founding fathers could never have imagined that civil rights protection would
ever be extended to blacks and women.
Mr. Jones' prejudicial views again surface when he is questioned about lesbian and gay
parenting. When told about the Leigh VanderEls case, he states that the case saddens him (how
liberal) but that he would not support legislation to change the original result He states that the
traditional side of him feels that children need the traditional male/female, mother/father roles
to balance the child. After working with abused children, it is clear to me that unconditional
love, and not the sexual orientation of the parent(s), is what leads to healthy childhood
development. Anyway, with today's high divorce rate and the increase in women in the
workforce, it is debatable how many children really get the "traditional" background that Mr.
Jones feels is necessary.
Mr. Jones claims to have a lot of gay and lesbian friends. Have they stood by silently while
he has espoused his essentially anti-gay views? I urge all concerned voters to attempt to
influence Mr. Jones' thinking and to educate him, or in the alternative, to campaign for a
candidate who will support the rights of all Americans to live free of discrimination.
Sincerely,
David W. Purcell
Ed. note - Ben Jones' campaign headquarters is located at 2139 North Decatur Road. Mr.
Jones has repeatedly urged 4th district constituents to drop by, or call him at (404) 636-1888.
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