Newspaper Page Text
50 CENTS
'the news monthly
for southern gays
November, 1975
Vo/. 2 No. 10
NOBLE A TTENDS DEMO
CONFERENCE
NATIONAL NOTES
Massacnusettes . State
Representative Elaine Noble was
flown in by Atlanta’s gay
business owners to attend the
Southern Regional Democratic
Conference.
Representative Noble, the first
open gay person to be elected to a
state legislature, recently an
nounced her support of the
Indiana. Senator Birch Bayh for
Democratic Party presidential
nomination.
.Representative Noble met with
a host of party and campaign
.workers at the conference on
Friday as well as the national
, press attending the conference.
Newly elected member of the
National Organization of
Women’s (NOW) National Board
of Directors, Chryle Pence hosted
a reception for Representative
Noble on Saturday evening.
Representative Noble also
spoke to large crowds at several
Atlanta lounges as well as the
Metropolitan Community Church.
Ms. Noble’s remarks at M.C.C.
Atlanta came in the midst of
Halloween festivities and Ms.
Noble remarked .j|L on the
significance of witches and
hobgoblins to gay people. She
opened her remarks by relating a
story of a (dace in Massachusettes
wfiicn she* usually visited on
Halloween, a pilgramage of sorts
to a place where witchs were
burned.
“Many of the witches that were
burned were actually lesbians and
homosexual men who were used
as faggots for the fire. The church
excommunicated you for being a
witch and burned you for being
gay ... I don’t want to bring you
down . . . but we ought to think
about that and what we want to do
as gay people.”
CAMPBELL LOSES
By Joey Lord
MIAMI-Voter apathy, especially
within the gay community is
generally considered the root of
Jack’s Campbell’s defeat in his
bid to unseat incumbent Miami
City Commissioner J. L. Plum
mer. Jack Campbell, President of
the Club Bath Chain (CBC), chose
to run because of police
harassment directed against Club
Miami. Other considerations
were the endorsement of
Plummer by Miami’s machine.
politicians, the lack of fair
coverage of gays in the local
media and his strong belief in the
necessity of gays in elected
political office. Campbell ran as
an openly gay person.
With four candidates running,
Campbell totaled 4,703 votes
(19%) while Plummer received
14,310 (58%) with the other two
candidates totalling 5,516.
Although the statistics give no
indication of it Campbell was
expected to force Plummer into a
run-off at which time the other
two candidates said they would
openly endorse him. Miami
Mayor Maurice Ferrer
congratulated Campbell “for
running a good race.”
Various backers and volunteers
made these comments: Billie
Marie Jansick, political advisor,
“I cannot understand the “fall-
off” in votes between the various
candidate and offices.”; Frank
Arango, founder of GAY Miami
and board member of GAA-New
York, “The gay vote just didn’t
come out. I’ve never seen people
so petrified as in Miami.” Sandy
Redwood, representing NOW’s
Lesbian Task Force, 'Tm so
surprised that I’m in shock.” Bill
Fleming, Deputy Campaign
Treasurer, “The gays just
wouldn’t come out and even
some, unsanctioned by the
headquarters, caused a backlash
by their actions re suiting a larger
turn out on the whole.”
Mike Smyser, Mr. Campbell’s
Campaign Manager commented
that “the country wasn’t ready
for human reform with George
McGovern and it wasn’t ready for
gay reform with Jack Campbell.”
Mike was also “extremely
disappointed” with the gay vote
as there are at least 30,000 gays
in greater Miami, placing that
figure in the 130,000 potential
votes of Miami (29,000 voting
November 4) makes Campbell’s
receiving only 4,703' votes
especially saddening.
Speaking for himself, Campbell
said “We have not lost. There
will be other elections.“ He will
run for Dade County Com
missioner in ‘76. At that time
greater support from Women and
the Latin and Black communities
is expected.
Both Campbell and Smyser
have only praise and gratitude for
their staff of volunteers which
was truly representative of all
peoples regardless of age, race,
sex or sexual orientation.
Characterizing this election
were threats of physical violence
to jjoll workers, intimidation and
police harassment. Consesus was
that the CTA Towers was the
citadel from which the political
machine played its games and
used weapons to reelect Plum
mer.
Jack Campbell lost but the why
and wherefore are still uncertain.
As to what local gay communtiy
can now expect, Campbell
commented that “If the election
figures reflect a true vote there
will be a crashing down; however,
if not, then the status quo will
continute.”
Asked about her choice to work
within the system of the
Democratic Party Ms. Noble
stated I4fat “There are only two
choices if you are 'Serous about
political power: the DemocrStie^
Republican Parties.”
Ms. Noble was then wisked
from the Halloween festivities at
M.C.C. to a rowdy reception at
Tower lounge and then to the
Shriver reception held by Bobby
Kennedy, Jr. at the Sheraton
Biltmore.
