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w’ ‘ VOL. l, NO. 9 PUBLISHED IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA 25 cents Atlanta Gay Leaders PRESS POLICE TO END ENTRAPMENT TACTICS ATLANTA, GA. Atlan ta’s Metropolitan Commu nity Church (MCC) was the scene of a spirited forum on police practices in the Gay community. Police Inspec- tional Services Division Director Eldrin Bell, Lt. Mock of the Vice Division and Officer Parks of the community Relations Divi sion exchanged questions with Joyce Burris, MCC member, Roger Dottin, acting Executive Director of Atlanta Community Re- 1 at ions Commission, Brooks Franklin, private' attorney, Gene Guerro, President, American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, Commissioner Bill Smith of the Atlanta Community Relations Commission and Director of the Gay Help Line, and the Rev. Jim Snow, Asst. Pastor of At lanta MCC. The forum moved quick ly to the problem of Vice Squad entrapment of gays. Director Bell insisted that present methods were used primarily to protect homo sexuals from those who would prey on them. He made referance to increas es in robberies and as saults of homosexuals, and also of homosexual mur ders. Citing statistics for murders, Bell noted a rise from two in 1972 to three in 1973. Guerro and Smith con tended vigorously that the current mode of vice squad operation completely failed to reduce such crimes as robbery and assault, and demanded that vice officers be removed from the com munity and be replaced by uniformed officers. Lt. Mock of the Vice Di vision cited one instance where vice officers posing as “hustlers” on Cypress Street were fired upon from a passing automobile, using the incident as justification of the existence of. Vice of ficers to reduce assaults, robbery-and murder of Gay people. Under questioning from Commissioner Smith, Mock admitted that the of ficers failed to stop the as sault or to obtain the auto mobile’s liscense plate number. Lt. Mock admitted further that there are no statistics on the number of assaults on Vice Officers when they posed as homo sexuals. Smith conceded th^t such activities in areas like Cy press Street may have some good effect, out took strong exception to what he called, “those quiet con- ★★★ NATIONAL NOTES ★★★ Portland, Ore. - A new job rights ordinance in Portland, Ore." has deliberately ommitted “sexual orientation” from protection. The clause was dropped from the bill- which specifies race, religion, color, sex national ori gin and age as illegal grounds for discrimination-be cause of objections from the local chamber of commerce. New York City-National gay organizations are prepar ing torally against a forthcoming “Marcus Welby, M.D. ” series which revolves around the rape of a junior high school boy by his male science teacher. The program is tentatively scheduled for airing October 8, on ABC. Bruce Voeller, Executive Director of the National Gay Task Force, charged that the program will leave the viewers with the impression that homosexuals are vic ious, preying child molesters. New York City-Intro 2, the controversial and once de feated New York City gay civil rights bill has been rein troduced into the city council by Carter Burden (D-Man hattan} and fifteen co-sponsors. The first public demon stration in support of the bill was staged by fifty mem bers of the Gay Activists Alliance and the Gay Synago gues, in front of the Rabbinical Council of America on Continued on page 2 THE BARB'S STUD OF THE MONTH Courtesy Michael’s Of Florida versations between Gays and Vice Officers in the se clusion of the Tree Trails or the Scent Garden. ’ ’ Director Bell seemed to sense the validity of the panel’s questions, and pro mised to make a stjudy of Vice Squad methods. Bell intimated that “if the pre sent operation does not re duce assaults and rob beries, we will change,” but added. “I have heard nothing here tonight that would convince me to make that change right now.” The panel did agree that uniformed police personnel need to be more sensitive to the Gay community. Bell Indicated that he would wel - come suggestions for Gay oriented sensitivity train ing for police recruits. He promised that no office in the police department would be closed to the ques tions of homosexual citi zens and that he was willing to return to MCC for fur ther discussion of the Gay community problems. Bell closed his remarks by urging Gay citizens tq work with the police de partment in preventing crime and to outline the types of changes the com munity feels are necessary to provide the type of pro tection that is needed.