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“Although the American Psychiatric Association now says homosexuality is riot a disorder, an overwhelming number of scientists disagree with the APA’s de'cision.” And went on to document suposedly negative effects of homosexuality. It gave no documentation as to just who the “overwhelming number of scientists” were. Smith: Most “scientists” have no qualification to judge on the health of homosexuality anyway. What does a physicist or chemist know about it? As for Graham, you have to expect that kind of thing in his Column; it’s an ex pression of homophobia and I wouldn’t want to just repress it. The Journal-Constitution has a long history of suppressing gay news and it won’t change fast. They fired Charlie St. John, shortly after he was appointed to the Atlanta Community Relations Commission, the first open gay person to be appointed to a governmental agency by a major Southern city . At the saine time, the police also raided his apar tment on a “search for drugs” while anybody who knew Charlie was aware that he didn’t touch drugs at all, didn’t even allow people to smoke in his apartment. We’ll be sending out a letter soon to local press and TV requesting meetings, and the work will take time, stretching over several months. Bird: Are you working with gays on a national level to change the press’s attitude? I noticed in Continued on Page 12 DOWN WITH APATHY By Marty Cochran If there is one thing we should detest the most in our present social order, it is apathy. There has been’far too much of it in our entire American Society and especially in our Gay com munity. As your president, I get all sorts of feedback from the community, most positive, some negative and the most disturbing feedback of apathy or in difference. The most typical response to the Gay Christian movement is “Are you kidding, what difference does, it make, one’s sexual preferance that is. Why should gays group together as Christians. They are no dif ferent than anyone else.” There in lies the big fallacy, although we can fit into the,total spectrum of society, we most definitely do have differences. Whether people, straight or Gay, want to admit it or not, there is a definite ‘ Gay sub-culture, with definite needs and goals. Estimates put the population of the Gay Community in. metro Atlanta around the 200,000 mark. Recently, one of our members answered the challenge of a critic as to why should there be a Dignity Atlanta. Although oversimplified, the answer was well put, “simply because we are!” This is where my conviction begins. I personally feel that it is not Christian to be apathetic. I can not say that I am doing my very best if I am satisfied to let the mistreatment and persecution of Gays,continue, by .the,attitudes of a misinformed “straight” Editors Note: “Down With Apathy” is a reprinted from the Dignity/Atlanta Newsletter, majority. As Christians, it is our duty to let them know that there is life and growth in Dignity Atlanta as well as MCC and many other organizations-that we don’t have a bunch of people sitting around resting on their laurels, but a •group of Christians who are involved. You ask, “How can Dignity - Atlanta , help defeat the apathy that we encounter around us?” We must get the Gay community moving; we must not be satisfied LETTERS Dear Editor: Sorry to be so late ' in acknowledging your car d which you enclosed in the first issue of The _<■ Barb. As you may remember, I am the prisoner who you said youi would send the complimentary subscription to. I have indeed received two issues of The Barb and can’t begin to tell how very much 1 enjoyed them. T would have acknowledged y° ur gif* before' now but times are hectic here. In ‘73 the mairi prisori was completly destroyed by a riot. I transferred over here to the reformatory to get away from the radical rioters and last week the wee darlin’s here decided they wanted a riot of their own. It was nipped in the bud and nothing much came of it, but it did mean; that we were all locked up and communications with the outside were curtailed for awhile. until every Gay person nas the opportunity to fully express himself as an accepted spiritual being as well as a first class citizen of this country. . There are several areas in which we as Christians can defeat apathy. First of all, we must show responsibility. We can’t just storm through Catholic churches with snouts and signs of “Gay is Great and Gay icT Continued on page 14. Sp, now that I am again able to write letters, let me say again how much I enjoy your newspaper. I think it is fantastic!! The. only other gay paper I’ve ever seen is the Gay Liberator, and while the Liberator is fine in it’s own sense, The Barb is much more campy and entertaining! ! ! I am 31 years old and have been locked up for about 10 years now. When i was on the outside it was _ almost unheard or to set ga^ newspapers, so you can un derstand how much of a. giant leap I see in. the gay movement from your, paper. I can hardly believe gay issues has progressed so rapidly. : If' there is ever anything I can do for you, just drop me a line and I will give it a hop, skip and a jump to do it if I can. I’m a firm believer in gay folks helping and standing by each. other. Unfor tunately, these 3 life sentences I’m serving don’t leave much foi me to do, but perhaps I can dc something some day! Editor’s Notebook The June issue of the Great Speckled Bird contained a lengthy interview concerning my thoughts on Atlanta based alternative newspaper that has received frequent national recognition. Their coverage of the civil rights efforts of gay pebble has im proved greatly. The interview was prompted by the controversy surrounding a series of articles on gay life styles in Atlanta published in the Atlanta Journal. After reading it several times I felt that reprinting it here in the Editor’s Notebook would be appropriate. fhe in terview tells you a little bit about my part in the local sence in Atlanta. It also says a great deal about my general view of political idealogies for the gay movement. The article represented below appeared in the June 12, 1975 issue of The Great Speckled Bird. Interviewing for The Bird was Bob Hippier. Bird: What was your personal reaction to the Journal- Constitution articles, and what has the Atlanta Gay Coalition done since then to educate the media? Smith: The articles in the Journal-Constitution didn’t describe broad rarige of ex periences possible for a gay in Atlanta* They dealt far too much with the sensational and negative aspects of gay life. The thing that gpt a lot of us off our asses was the realization that these articles as poor as they were, were the best that had been. written about the local gay scene in the media. Something had to be done to set up contracts with tne meuia and improve the treatment we were getting. Since we held the press con ference the Journal-Constitution seems to have improved their coverage of gays to some extent. For instance, they ran a couple of stories covering the sergeant in Florida who came out openly as a gay and wants to stay in the Navy. Bird: They’re still running negative stuff, though. A recent Billy Graham column they ran said, “Homosexuality is a per version...it is clearly the product of a reprobate mind.” The same week, their science writer, Charles ' Seabrook said, The .Barb is published monthly by ,, ^yertising Representatives: VUssjir Enterprises. Application to mai at . Second-class postage rates is pending at Atlanta, Georgia. Sub scriptions are $4.00 for one year (12 issues). Letters and manuscripts are welcomed. Please enclose stamped, self-addrefesed envelope for return of manuscripts, photos, etc. Opinions expressed by our columnists do necessarily reflect the opinion of the Barb management. Editor Bill Smith Associate Editor .. Richard Evans Lee Telephone (404) 874-3232 Barb Staff: Gibson Higgins BobSalo Kathy Peter Thomas Phyllis Killer Steven Warren Sarah Coven tree Annie Peter Hough Advertising rates available on request Call or write Christopher Young or contact Billy Jones POB 7922 Atlanta, Ga. 30309 (404) 872-6068 Ft. Lauderdale: Peter Thomas 3801 N. Ocean Blvd. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. 33308 (305) 566-4376 Dade.County: Neal Bernard Post Office Box 4223 Miami Lakes, FL. 33014 (305)558-5412 National Advertising Agent: Christopher Young Post Office Box 7922 Atlanta, Georgia 30309 (404)874-3232 your local representative>. ploy * amongst the STARS* * Daisy Dalton *Mic key Day *Samantha *R.C. Cola SHOWTIME..10:30 Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches Annual Conference Dallas-July 29th - August 3rd , Guest Speakers: Massachusetts State Representative: Elaine Noble Theologian, Author: Norman Phtenger Adolphus Hotel - Dallas Texas - July 29th - August 3rd For more information contact your local Metropolitan Community Church