The Barb. (Atlanta, Ga.) 197?-197?, May 01, 1976, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextJean O’Leary publicity effort that resulted in lengthy interviews in the Village Voice and the New York Post. $60,000 Pledged For National Lobbying Office NEW YORK - Jean O’ Leary, Legislative Directorof the National Gay Task Force, was elected in Tuesday’s New York Primary as the first openly gay delegate to die 1976 Democratic National Convention. Running on the Udall date .headed by Congresswoman Bella Abzug in Manhattan’s 20th Congressional District, O Leary received the fourth largest number of votes cast, although she was listed fifth on the ballot. “This excellent diowing,” O’Leary said, “not only proves that my candidacy as an avowed lesbian-feminist did not hurt the slate, as some poltical observers had predicted, but that a significant gay vote was cast which helped to assure victory for all the Udall delegates and alter nates in the district.’’ O’Leary’s campaign she pointed out, “Was a con certed effort by members of the New York gay and feminist communities in terested in making sure we have a voice at the National Convention.” More than 150 wlunteers worked over a three-week period, kafletting, hanging pos in the gay and feminist oars, restaurants, and meeting places^ and engaging in a CHICAGO - Over $60,000 has been pledged to finance and erganization to lobby for gay civil rights legislation. David Goodstcin, publisher cf The Advocate, emerged rom the March 27 Advocate tnvitaional Conference as a substantial power in the gay movement. _ - Goodstcin’s invitations only style met with considerable criticism within the gay com munity. Strident attacks were nude in several publications. JCeynote speaker Gay Aldridge opened his remarks with references to the many letters Ks boss Sen. Alan Cranston (D- CA) had received urging him not to allow Mr. Aldridge to speak. Over sixty, people attended the conference. Well known gay activists such as Frank Kameny, Barbara Gittings, Jean O'Leary aid Bruce Voeuer were present as was MCC founder Rev. Elder Troy Perry and other MCC notables Rev. Jim Sandmire of Ios Angeles and Rev. Ray Birchard of Washington. Nimcrous businesspersons were present. Jack Campbell of the dub Bath Chain and Don Embindcr of Blueboy magazine along with many business and ‘jrofcssional people unknown nationally but active in their local community, A detailed list of conference attendees will not be idcascd according to David Goodstcin. Conference ground 1 nilcs were made to insure that closet attendees would not be in chngcr of exposure. Security was highly in evidence to protect from outside htcrfcrcncc. Rumofs that .local Chicago groups * would picket were apparently un founded. Nevertheless, ad- nission to all functions was by name tag only and at least three persons from The Advocate staff controlled both entraces to the conference room ' - ( • Admid the controversy and security conference participants ailed through a fifteen point, four page agenda with sur- jrisingly little controversy. The major question, whether to organize a new organization to lobby congress for full civil, rights for gay people or to aipport existing organizations was decided narrowly after over sn hour of debate. Having opted for a new organization the conference adjourned for lunch. ' Luncheon speaker Gov. Milton Shapp cancelled and the replacement Nat Lairson , publisher of Qui inspired many to go elsewhere after lunch. The linchtime intrique aparently proved consensus. Few points of controversy were raised after lunch as. participants literally toad through some highly controversial proposals and amendments. Major structual changes were made in Goodstein’s proposals. The seven member board of directors was expanded to thirty with a provision that the board be half male and half female. Voting membership was ex panded to allow all members to vote and provisions made for voting memberships for those inablc to afford the minimum membership fee. The controversial “spoiler tesolution” brought a short but pointed criticism. The Goodstein proposal to disassociate the organization from “non- icgistered” organizations was quickly tabled. Tension was dbvious even as the proposal was overwhelmingly defeated. Fblitical activists obviously wanted more than a parliamentry defeat for these proposals. When the next “spoiler amendment” came up the conference’s strict procedure tracked slightly as several speakers rose to protest the tabling of the. amendment. Ope r esolution delt specifically wth preventing “media spoilers , i.e., gay people who were controversial from ap pearing or dominating local or national media. The tabling of the resolution was defeated and eventually the resolution was defeated 54 to 10. Resolution 15 concerning disassociation from revolutionaries was also defeated 1 .1 The budget was also greatly, altered. A provision for two lobbiest one male an one female was added and the budget ex panded from 43,000 to $105,000. The initial incorporating board is composed of Frank Kameny, Adam DeBaugh, Rev. Ray Birchard , David Harris and Gsiry