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Coalition Candidates Win
Miami— Thirty-two can
didates endorsed by Miami's
Dade County Coalition For
The Humanistic Rights Of
Gays have won their party's
primary. The Coalition
originally endorsed fourty-
one candidates prior to the
September 7th primary.
Twenty candidates
endorsed by the coalition
won without a run-off.
Three additional candidates
were endorsed in the run-off
and twelve more coalition
endorsed candidates won in
the run-off primaries.
In three of the general
election races the coalition
found acceptable and is
endorsing both the
Republican and Democratic
candidates. Gay residents in
Florida's House Districs 110.
112 and 11.1 arc fortunately
assured of pro-gay rights
legislators regardless of who
wins the Noverncber 4th
general election.
In the eleven other races
where the Coalition has
endorsed candidates all are
democrats.
The Coalition has of
ficially protested the
campaign ethics of two
candidates Walter Saekett
(D) andBill Flynn (D). Both
candidates attempted to use
the Coalition’s endorsment
of their oppents Roberta Fox
(D) and Hugo Black (D) to
raise "homophobic” fears in
the voters.
Flynn's inuendos were
greeted by "boos'' from the
Tiger Bay Club audience.
Both Flynn and Saekett were
criticized editoriallv bv the
MIAMI NEWS and ' THE
MIAMI HERALD. The
HEARALD while criticizing
Saekett endorsed him over
Robert Fox. Black and Fox
won their primary races
despite the attacks by their
opponents. THE MIAMI
NEWS in an October 1st
editorial praised Miami
voters for not being taken in
by the “unfair attacks" by
the incumbent opponents (of
Black and Fox). THE
HEARALD in criticizing
Saekett said he had “gone
beyond the rules of fair
play, employing tactics that
smack of the McCarthy
era . " THE HERALD also
criticized Flynn calling his
actions "cheap-shot at
tacks" and ureitTjj him “to
stick to the issues and stay
off the low road of political
smear attacks."
In a letter to Lawrence A.
Gonzalez of the Commission
of Ethics, the Coalition has
advised the Commission of
the "smear" tactics of Reps.
Flynn and Saekett. The
Coalition has asked the
Commission officially to
investigate the charges and
respond to the Coalition.
Boh Basker in a
telephone interview with
THE BARB called the
Coalition efforts "most
successful." Basker is a
long time gav activist having
worked with the Matchine
Society in New York and in
the Mid-West, Basker said
the Coalition’s efforts were a
first for Miami and the
response was good. Getting
politicians to state favorable
position on consenting adult,
sexual orientation and ERA
legislation was relatively
easy.
The Coalition will
distribute endorsementlists
to voters for the november
general election and con
tinue to contact and screen
candidates.
Coaching Out For Gay
Ex-Football Hero ?
BARB NEWS SERVICE
Athens, GA. Dave Kopay,
the ex-Washington Redskins
football star who has ex
ploded the machismo myth
of the American athelte,
spoke to a lagre crowd at the
University of Georgia’s
Memorial Hall Ballroom. A
mixed audiance of over one
hundred tossed questions at
the handsom ex-football
player.
Kopay gave a brief
history of his life as a
football player and ot the
events that have followed his
explosive interview' w'ith the
WASHINGTON STAR.
Kopy was in Athens at
the invitation of the
University’s Committee on
Gay Education. The C.G.E
is the state’s oldest con
tinuing gay organization .
The C.G.E. has sponsered
the presentation of several
notable gay activist in
cluding. Washington activist
Commissioner Frank
Kanienv and National Gay
Task Force (NGTF) Excutive
Director Brusce Voller.
Kopay has no direct
involvement with gay
political efforts. He told the
BARB “I really am not into
politics...I like the National
Gay Task Force, ! know
several of them blit it’s just
not mv area."
Former Washington Redskin Football Star, Dave
Kopay
Kopay’s ■ short speach
was directed heavily toward
explanations ot tne closeted
bisexual activities in the
sports world and the
numerous letters he has
gotten from atheletes.
