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NEWS
Score One for Gays at GSU
by Matt Montgomery
More than a few butts have been chafed
since three men were caught in a Georgia
State University restroom with their pants
around their ankles.
An article in the Jan. 16 issue of
Georgia State's student newspaper, The
Signal, reported that three were discovered
with their pants down, allegedly about to
engage in acts of sodomy. Two other men
were also caught "acting suspiciously," in
the bathroom.
In the next two editions of the paper
several readers applauded the coverage
and demanded action from student organi
zations to eliminate the presence of gays on
campus.
A letter to the editor signed by David
Johnson demanded "now other campus
groups should take action. Let's say, once
and for all, goodbye to the gays that do this
stupid stuff."
Former Chief of Staff of the university's
College Republicans, Jeff Breedlove wrote
"one would expect that since those gays are
allowed to be at Georgia State that they
would refrain from using the public
restrooms as their personal AIDS farm."
Several members and officers of the
GSU Gay and Lesbian Student Alliance
(GLSA) revealed that this was only the lat
est of Breedlove's letters on this topic. On
June 30, 1987 the Signal in an editorial
(reportedly written by Breedlove) which
directly named the GLSA as responsible
for promoting "better meeting places" for
those who want to engage in tearoom sex.
The GLSA routinely responds to
Breedlove's hate filled missives with a
guest editorial demanding an end to homo
phobia and prejudice. (And, in this most
recent case, Signal editorialist Jerry Harlow
penned an enlightened and supportive edi
torial.)
Shannon McNeal, the GLSA member
who usually authors the responses, said
"although the persons involved most likely
were gay, we (GLSA) do not condone sex
in public restrooms."
Student wants gays off campus
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McNeal explained that their most recent
editorial response to the attacks deals with
the desire of the gay community for "basic
civil rights." She wrote, "the gay and les
bian students of GSU work, pay taxes and
most importantly pay tuition.
On Wednesday February 7, Breedlove
proposed disbanding the Gay Lesbian
Student Alliance as a legitimate campus
organization to the Student Government
Association senate meeting, saying that
"they advocate and promote sodomy."
A non-gay senator argued that it would
be dangerous to try to take away GLSA's
charter because it had been attempted at
other schools and been the subject of law
suits from the gay groups.
Another quipped that if sodomy were a
reason for expulsion, most of the student
groups would be gone from campus.
But Breedlove's motion was resounding
ly defeated, when only two senators sided
with him.
Incensed that Breedlove represented
himself as an official representative of the
Republican Party, a GSU staff member
contacted the Republican National
Committee and reported the student's bigot
ed actions. Unconfirmed reports say that
Breedlove's actions have caused significant
resignations from the GSU College
Republicans' ranks and censure from local
and state Republican organizations.
Peasant Corp. and
ACT UP Negotiate
by Sabrina Sojourner
One of Atlanta's largest restaurant
chains and ACT UP Atlanta appear to be
on their way to a negotiated truce in a war
over the company's group health insurance
plan.
On December 28, 1989, the Peasant
Corporation—owner of 15 restaurants in
the metro area—announced a new group
insurance plan with a $10,000 cap on
"AIDS coverage once the disease has been
diagnosed." The new "self-funded" plan
replaced an existing Allstate group policy
which, according to Peasant Corp.
President, Steve Nygren, was cancelled by
Allstate, "due to low participation." Only
200 of the nearly 1000 employees signed
on to the Allstate plan.
The Peasant claims to have approached
25 insurance companies without finding
reasonable replacement coverage. It then
opted for self-insurance. Businesses with
self-funding plans work with a third party
administrator which covers upper end
claims. In exchange for this liability, the
administrator may set certain limitations.
(Legislation passed in Georgia in 1989
makes caps illegal, but self-funded pro
grams are not covered.)
"The choice was quickly becoming
accept the cap or not have employee insur
ance," said Nygren in early January.
Individuals in the gay and lesbian com
munity expressed concerns about the new
insurance plan to ACT UP/Atlanta in mid
January. The result was a January 22 meet
ing between the Peasant's Bob Amick and
ACT UP representatives says Jessi McVay,
ACT UP Action Facilitator.
A follow up letter went to the Peasant
on January 31. It put the Peasant on notice
that the activist group would push for elim
ination of the discriminatory HIV cap. In
the letter, ACT UP referred to its success
ful 1988 zap of Circle K Corporation and
more recent action with Galaxy Carpet
Mill in Chatsworth, Georgia. Both actions
produced the desired changes in company
policy.
ACT UP gave the Peasant until
February 5 to document its "intentions to
remove the cap by or before February 28,
1990. If we do not receive this correspon
dence," the letter said," the level of your
concern for this situation will be very clear
and ACT UP/Atlanta will respond appro
priately." While demonstrations or boy
cotts were not specifically mentioned in its
Extiavaoanza
Aids Ministry
February 24, 8:00 p.m.
Gay Men’s Chorus
First Existentialist Church .
470 Candler Park Drive, N.E,
March 25, 3:00 p.m.
Combined Musical Talents of
Atlanta Unitarian Universalist Churches
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta
1911 Cliff Valley Way, N.E.
April 21. 8:00 p.m.
Atlanta Feminist Women’s Chorus
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atu\nta
1911 Cliff Valley Way, N.E.
Tickets Available At:
Atlantis Bookstore- 1402 North Highlands Ave
CHARIS BOOKSTORE-L/(f/e Five Points
The Boy Next Door- uag Piedmont Ave
Donation:
Series $15 Single $7
For More Information,
Call: 634-5134
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l/Southern Voice • February 15,1990