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NEWS IN BRIEF
The Key West Business Guild will be hosting "Women in Paradise," a week-long
series of events that will culminate with a Ms. Gay Key West Pageant and a
street fair. Scheduled for September 12th—18th, the week will feature special
dances and parties, as well as all manner of beach activities. "There will be arts
& crafts exhibits, food, and dancing in the streets. Call the Business Guild at
(305) 2944603 for registration information.
Nat’l Coalition of
Black Lesbians &
Gays Celebrates 10th
Detroit-The National Coalition of Black
Lesbians and Gays (NCBLG) announced
their tenth anniversary conference to be held
September 30 through October 2,1988 in
Washington, D.C.
Themed as "Home Work (for homeboys
and homegirls), 1 ' organizers plan to include
skill workshops centering on political activity
at the local level in this year's conference.
Workshops currently slated include topics
such as lobbying local issues, coming out to
family and friends, addressing homophobia in
the church, supporting PWAs and PWA care
providers, and responding to anti-gay/lesbian
violence.
"It is indeed a victory for a national gay
and lesbian organization to have survived for
ten years," said NCBLG Executive Director
Renee McCoy. "For that organization to also
be focused on black concerns and lifestyles is
cause for even greater celebration.
For more information or to make a
contribution, contact; Renee McCoy,
NCBLG, 19641W. Seven Mile, Detroit, MI
48219, (313)537-0484.
Anti-gay Language
Struck; AIDS
Funding Boosted
Washington, D.C.-A House-Senate
conference has deleted the anti-gay/lesbian
amendment that would have denied federal
funds to any education, health, or research
program that called homosexuality "normal”,
"natural", or "healthy". The U.S. Senate
passed the amendment, sponsored by Gordon
Humphrey (R-NH), last month by a vote of
82-15.
The conference was called to resolve
differences in the 1989 appropriation bill for
the Departments of Labor, Health and Human
Services, and Education, as passed by the
House of Representatives and the Senate
earlier this summer. The Humphrey
amendment to the Senate version of that bill
was labelled "blatantly homophobic" and
"mean-spirited" by gay/lesbian civil rights and
AIDS activists.
Steve Smith, legislative counsel for the
Human Rights Campaign Fund (HRCF),
pointed out that the amendment, if passed,
could have prevented programs from
presenting information about homosexuality
in honest and straightforward ways in federal
AIDS prevention programs, healthcare
programs, youth services and most federally
funded behavioral science research.
Both versions of the bill contained about
$1.3 billion to fight AIDS, which was the
amount requested by the President However,
the conference further increased funds
available for clinical trials of AIDS drugs by
$8.5 million. The conference also
encouraged the NIH (National Institutes of
Health) to cooperate with community-based
research organizations conducting drug trials,
including those serving the gay male
community.
The appropriations bill now returns to the
House and Senate for final approval, then
goes to President Reagan for signing into law.
-CW
Hate Crimes Bill
Headed For Senate
Washington, D.C.-The National Gay and
Lesbian Task Force's (NGLTF) historic effort
to enact federal legislation addressing data
collection on anti-lesbian/gay violence moved
a step closer to passage with the Senate
Judiciary Committee's unanimous approval of
S 702, the Hate Crime Statistics Act
Sponsored by Senator Paul Simon (D-IL),
S 702 is legislation designed to gather
statistics on crimes motivated by prejudice
based on race, religions, sexual orientation
and ethnicity. In May, the House passed a
similar bill—HR 3193-by an overwhelming
384-30.
S 702 is now refereed to the full Senate for
floor consideration. However, the measure is
not expected to be taken up until September
when the Senate resumes business following
the August recess.
"Our strategy was to seek unanimous
consent through constituent pressure and
compromise," said NGLTF lobbyist Peri Jude
Radecic. "We worked closely with Senator
Simon, Senator Hatch and the Department of
Justice to develop language around the issue
of anti-lesbiaiVgay violence that kept
everyone satisfied. S 702 originally included
the victim categories of race, religion and
ethnicity . The bill now includes the category
of sexual orientation and this addition was
approved by unanimous consent"
-CW
N.C. Gay Paper Sued
Bugle Publishing, publishers of The From
Page is being sued for damages by a South
Carolina man who claims he was libeled and
slandered when someone placed a classified
ad in the paper's personal section without his
consent. If the court decides in his favor and
awards any substantial financial payment it
may mean the end of the Raleigh, N.C.-based
nine-year-old paper. Legal expenses to fight
the suit already have placed The Front Page
in jeopardy.
The plaintiff called the paper in January
after he had received telephone and mail
responses to the ad, which read;
"GWM, 28, weightlifter, very clean,
wishes to share letters and time with a GWM
18-50. I am considered to be very cute by
most GMs. I am simply tired of the cruising
scene."
A phone number and address were
included in the ad. The man said he did not
place the ad and it was removed from
subsequent issues.
However, publisher Jim Baxter received a
letter in February from John K. Kittredge, a
Greenville attorney representing the man who
had called and complained about the ad.
Kitfredge's letter expressed concern over the
"reprehensible and irresponsible conduct" of
The From Page.
The letter further stated that the ad had
caused the plaintiff and his wife "tremendous
embarrassment and anxiety. (They) have
been victimized by dozens of disgusting
telephone calls from homosexuals, as well as
numerous offensive letters."
Baxter stated, "It is unclear whether the
letters and phone calls received by this man
were sexually explicit or vulgar, or whether
he and his wife consider any sort of contact
with a homosexual 'disgusting' by definition."
Kittredge said the man was willing to settle
out of court for $28,000. Otherwise, a suit
would be filed in federal court "seeking
substantial damages."
In May, Kittredge filed suit in U.S. District
Court, claiming his client would testify as to
the "numerous and disgusting telephone calls
and letters which he received from
homosexuals seeking his companionship" and
his wife would testify as to "the contact made
by phone and through the maiL.by members
of the homosexual community, and the
damage caused by this disgusting contact."
'Tm not sure what he wants," Baxter said.
"If he wants money, he won't get it-because
there is any to be had."
-C.W.
International
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
The 5th annual conference sponsored by
Christian Scientists supporting lesbians
and gay men will address the ever present
power of divine Love to fill our lives with
joy and eliminate AIDS, discrimination,
and unhappiness from our experience.
Washington, D.C.
Oct. 7 & 8, 1988
Deborah E. Keefe
La Vista Center
(404) 634-3835
ATTORNEY AT LAW
1535 LaVista
Road, N.E.
Atlanta GA
30329
BY APPOINTMENT
BRENDA L. HAWKINS, ED. D.
LICENCED PSYCHOLOGIST
COUNSELING, PSYCHOTHERAPY AND
HYPNOSIS
1518 MONROE DRIVE
SUITE 600
ATLANTA GA 30324
(404)872-9016