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' THE VOICE OF THE GAY COMMUNITY - SERVING THE SOUTHEAST AND THE NATION”
Vol. 2 No.3 PUBLISHED IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA 25 cents
JACKSONVILLE COMMUNITY RELATIONS
COMMISSION HOLDS HEARINGS
Mr. Woody Slappy, the
worship coordinator of the
Jacksonville Metropolitan
Community Church, met
with the Jacksonville
Community Relations
Commission’s Staff
committee on homosexua
lity. Slappy was joined by
Dr. Minor Chamblin of the
University of North Florida
and psychologist James
Mathis of University
Hospital.
In the area of housing
discrimination, Mathis told
the committee that while
his findings were not
documented, the general
attidues in most com
munities were the same as
when blacks first moved
to intergate housing, i.ei.,
“a feeling that property
values would go down.”
Additionally and perhaps
more pertinantly, “some
homosexuals can’t stay
away from youngsters.”
Mr. Slappy Quickly pointed
out to the committee that
97% of all child molestors
are classified as hetero
sexual. Slappy also noted
that current statistic and
clinical studies indicate
that approximately 90% of
the men involved in sexual
activities in public bath
rooms are married.
Mr, Slappy cited the
problems of housing and
credit extension as two
sources of stress in gay
relationships. Police
harassment has not been
harsh recently he said.
Slappy did state that the
gay community is, as usual
during an election period,
preparing for an increase in
police activities as
politicians begin their
campaigns.
Mr. Slappy has recently
met with the Mayor of Jack
sonville and also began
discussion with Duval
County Sheriff Dale
Carson. (The city of
Jacksonville recently
merged with Duval County
With the Sheriff’s Depart
ment accepting law
enforcement responsibility
for the entire area.)Slappy
is also actively involved
in aiding a Naval Reserve
commander and a navy
corpsman caught in what
he describes as a Naval
Intelligence Service (NiS)
“witch hunt’’ for homo
sexuals.
Mr. Slappy told The Barb
that the Jacksonville CRC
members and staff were
very supportive of gay civil
rights efforts. Talks with
both the mayor and sheriff
have been productive but the
large Navy population of
Jacksonville still has
serious problems. Slappy
told us that one navy person
now under investigation by
the NIS will probably fight
publicly as a gay person to
remain in the Navy.
The case could be a major
one for gay civil rights
within the federal govern
ment. Mr. Slapp£ said the
man will announce his plans
later this month.
The Jacksonville Flordia
Times-Union reported that
NIS agents had violated
federal postal regulations
by seizing letters between
two naval officers in
efforts to secure informa -
mation on the officers sex
life. In one case the private
off-base home of a naval
commander was broken
into by NIS agents in their
search for alleged homo
sexuals.
The lack of an active
American Civil Liberties
Union in Jacksonville has
hampered efforts to obtain
a lawyer. Local concerned
gay people are working with
the cases to gain broad
support and to raise the
funds fbr legal expenses
involved in fighting the
court battle
Media Coafareace Gets
Loretta Lotman , media
director of the National
Gay Task Force , told
NATPE delegates last week
that television must treat
homosexuals as it would
any other minority: with
respect. Speaking briefly
during one convention
session, and at greater
length later during a news
conference (picturedhere),
Mrs. Lotman said that gays
Gay Input
had gone from no mention
in the media to abusive
mention, and that homo
sexuals were being shown
almost exclusively ‘ ‘ as
clowrts or as psychopaths. ’ ’
TV is the most unfair of
the media, she said,
because it is the most
powerful. She likened the
stage gays were going
through now to the early
Continued on Page 8
Loretta Lottman and Rev. John Gill at NATPE Convention.
Cover Photo
Our cover model is
Tim Grantham. Nineteen
year old Tim comes from
Thomaston Ga. and was
working at the Bayou Land
ing. He loves going out and
meeting people. He is this
Year’s MR. BASKET &
BUNS 1975. His favorite
performer is Olivia Newton
John and his favorite type
ef music is Country Rock.
He is currently planning to
enter the field of fashion.
“Hi . Gary. I made It!”
THE BARB has a new mailing address:
P.O. Box 7922 Atlanta, Georgia 30309
★★★ NATIONAL NOTES ★★★
CHICAGO - The National
Council of Churches
adopted a strong gay rights
resolution March 6 and
urged its members to work
for legislation
guaranteeing “The civil
rights of all persons
without regard to their
affectional or sexual
preference.” A spokes
person for the National
Gay Task Force said the
resolution was not a formal
endorsement of the
ordination of gay clergy
but can be seen as an
encouragement to the
churches to consider
eliminating affectional or
sexual preference as cri
teria for ordination.
HARRISBURG, PA -
Ciovernor Milton Shapp has
issued the first state
executive order banning
discrimination against gay
people in state government
departments.
NEW YORK - A second
national television network,
CBS. recently gave way to
gay women and men and
added sexual preference to
its minority hiring
practice polices. Next in
line - the only major hold
out* ABC.
LOS ANGELES - A charge
against homosexual conduct
in a public place against
actor George Maharis, a
star of the old television
series “Route 66” has
been dropped. Maharis was
allowed to plead ‘no contest’
to a lesser charge of tres
passing. The actor was
arrested November 21 by
vice squad officers on a
charge of engaging in sex
with another man in a
gasoline station restroom.
PHILADELPHIA - The
President of the
Pennsylvania Baptist t
Ministers Conference is
actually opposing Phila
delphia’s proposed gay
rights bill. The Rev.
Rudolph Robinson objected
to “the Gay Liberation
Front suggesting that
homosexual rights stand
equal with civil rights for
the Black Community. The
two issues can in no way
be compared. ”
BARB IS SOLD
Rav F. Green, founder of
the ATLANTA BARB, an
nounced in early March
his intention of removing
himself from the active
operations of the paper.
Bill Smith, current editor
WASHINGTON DC - The US
Civil Service Commission
has given tentative approval
to new regualtions that will
permit opently gay women
and men to seek and
continue to hold civilian
jobs. The move opens up
2 1/2 million federal jobs
that have officially been
“off limits” to gay people.
The new regulations will
bring the Civil Service
Commission in to com
pliance with the consistent
orders of federal jodges
since 1964: that gay people
are entitled to federal jobs
unless and until the
government can* show a
“nexus,” a specific
rational connection between
the worker’s conduct and
the ability to satisfactorily
perform the duties and re-
sponsibilites of the job.
WASHINGTON DC - The
organization representing
the nation’spsycholoisthas
issued a policy statement
echoing the stand taken a
little over a year ago by
psychiatrist: Homo
sexuality is not a sickness.
At' a meeting here on
Jan 24, the governing body
of the American
Psychological Association
declared, “Homosexuality
per se implies no impair
ment in judgement,
stability, reliability, or
general social or vocational
capabilities, The group also
issued statements calling
for an end to discrimination
against gay people.
BALTIMORE, MD - A
resolution adopted by the
International Association of
Fire Fighters, AFL-CIO,
strongly urges local unions
to be aware of “self pro
claimed homosexuals, per
verts and sex deviates”
who attempt to gain
entrance to the fire service.
URBANA, ILL - This city
of 33,000 people became the
18th US city to pass em
ployment protection
measures for gay people.
The bill, also bans discri
mination against gays in
public accomodations. The
other cities recently
passing gay rights bills
are : Sunnyvale (108,000)
Mountain View (59,900), and
Cupertino (23,650); all are
in California.
ol the paper assumed
control of the enterprise
on April 1, 1975. Mr.
Green leaves the Atlanta
area with deep regret in
order to further himself
in his career. (See Edi
torial page 2).
