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Atlanta Mayor Wins Phyllis Killer Oscar ATLANTA* Atlanta’s Mayor Maynard Jackson won the 8th Annual Cecile B. DeMille Award at the Phyllis Killer’s Annual Oscar’s Show. The Cecil B. DeMeille Award, like its name sake, is presented to the person who has done the most to enhance the gay community. The award was presented at the May 5th Oscars Show at the Sweet Gum Head Lounge. Accepting for Mayor Jackson was Atlanta Community Relations 2nd Vice-Chairperson Bill Smith. In accepting the award for Mayor Jackson Commisioner Smith cited the Mayors commitment both public / and private to the civil rights of gay people. John Austin, manager of the Sweet Gum Head Lounge presented the trophy -to the Mayor dti May lltn in a .short ceromony in his office.r. Mayor Jackson expressed his pleasure in receiving the Oscar -and reiterated his commitment to the basic civil rights of all people regardless of their sexual orientation. Mayor Jackson added “We haveproblems The process of' change takes time,...but we are committed in this administration and they know it.” Mayor Jackson received more votes than any other nominee in the 8th Annual Phyllis Killers’s Oscar Show John Austine (L), manager of Atlanta’s Sweet Gam Head Lounge, presents the Ceciai B. DeMille Oscar Award to Atlanta’s Mayor Maynard Jackson Demo Platform Gets Gay Input ATLANTA- Sheryl Pense, member of the board of directors of NOW, and Dr. Lanny Dykes, an Atlanta physician, both testified in favor of including a gay rights plank in the Democratic National Platform. Pense and Dykes were followed by four well Known gay activist; people in the areas of housing, employment, public accomodations and public service. The platform committee sat silently through-out- the presentations and asked no question of any of those who spoke in favor of gay rights planks in the Democratic Platform. Rev. Perry commenting on the lack of response from the committee said '‘every time we speak out we lay the ground work for action in the future.” BARB Editor, Bill Smith stated that, ‘‘testimony like this has been given in the New England hearing, now here in Atlanta and will be given again in every regional hearing they hold. By the time they begin srriting the platform they may have the answers to any potential questions stored in their heads. They cannot say we have not offered to resonably discuss the issue when gay demonstrators appear at Madison Square Gardens in July.” Sheryl Reuse Rev Troy Perry of Los Angeles, Rev. Jim Snow of Atlanta, and newly named National Gay Tak Force Board of Directors member Martha Smith of ALFA and Bill Smith of THE BARB - an Atlanta based gay newspaper. Speaking from prepared texts the four activist called on the Democratic Party to. in dude a call for the passage of civil rights legislations to prohibit discrimination against gay (Lto K) Dr. Laimey Dykes, Rev Troy Perry and Rev Jim Snow. NGTF Names Five Southerners NEW YORK (It’s Time) three Georgians and two Texans were named to the National Gay Task Force (NGTF) board of directors. The expanded thirty member board draws representatives from throughout the United States reflecting the national make up of the NGTF membership. Pocky Anderson and Gary Van Ottingham, both active in Houston's Gay Political Caucus, were named to the board. Martha Smith, an active member of ALFA (Atlanta Lesbian/Feminist Alliance) and B31 Smith, editor of THE BARB were also named. Dr. Louis Crew, founder of Integrity, from Ft. Valley, Georgia was the fifth southerner named. New Yorkers still hold twelve positions on the board with the west coast coming in second with seven members, four from FTU Hosts Florida Conference Orlando- The Gay Student Association of Florida Tech. University will host the 1st Annual Florida Gay Conference in Orlando May 29-31 st. The recent southeast wide gay conference sponsered by the Gay Student Union, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill has prompted the FTU Gay Student Asssociation to provide a state wide forum for gay activists and other interested parties. ‘‘Gay Unity Through Positive Action... Awareness... Pride...Political Action” will be theme of the conrerence. the news monthly for southern gays JUNE 1976 NATIONAL NOTES mid-atlantic states, two from the mid-west and the remaining five from southern