WASHINGTON, DC- In a
statement issued^from his D.C.
office U.S. Senator Edward
Brooke (R-MA) who is the
nation’s only Black senator, wrote
“Unless and until it can be
established that the personal and
private lifestyle of such members
of the armed forcesinterfereswith
their ability to do their job
competently and loyally, the
present policy (toward exclusion
of homosexuals) is benighted,
self-defeating and not in the best
interest of the United States of
America. ’ ,
HARRISBURG,PA- Gov." Milton
J. Shapp has vetoed a bill in-
tended to ban gays from such
state jobs as police, prison guards
and teachers. The bill,
passed as a result of Shapp’s
support of gay rights, will be
tested in court, according to gay
activist, Mark Segal, if the veto is
overriden.
WASHINGTON,DC- The
Washington Post has revealed a
Nixon administration smear to
discredit columinst Jack
Anderson as gay. Woodward
’revealedjthat David Young, the
official in charge^.pf -the White
House “Plumber Umt ! ~’ -4)ad
ordered a lower official to shov?'
that Anderson was involved in a
homosexual relationship with
Navy Yooman Charles Radford.
WASHINGTON,DC- U. S.
District Judge Gerhard Gesell has
agreed to rule on the con
stitutionality of the U. S.
Military’s atuomatic right to
discharge gays. Gesell called Sgt.
Leonard Matlovich who is testing
the anti-gay policy, “A man who
has served his country well....a
man of exceptional qualifications
in and out of combat. ’ ’
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Rhode
Island’s “People With Gay
Concerns” is planning to sue that
state’s Bicentennial Commission
for its refusal to incorporate Gays
into the Rhode Island Bicen
tennial celebrations.
WASHINGTON, DC - A United
Methodist Church board has
recommended that the
denominationadopt a more open
policy toward church membership
for gays. The board recom
mended that the Methodist
Social Principles statement be
revised to read: “We welcome all
persons regardless of sexual
orientation into the fellowship
and membership” of the church.
This statement would replace an
earlier one which stated: “We do
not condone homosexuality and
consider this practice in
compatible with Christian
teaching.”
CHAPEL HELL, NC - This college
town’s six member Board of
Aldermen unanimously approved
adding a clause barring
discrimination against gay people
in city hiring to its personnel
policies. The ordinance prohibits
discrimination personnel policies.
The ordinance prohibits
discrimination on the basis of
“affectiorial preference or martial
status '■ ’
PHILADELPHIA - The National
Organization for Women (NOW)
voted overwhelmingly for a
resolution making equal rights for
lesbians a top priority for the
feminist group. NOW voted to
work for local and state legislation
guaranteeing rights for
homosexuals. It also voted to
support the gay rights bill in
troduced into congress by Rep.
Bella Abzug.
WASHINGTON,DC - the
National Association of Social
Workers has passed a resolution
supporting the “civil rights of
homosexually oriented women
and men.” The organization
commits its Board of Directors to
the active support of the federal
gay rights bill and of local and
state anti-discrimination
...legislation.
SPRINGFIELD. MA - Presidential
aspirant Jimmy^ffftefrappgars to
have changed his mind about gay
civil rights. Denying that he had
made a statement favoring total
equality for gays, Carter stated
that he had reservations about
gays holding government security
jobs and that he had not made up
his mind on the federal gay rights
bill.
LOS ANGELES ,CA - Protesting
approval of new Civil Service
guidelines which would permit
gays to be LA police officers
Police Chief Ed Davis said
publicly, “The liaisons that
homosexuals . spontaneously
engage in the public theaters and
back alleys and that sort of thing
and the high percentage of germs
and so forth pose a real health
threat to people who work with
them.”
RALEIGH,NC - The state
Attorney General’s office has
issued an opinion that student
government funding of the
Carolina Gay Association (CGA)
is legal. The office said, “Unless
the Carolina Gay Association in
fact participates in criminal
activities on the campus during
these meetings, the university
would be hard put to prohibit this
organization as a recognized
student organization.”
HOFHEINZE FACES RUN-OFF
The Gay Political Caucus, headed by former Harris County comptroller Gary Van Otirigham, now
sets its sights on the upcoming December 2nd election where Fred Hofheinz, supported by G. P. C.,
will face a hard battle against Frank Bricsoe ( 1 st cousin to the Governor; Dolph Briscoe) an affluent
conservative lawyer, and former district attorney.”
Mayor Hofheinz received 113,404 votes or 47.4% 3s opposed to Frank Briscoe’s 75,600 or 31.6%.
A third contender, Dick Gottlieb, received 19.8% of the votes. There were two minor party candidat
es who received less than 1% total votes.
In the five city council races, two who were elected were supported by G. P. C.: In District A, the
incumbent Larry McKaskle, took 67.3% of the total vote with Larry Wegman (supported by G. P. C.)
receiving 6.6% or 11,193 votes. HOFHEINZ - CONTINUED ON PAGE 14.
