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Editor's Notebook
A good friend called the day
after the Supreme Court ruled
Virginia Sodomy law con
stitutional. He .was more than a
little distraught. He had long
been wofreied that the in
creasingly ’’conservative” court
would rule against us and had
advised the plaintiff in the case
not to press ffieTssiie. His worst
fears having now been confirmed
there could be no solace in his “I
told you so” conversation with
the plaintiff..
His was the first of many
calls on tfte court- ruling and
what it means for gay people. It
certainly does not mean the end
of gay civil rights efforts. If is a
stback. There will be no short
cuts from the long and laborious
bgisiative process that we must
confront But could we really
ecpect a silver platter? Yes the.
abortion movement (fid get the
court’s support but what about
blacks and women.
The 1964 civil rights
anendment was the result of
over 100 years of. struggle and
fee ERA is still not a reality.
Some of us have done
nothing in our own behalf
waiting for the court to save us
from our own apathy. The wait
s over and the ball is in our
court. The next shot is clearly up
to us. Equally as clear is what
that shot must be: legislative’
Florida Gay Liberation
News
By JOEL M. STARKEY
Gainesvflle: On February 29th,
the local newspaper in
Gainesville featured a Sunday
. Suplement with an article on
Council Blye. The article
which received wider coverage
vis-a-vis the news media was
titled ‘One Man’s Battle.’ It was
revealed in the article that
Council Blye was dismissed from
a teaching position at the
University of Florida in March
1972 after several, students
alleged he had proposition them.
Council Blye, a black male at the
predominatiy all white
university, denied the charges
and has filed a suite against the
tsriversity which is pending in a
federal district court and has
enlisted the American Civil
Liberties Union on his behalf in
effort to regain his employment
and clear his name of the ac
cusations. On the subject of
homosexuality the feature article
quoted Council Blye as follows:
"Bigotry is bigotry. I refuse to
allow society to place its
collective fears on me. If a
person doesn’t like
homosexuals, it is not the
homosexuals problem, it’s the
persons problem. I don’t like the
term homosexual. Instead I
prefer to describe it as a sexual
preference ... I can simply
parallel my feelings as a
homosexual with my feelings as
a black. I was startled to learn
how much of a parallel exist-
s ... Homosexuals are
people. They’re good neighbors.
People tend to react very
strongly. They think one’s full
time occupation is being
homosexual. But it’s like being
left handed or preferring roast
beef to spare ribs. Should I go
through life bemoaning the fact
that I am not right handed and
try to be right handed? My
sexual preference is but one
further episode in my long life of
confrontations.” On coming
out in the black community he
added, "People who heretofore
embraced me began to feel self-
conscious. 2 felt every other
facet of my being had been
deferred to homosexuality.
Homosexuality is not infectious
fa the same way TB is.” (Copies
of the article can be secure by
sending a self-addressed-
stamped-envelope to SGL, POB
2118, Boca Raton, FL 33432.)
Mbunit A recent issue of
Lesbians Speaks, a NOW
Lesbian Task Force newsletter
has indicated that the task force
meetings during the month of
Kfey will be used for working on
events leading up to an
exciting and fun-filled Lesbian
Pride Week, May 24th - 31st.
Fbr more information on this
activity and on the newsletter,
write to Dade County NOW Task
Force on Lesbianism, POB
330265, Miami, FL 33133.
Jacksonville: Community News
Calendar, an MCC newsletter,
reported that the gays associated
with the Homosexual Counseling
Journal held a conference in
Jacksonville at the Unitarian-
Uiiversalist Church for mental
health counselors and others.
D*. Ralph Blair, head of HCCS, a
•New York city based group, said
feat homosexualtiy is a normal
Thoughts of The Houston
Delegation To The Advocate
Invitational Conference
By HUGH CRELL
The five member Houston,
delegation came to the con
ference anticipating a stormy
session. Some of the responses
to the poistkm paper gave us
gpod cause to do so, and so we
agreed to vote as a concensus
Hoc. After each of us had
studied the agenda arguments
fadividually, we held a two hour
group meeting to work out our
dfferences, We also used time
at the Friday cocktail party to
pH other people for their
positions on key issues. We
were amazed at the high degree
of accord. Happily this carried
wer to the business meeting.
The problems at the con
ference were minor. We were
displeased that severaljittenders
had not come prepared.' Some
people had amply not studied
fee issues in advance. That was
inexcusable. The ejection of the
sole reporter left us without
major media press coverage,
which we regretted. The lesson
lobbying. Fourteen states have
eliminated their sodomy laws.
We have 36 states in which we
must work to eliminate these
bws. We can do that on a
Federal level through an
anendment to the 1964 civil
rights act as proposed by
Cbngressperson Bela Afazug.
Success in this effort will involve
ectensive lobbying on the local
level with congressmen and
senators from each state.
Two days before the court’s
ruling a meeting of sixty-five gay
activists was held at the O’Hare
Regency Hotel in Chicago.
Unlike the oourt’s ruling this
tneeting did not make the front
(ages of the newspapers across
the country. What happened
feere has been made even more
significant by the court’s ruling.
Essentially the Advocate
Invitational Conference has.
established a well funded
national organization for lob-
tying for a gay civil rights 1
bill. Over 60,000 of the 104,000
budget was pledged at that
meeting. ;
We can sulk in our closet or
we can open the door 'and our.
pocket books(walIets for those of
jou who feel that pocket books
stereotype you) and begin a
serious and earnest effort to
reform the, legal system under
which live.