cities. PORTLAND— Delegates to the General Conference of the United Methodist Church have refused to liberalize their stance on homosexuality. The conference refused to consider the ordination of gays into the ministry and the open .acceptance of gay women and men into the fellowship of the church. HONOLULU— The broad gay rights bill overwhelmingly approved by the Hawaii State House of Representatives in early March died quietly in early April when a senate committee chair refused to schedule hearings on it. The chairman of the committee said that a gay rights bill might create a backlash which would wipe out gains already made by gays in Hawaii. ANNAPOLIS— Two gay rights bills, one which would have repealed the state’s sodomy laws, and another which would have guaranteed civil rights for homosexuals were defeated by the legislature of Maryland. The repeal spurred the state’s first public gay demonstration as 35 gays gathered at the state capitol on April 5th to protest scuttling of the bills. SAN FRANCISCO— A federal appeals court has ruled that advocacy of gay rights causes and public admission of homosexuality constitutes ‘‘flaunting” of homosexuality and therefore can be a just cause for dismissal from a civil service job. According to the February decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the ninth circuit in San Francisco such “flaunting” is not protected by the Civil Service Commission. SACRAMENTO—San Fran cisco may have a gay sheriffs deputy, but it will be ~no dice if the subject of a gay law officer comes up in Sacramento County. The county’s sheriff says he’d object such a hiring case to the Supreme Court, adding, “if I ever had to call for services of a policeman, I wouldn’t expect the sheriff or the police chief to send out a queer.” INDIANAPOLIS- The U.S. Supreme Court took a “giant step backward” | in ruling that certain sexual acts between consenting adults in private could_be criminal, according to a noted sex researcher. Dr. Paul H. Gebhard, director of the Institute for Sex Research (The Kinsey Group) said that the decision allows for capricious enforcement of sex laws. LOS ANGELES- In a syndicated article, singer Johnny Mathis has denied that he is a homosexual and has stated that he would like to become a father, but he is too old fashioned to have children out of wedlock. SAN DIEGO- The San Diego State University student council voted to boot military recruiters out of the student union because the military discriminates against gay people. The council also called for a “blue ribbon” panel to consider whether the university president should ban recruiters from the campus altogether. LOS ANGELES- The University of Southern California Law School has formally adopted a policy of non-discrimination against gay pepple in both the selection of students and hiring- of faculty. The policy also bans the use of law school facilities by employers who discriminate. NEWPORT-. The Rhode Island Bicentenial Commission has refused to allow a gay group, Toward a Gayer Bicentenial to participate in Rhode Island’s bicentenial celebration. The group has appealed to the courts. Washington-, Leonard Matlovich's request for a court order forcing the Air Force to readmit him has been delayed until early May while his lawyers make an appeal within the Air Force bureauracy. LONDON- London’s Gay Times t reports that the United states Embassy in London has refused a visitor’s visa to a Birmingham man because he was thought to be a homosexual. JACKSONVILLE— Mayor Hans Tanzler of Jacksonville, FL. aenied a request from the city’s Gay Alliance for Political Action that a gay person be placed on Jacksonville’s Community relations Commission. Said TanzleT in response to the request, “I must at this time agree with the commission that the homosexual question can be handled by the commission with the membership as it now stands.” NEW YORK— The Co- Chairman of the National Committee for Sexual Liberties, agroup organized to fight for the elimination of punitive sex laws! has blasted the National Gay• Task Force and gay activist, Frank Kamenv. i» * ‘•♦atement to the Advocate , the Chairman said that the case which NGTF and Kameny took to the Supreme Court was litigated prematurely, poorly conceived and improperly and inadequately handled. The statement called Kameny “director general” of involving the