Aldridge. The National Gay Task Force will co-ordinate membership and board nomination. Chapel Hill Hosts Southeastern Gay Conference Dave Kopay, Frank Kameny and Lorretta Lotman headlined foe University of North Carolina’s Southeastern Gay Gmference. The three day conference began with a keynote address from Washington based gay activist Dr. Frank Kameny. Kameny addressed the issues of the Supreme Court niling and the Advocate Invitational Conference held recently in Chicago. The dynamic activist capitvated his aidience with his inimitable style. Kameny also led workshops on Saturday on Gays and the Federal Government. D\ Kameny has been involved in extensive work for gay rights within the bureacratic machine of Washington and is currently rerving as a member of the District of Columbia Human Rights Commission. Kameny’s second workshop was overpowered by .. the Gays in Athletics workshops led by former Washington Redskin football star Dave Kopay. Kopay’s revelation in the' Washington Post of his sexual orientation caused a massive stir n the national sports media. Kopay led his group through a \ery personal discussion of the effects of being a gay person in die . athletic world. Lorretta Lotman held two workshops on Gays and the Nfcdia. Lotman stressed the need for gay people to reach out to media. Lottman also provided information on the technical aspects of preparing and distributing useable press rel eases. Forty-four hour long workshops were held Saturday. The range of topics was as varied as the lifestyles of gay people; Chapel Hill’s active gay community both on and off campus has consistently developed dynamic programs for gay people. The Southeastern Gay Conference is an example of the awakening of Southern gay peopl e. Conferences consisted heavily of UNC students. A apprising number of small Frank Kameny towns and major cities were represented. T the for HE BA news monthly southern gays j RB MAY 1976 VATICAN CITY - Pope Paul VI declared that accusations that he is a homosexual are “horrible and slanderous insinuations.” . The charges were made in ' the Italian weekly Tempo which reprinted an article published by a French author. Police have seized Tempo in Florence on orders from a state attorney and suite has been filed against the magazine ori grounds that they dbused the honor of the Pople. The article had alleged that the R>ple had as a boyfriend a vfrell known Italian movie actor. HONOLULU - The Hawaii House of Representatives passed a gay dvil rights bill March 15 by a vote of 44 to 7. The legislation would add the words “sexual orientation” to laws forbidding dscrimination in general em ployment, civil service em- ployment, union membership,: apprenticeships and real estate transactions. Hawaii gay ac tivists are now lobbying for ptssage of the bill in the state senate. ffiORIA - When asked if he would clarify his position on civil rights for gays, President Ford stated that, *‘I’ve always tried to be an understanding person as far as people are concerned who are different from myself. That doesn’t mean that I agree with what is done by them in their position in society. I think this is a problem that we have to face up to, but I can’t give you a pat answer tonight. It would be dishonest to say that there is a pat answer.’’ 19UNCETON - Princeton University’s new anti discrimination policy bans discrimination against gay people according to the school’s equal employment opportunity officer. SAN DIEGO - The Gay Student’s Union of San Diego State Ihiversity has filed a complaint with the Associated Student’s Activities Board asking that military recruiters be banned from campus because the military discriminates against gpys. Activities board policy is to suspend on-campus state to any organization that discriminates “in areas of race, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation or physical limitations. ’ ’ row YORK - A gay prostitution ring with employees as young as 8 is, operating out of a penny arcade in Times Square ac cording to the New York Dally News. The News said that despite intense police sur- \etflance the enterprise con tinues to flourish. The going price is $15. LEXINGTON, jCY The University of Kentucky gay students have bst another round in the battle for college recognition of their organization. The Dean of Students denied the application tf the Gay Student Coalition for jstudent organizational status. LOS ANGELES - Maurice Weiner, former deputy major of Ios Angeles found guilty -of violating lewd comfcict laws, was sentenced to two years probation and was fined $600. Weiner announced that he is moving to Washington DC. WASHINGTON, DC • The US Department of Labor is dscontinuing the use of its anti gay job Corps Health Program Nfenual Technical Supplement entitled “Sexual Deviation.” The Department explained that “ . . . the essence of the . present policy of the Job Corps is that homosexual and heterosexual staff and corps members will be treated alike.” LOS ANGELES - Democratic presidential candidate Jimmy Carter said that he would be willing to issue an executive order banning discrimination against gay people in housing, employment, immigration and the military with one exception: closeted people “in high security positions who might be subject to blackmail.’’ * DETROIT - A jury has awarded Carmen Leon, 27, $200,000 for injuries sustained in a rear-end auto collission four years ago. Leon claimed the accident turned him into a homosexual. Although the only physcial injury he suffered in the accident was to his bade, Leon said it had a jarring effect on his personality which altered his sexuality. According to Leon, the six months he was away from work robbed him of his masculinity. row YORK - The following statement was issued recently by D\ Bruce Voeller on behalf of the National Gay Taks Force: “We wish to state categorically that to the best of our knowledge aid information that neither Pope Paul VI, Richard M. Nixon, Bebe Rebozo, Henry Kissinger, Scoop Jackson nor J.Edgar Hoover are or were at any time practidng homosexsuals. It is cur fervent hope that our in formation is correct.” P«W YORK - Dr. Edgar Goldstein, reportedly the only Soviet refugee in the United States to have served on a Soviet psychiatric commission that examines dissidents and criminals for signs of mental illness, told the New York Daily News that people identified as homosexuals are treated as dseased people, sent by the courts to a mental hospital for hvoluntary treatment and lose all rights as hu man beings. Pierce Withdraws Anti-Gay Amendment ATLANTA - Councilman Hugh Pierce withdrew his proposal to drop “sexual^ orientation” of Atlanta’s/ Community Relations Charter April 8th. Councilman Pierce quietly withdrew his amendment noting the numerous messages and' dionecaJls he had received from. . homosexuals which he charac- terizecTas ’’emotional misfits”. Pierce’s amendment stemmed tom his personal objection to CRC involvement with the gay immunity last August^ and September when both monthly sessions of the commission were dominated by gay people and foeir problems with the Atlanta police department. CRC Chairperson Tarby Ekyant conveyed the com mission’s Unanimous opposition to the Pierce amendment. Bryant called on the council to “provide (the Commission) with the ability to be a forum for all problems in out city.” Bryant cited the need for the city to have »me agency that had toe authority to deal with crises when and as they arise. Human Resources Com mittee members concurred with Bfyant and Councilman Marvin Arright moved to broaden the scope of CRC’s charter to insure its ability to deal with the p-oblems of the Atlanta com- inanity. Commissioner Bill Smith told us “The sexual orientation, dause will no longer be in the (barter despite the defeat of Councilman Pierce’s proposal. I hope no one misconstrues this as an anti-gay move on condl’s part. The new wording of the charter will be devoid of specific reference to any groups. The dvil rights litany - race creed tolor ad infinituiri will be replaced by the words securing for all individuals in the city . . . freedom from discrimination thereby Gays to Demonstrate at Republican And Democratic Conventions ' NEW YORK - The National Coalition of Gay Activists (NCGA), held a news conference at the Biltmore Hotel to an nounce its plans hold massive demostrations • against the 1976 Democratic and Republican National Conventions. The demonstrations will be held in both New York and Kansas Gty.The group unveiled a twenty point Gay Liberation patform containing demands ranging from the “eliminationof tars to entry, immigration and naturalization of homosexual men andwomen“to the immediate release of all gay women and men now incarcerated in detention centers, prisons, and. mental hospitals because of sexual offense charges relating to victimless crimes or their sexual orientation.’’ NCGA President Morty Manford criticized the Democratic and Republican,, parties for their “callous disregard of gay people’s iindamental human rights and our status as second-class citizens. , “Attending these con- ventions," Manford said, “will be the very people who have - Bishop Issues BROOKLYN - Bishop Francis J.'Mugavero, leader of the one and a half million Catholics here, has issued a pastoral letter calling for implementation of the legitimate rights of all people, including homosexuals.’ blocked attempts to enact gay dvil rights legislation to protect against job and housing dscrimination in cities like Chicago, Boulder, Philadelphia aid New York.” Statement In the letter^ believed one of the first official responses from an American bishop to the recent Vatican declaration of sexual Uhics, Mugavero also urged “homosexual men and women to Continued on page 3. COVER STORY “Portrait of the Boy” from the collection of art photographs by Mr.; Paul, who through his lens has captured remarkable studies. His atist talent has captured the personalities of many and his glamorous photograph of Diamond Ill and other performing artists have been published in various commercial and informative magazines in the southeast. We are happy to share his work with you.

Georgia Historic Newspapers

The Barb. (Atlanta, Ga.) 197?-197?, May 01, 1976, Image 1