Bishop
Continued from page 1.
a/oid indetifying their per-
sonhood with their sexual
mentation.” They“are so
much more as persons than this
angle aspect of their per
sonality.” the bishop said.
“That richness must not be
lost.” Mugavero said
lomosexuals have been subject
to misunderstanding and at
times unjust discrimination "and
that this has caused them to over
react. “It is not homosexuality
which should be their claim to
acceptance or human right-
s . . . it is the face we are all
brothers and sisters under the
fatherhood of God. Our com
munity must explore ways to
secure the legitimate rights of all
air citizens regardless of sexual
Orientation, while being sen-
ive to the understanding and
opes of all involved.”
m «ii i j*
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variation of the total human
sexual and affectional behavior.
Attempts at converting a
homosexual to heterosexual
behavior are “unrealistic and
even immoral.” Homosexuality
"confirms a man’s manhood^and
a woman’s, womanhood just as
heterosexuality does” and
“there are no single universally
applicable conditions for
homosexuality . . . there are
as many differences between
homosexuals as there are bet
ween heterosexuals.”
Boca Raton: The Southern Gay
Liberator is now distributing
copies of “Come Out Fighting’
to gays who request it. The
newspaper is put out by the
Lavender and Red Union which
s a gay liberation-communist
organization. In a recent
newsletter the Lavender and Red
Union put forth its policy on gay
liberation organizing as follows:
"We will not hide behind a cloak
of impartiality. We are upfront
gay people and communists. We
are partisans of gay people and
the working class and all op
pressed peoples. We wrill
present their point of view of the
world, the only view that holds
hope for humankind.” For a
copy of "Come Out Fighting”
send a large ,manillar envelope
with a 13 cent stamp and your
address to SGL, POB 2118, Boca
Raton, FL, 33432. (This offer
limited to gays in the South due
to limited resources.)
Mami: Rev. Keith Davis, pastor
of MCC Miami and a well
respected leader within the
Miami, gay community recently
'qx)k& on a popular radio talk
show. The talk show was called,
ironically enough, “Sandy’s
Peyton Place.” It was heard as
for north as Boca Raton, a
distance of some 50 miles which
fadicates that the show had an
^ audience potential in the hun
dreds of thousands. During the
course of the two hour program,
Rev. Davis revealed that less
than two years ago he had been
invited to talk to the Dade
County Doctors Association. He
was introduced as a guest
speaker on the topic of
homosexualtiy at which time he
related mote than half of the
(factors present got up and left.
After the talk he said one doctor
refused to shake his hand as the
doctor felt that the Reverends
homosexualtiy might be con
tagious. Rev. Davis quickly
replied that in that case he (the
doctor) should shake his (Rev
' Davis) hand in the hopes that he
(Rev. Davis) should become
heterosexual. The talk show
continued for two hours with
questions ranging on a variety of
topics including gay Christians,
the state of gay liberation in i
Miami, lesbians and a discussion
an the recent court rulings in
volving the rights of lesbian
mothers to custody of their
children. It was a very spirited
^dialogue and cast a positive view
of tne topics of gayness and
homosexuality. (SGL now has a
copy of the tape of this program
fa it’s library for use by people
interested in reseradi on gay
liberation in this area.)
Miami: The Thebans newsletter
a gay motorcycle club
newsletter, recently reported
that in a speech given in Miami
by Matlovich that he has adopted
the gay liberation slogan. ‘ ‘Gay
and Proud, Say It Loud.” The
newsletter indicated that
Matlovich plans to continue
lecturing and making public
appearances as an average
Continued on page 4.
to be learned is that local groups
should handle these
arrangements. The luncheon
qieaker was a mystifying choice
to us. Nat Lairson is the living
emobdiment of a liberal who
accepts gay rights intellectually,
but rejects it emotionally.
Perhaps some day he’ll get his
head and his guts together, but it
was very evident they weren’t
together at the conference. The
women who walked out on him,
we felt, did us all a disservice.
They had a golden opportunity to
meet the enemy in friendly
territory, but only Barbara
Gttings seized upon that op
portunity. And Lairson paid
dbariy for it.
The harmony that prevailed
at the business meeting was a
tribute to the dedication and
commendable priorities of those
in attendance. They had a dear
vision of what was to be ac
complished and knew how
faiportant it was. There were no
ego trips or power trips which is
tnusual for'a gathering that
size.
Goodstein did an excellent
job of chairing the meeting. He
lept the proceedings in control,
encouraged fair debate, seldom
editorialized, and accepted a few
lumps with grace. It was a
dfficult position to be in and he
carried ft off very well.
We were pleased with the
feminist sentiments that
provailed. The two major votes
dealing with equal gender
representation were over
whelmingly pro-feminist which
6 gratifying considering that
there were only thirteen women
among the sixty-four voters.
We were especially im
pressed by Gay Aldridge,
legislative aid to Senator Alan
Ganston. He gave a fine
keynote address. He has a keen
focus on political realities and
essential issues, and is
possessed of uncommon good
sense. We hope he will be able
to contribute much to the lobby.
The warm glow from the
conference lasted until our plane
stopped over in Saint Louis.
Behind lay Chicago. Ahead lay
Houston, an ambitious fund
raising project, and much hard
work. It was a sobering
realization.
HR 5452 ami the conference
have finally given our unpopular
movement a~~sense of national
inity. We have advanced from
city-state activism to _gay^rights _
federalism. It’s a new day.
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