rights of homosexuals, much to the dismay of those with knowledge. and competence in the law. OTTAWA- Canada’s capitol city- has outlawed discrimination against gay people in municipal employment. Toronto is the only other Canadian city to offer such rights guarantees, though the provincial human rights code of British Columbia recently was interpreted to protect gay people against discrimination. ATLANTA Gay Pride Week 76 Celebration ATLANTA- A march from Atlanta’s Civic Center, Saturday June 26th, will highlight Atlanta’s GAY PRIDE WEEK CELEBRATION ’76. The march was a traditional part of the Stonewall Commeration from 1971 until 1973. The 1971 march began at Peachtree and 7th. ’72 and ’73 saw the parade commence at the Civic Center and wind its’ way to Piedmont Park. 1974 and 1975 did without parades with Gay Pride Week activities limited to local gay organizations. The GAY PRIDE WEEK CELEBRATION ’76 Planning Committee has begun preparations for the celebration scheduled for the week of June 20-27. The planning committee, comprised of individuals from such diverse groups as ALFA, Dignity, Integrity, the Atlanta Gay Center and the Atlanta Metropolitan Community Church, arecoordinating efforts towards different workshops and meetings. Social, political and health topics are being developed. The planning committee has not finalized the schedule of events for the entire week of GPW-’76. A variety of local gay and non-gay figures from many areas are being sought for workshops pannels and parade day speakers. An intense publicity campaign is planned for the entire southeast to publicize the weeks events in gay lounges and generate a large turnout for the parade on June 26th. TENNESSEE’S Coagresswoman Lloyd Opposes The sponserS aim is to develope an association of “Florida Gay groups which will- move toward a consensus of positive action through a consensus of our own awareness, our own pride and our political action.” Registration for the conference is $5.00 prior to the conference and $6.00 the day of the conference. For advance registration mail your name, address, city, state, and your check or money order for $5.00 to: FTU Gay Student Asso., P.O. Box 26,274; Orlando, FL CLEVELAND, IN- Rick Russell, President of the Cleveland based United Gay Alliance, has urged the defeat of Congressperson Marilyn Lloyd (D) of Tennessee’s Third District. In a letter to Russell, Rep. Lloyd made clear that she will not support Gay legislation in Congress and that she does not ‘‘condone homosexuality because lama Christian and the Bible specifically condemns this.” Russell called her position unfortunate and “typical of the bigoted attitudes” held by many of the government representatives in the state. He went on to say that although the UGA does not generally elect to endorse or urge non-support of candidates, Rep. Lloyd’s attitudes make it necessary for Gays to “unite at the ballot box to assure that homosexuals representation in Washin gton. ’ ’ The UGA, a Gay civil rights organization working in the Cleveland-Chattanooga area, is currently involved in canvassing area legislators in order that their stands on Gay issues may be publicized. Questionaires dealing with such subjects as the Equal Rights Amendment and Gay rights have been mailed to officials in Tennessee. The The parade will assemble at the Pine Street corner of the Atlanta Civic Center parking lot from 1 PM until 2 PM. The parade is' scheduled to begin at 2 PM going up Pine Street to Peachtree Street turning down 14th Street and ending in Piedmont Park. Ed. Note: All people hi the Southeast are invited to come and celebrate march 26th and. daring the entire week of Jane 20th thru 27th. Farther information can be obtained by. writing to: GPW’76; Suite 1976; 20 4th St., N.E.; Atlanta, GA 30308 or by calling the GAY HELP LINE AT (404) 892-5855. Gay Rights results of that survey an expected to be released prior t< the elections in August am November. Anyone wanting mori information on Gay concerns it the Cleveland-Chattanooga are snould address their inquires t< Rick Russell, Post Office Boi 697, Cleveland, TN 37311. ON THE COVER Lee Davenport Is a YOUNGMAN. You will see him at the “in” place in Atlanta. He enjoys many things including dancing and sports. Youngmen like Lee are hard to find but a call to YOUNGMAN wifi make Lee a part of your day. receive