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THE BARB 2 , Editor’s Notebook by Bill Smith We received a copy of the NS MOBILIZER this month. It was ,a Monday, not the best day ’of the week for me, and the fact that such a publication even exists made it even worse. What is the NS MO BILIZER? It is the official publication of the National Socialist League, a group dedicated to marching backwards- to .Germany of the 1930’s. *Raiists, sex ists, antisemitic, disgust ing-all made even more horrifing because those who publish it are homosexuals. One article concerning J.B. Stoner’s bid for the U.S. Senate from Georgia on the National State Rights ticket closes with “We of the NSL would be even more encouraged if the States Righters would drop the pointless anti- Gay plank that keeps their party from receiving our full support in its fight for a white America.” I suppose an equally deluded black person could say the same thing-changing the state ment “... if the States Righter would drop the pointless anti-blackplank.’ We would suggest the State Righters keep both planks to keep the totality of point lessness within' their plat form. Virtually all gay organi zations and individual gay activists have been involved in supportive roles ,within_ minority group struggles; especially the black civil rights movement. The NSL is a very cesspool in an otherwise progressively oriented community. It is difficult to under stand such a group in light of the many parallels be tween the gay civii rights movement and the civil rights struggles of other minority groups. Num- berous gay political activ ists in the U. S. have drawn paralells betweenthe black civil movement, the most successful of the minority rights move ments, and the gay civil rights movement. Both groups have a long history of suffering and unjust treatment in the United States and throughout the world. Gays sougni refuge in lives of secretiveness and anonymity and blacks in group ghettoes and sub- survience to tfie will of whitemasters. The discri mination and oppression of blacks has, of course, been much more visible and phy sical. The fact of being black is visible. The fact of being gay for the most part is not visible. The psychological oppression is often greater. No other minority group suffers from the terrible psycho logical pressure of others, co-workers, “friend” even family discovering that they are a member of “that” minority. Black people like gays have suffered terribly from the “big lie!” Blacks were told that they were geneti cally and thus socially and morally inferior. Gays were told that they were mentally and morally sick. Many in both communities accepted such garbage as fact. Some gay people, to day, still feel an inferiority to the straight society. The long academic battle of genetic inferiority of blacks is virtually over, few respected profess ionals would argue the su periority/inferiority gene tically of black and white. The tide is also ‘ turning, against those professional who seek to lable gays as ill, sick, genetically de fective etc. The question, however, is far from moot. The dramatic rise of the activists leadership within black churches in the early sixties was one of the most LETTERS Dear Mr. Smith: I am very glad to see the subject of Venereal Disease discussed in detail as it was in your article “V.D.. Past, Present, Future” - Vol. I, No. 12 of the BARB. 1 spied the topic and picked up my first issue of The Barb”. I am a nurse, so naturally I enjoy seeing and reading articles' informative to •the general public. Your article was written so that all could understand what V.D. is about. As you said, there should be ift reason why one should delay in receiving medical attention. There are ^various agencies available for referral and now the subject is handled with utmost discretion by doctors and the Public Health Clinics. Wheri one suspects he (or she) may have a veneral disease one should realize the personal and social importance of immediate medical attention and seek such. A moral duty should also exist. In the somewhat promiscuous lifestyle of ho mosexuality, to allow someone to unknowingly contract V.D. is a crime against human dignity. V.D. can and will decline in incidence if the public is properly informed and the individual avails himself of the information available. We must alert ourselves of the signigicant factors in help ing black men ^nd women combat the ‘ g lie.” The black clergy provided a dynamic and communal spirit in which the black Community could renew it self and build. Black civil rights leaders moved to organize their constituency around the single issue of “Jim Crow” laws. Many black churches throughout the south became centers for the spiritual strength needed to fight the battle of the very secular and oppressive world forced upon people in the early 60’s. There were excep tions. Not all black mini sters helped to organize and/or support black ac tivist. With .admonishments of accepting the status quo and waiting for spiritual rewards in another world these “Uncle Tom” stifled the growth of their parishioners and like pot holes on a superhighway impeded the forward move - ment of activists. The mini sters who either provided support roles or actively organized gave their com- munifty the spiritual values and strength that was cru cial to the success of acti-. vist programs. Today the black political leadership in the south is, if not still active in the ministry, for the most part, from amir nisterial background. Gay people have been largely alienated from churches. Virtually none of the polictical activist on the gay scence are even affili ated with a church. None are ministers. The excep tion. *of course, is Troy Perry, founder of the Metropolitan Community Church Universal Fellow ship and first pastor of the Los Angeles MCC. Rev. Perry, unlike the vast ma jority of MCC ministers, has taken an active interest and part in the gay civil rights movement both na tionally and locally in Los Angeles. Perry’s activity has often been accomplish ed inspite of the will of the heirarcy of his church and the ruling body of the fellowship. The official church paper on activism is a farce. The only as sistance it could possibly Continued on page 12 column 3 signs and symptoms of a most serious disease that may, one day, affect anyone. V.D. has no respect for class, race, or gender. Thank you very much for a most informative, easily un derstood article. Sincerely Yours, J. Evans Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Dear Jerry: We hope the article will help the community to see the importance of treatment, immediate treatment. Peter Thomas is an excellent writer and we expect he will be writing on this subject and many others of vital interest to you in the future. The Editor., Sex With Your Friends by Gibson W. Higgins It is a strange idea. Most people would be hesitant to admit to having sex with total strangers, in spite of the fact that some people, both gay and straight, do it. Many gays believe that they have an advantage over straight society in the ease with which sexual contacts may be made. They be lieve that this liberates them from the social con ventions of meeting and ’’getting acquainted” com monly associated with bed ding a woman. But if a relationship begun as purely sexual frequently leads to more, why don’t more men who visit fe male prostitutes tend to form lasting acquaintance with them? Partly of course it is because of the nature of the clientele: inexperienced and unsatif- fied younger men, unhappy married men, and older men with no other outlet. All that is sought, and ob tained, is a quick phsical release, in exchange for a devalued dollar. Men fre quently find themselves superficially attracted to some such women, but how many first-person stories have you ever heard about the lady - of - the - night who is now my chick (or wife, or whatever)? Probably none, because the man’s life is usually primarily concerned with, if not de dicated to other pursuits while the woman’s life is totally occupied with gett ing the next john (you may read that as trick). She spends most of her time sitting in bars or walking the streets, or else gett ing in from or readying to go out for same. Granted the frequency may be different, but the pattern pould easily be that of a gay person. Getting a trick becomes such an ob session, even if an uncon scious one, that all of one’s time chases that next man. Take it and leave it becomes a way of life. Wear the right costume, go to this place, behave that way, and be sure that “hello” is a prelude to ‘.‘let’s do it,” because that is the way it is done. Since appearance is the basis for such en-, counters, watch the wrinkles in exposed layers of skin and clothes, get all of the hair in place, and brother, keep on smilin! The gay person loses. in comparison with the prostitue, since she at least gets something of material value. But how about the numbers exchanged, the promises to call, the plea sures shared? Or the pain of having so many but not really anyone, or of seeing him leave the bar with someone else the next night? The brain is the most important sex organ. Re peated encounters with the same person inevitably lead in one of two directions; boredom or emotional involvement, be cause the mind partici pates. Becoming hooked on the stimulus of a new person makes the physical sex a lot easier ancLavoids getting into another v s head and feelings, the places one finds the sentiments of friendship. An easy lay holds a different degree of respect homosexuals than does one who is “hard to get, ’ ’ even for jaded homo- Centinued on page 12