Kopay indicated that
acceptance of gay athletes in
sports is growing.. He
admitted, under
questioning, that his dreams
of landing a coaching job
probably could not be
realized in the near future.
Kopay’s book on his
experiences as a gay football
playeris scheduled for
release in February of 1977.
The book - THE DAVE
KOPAY STORY, An ex-
trodinary self-revolation will
be available through AR
BOUR HOUSE
PUBLISHING CO. in New
York.
Gay Pride Alliance
Questions Candidates
Atlanta - Most candidates in
Georgia’s House and Senate
races have no comment on
gay civil rights.
Only 17 per cent of the
candidates with opponents
in the November General
Election have responded to a
recent Gay Pride Alliance
(GPA) sponsored survey on
their position on Gay civil
rights.
Gil Robison, of GPA
expressed his disap
pointment at the low number
of responses to the survey.
the news monthly
for southern gays
November 1976
NATIONAL NOTES
ANN ARBOR. Ml.
President Ford has agreed to
review the United States
Immigration and
Naturalization Service’s
(INS) policy on the im
migration of gay aliens to
the United. States. •
Answering a question from a
reporter. President Ford
stated. "I was not familiar
with the fact that it
(homosexuality) is a basis
for exclusion. 1 was not
familiar with that as a
hindrance to a person
coming into the United
States. I think that is a
matter that ought to be
looked into and I will have
my people do so." His
promise to investigate the
immigration situation is the
first publicly supportive
statement which the
President has made on gay
rights.
CONCORD, N.H. - New
Hampshire has repealed its
sodomy laws. The repeal
took place, virtually . un
noticed, in a revision of the
rape section of the state’s
penal code that was done
over a year ago. The
package revision went into
effect on Aug. 6, 1975 and
was enacted on June 7,
1975. New Hampshire
becomes the 18th state to
make sex acts between
consenting adults legal.
MINNEAPOLIS The
Minneapolis Civil Rights
Department found that Big
Brothers, Inc. violated city
statutes in discriminating
against Gary E. Johnson, a
gay person who volunteered
to be a big brother. The
MCRD suggested a con
ciliation agreement that
would require Big Brothers
to allow Johnson to par
ticipate in the program, pay
Johnson $4,350 in damage
and attorney fees, and
actively recruit gay people
for the program.
PORTLAND, ORE.
Oregon’s American Civil
Liberties Union has listed
gay rights as one of its 1977
legislative priorities. Gay
rights bills have been
narrowly defeated in the
Oregon legislature two times
in the last two sessions. In
1975. the bill lost by only
one vote.
Portland, Maine: % The
Maine Gay Task Force
Newsletter has received a
$1000 grant from the
Haymarket Peoples Fund of
Cambridge, Mass. The
Fund is primarily interested
in financially assisting
progressive organizations
that are usually excluded
from aid by more traditional
funds or foundations.
The gram is intended
for production and
distribution costs of the
Newsletter and marks the
first time that a Gay
organization in New England
has received a stipendiary
award frome the Haymarket
Peoples Fund.
New York (NGTF): NGTF
Media Director, Ginny Vida
has announced the ap
pointment of Allen Rodkoff
as special council to Con
troller Harrison J Goldin.
Roskoff has been a principal
lobbyist for gay rignts
legislation in New York City.
His new duties involve
advising Goldin on matters
scheduled for a vote before
the City Board of Estimeate,
and require him to sit in on
all executive and general
session of the Board.
Roskoff is one of the few
open gays in key city
positions.
Commenting on the
addition of Roskoff to his
staff, Controller Goldin
stated, “Mr. Roskoff has
been helpful to me and other
public officials for a period
of years on an advisory
basis, and 1 am now pleased
to have his continuing
assistance as an official
member of my staff working
on important issues con
fronting the city.”
CHICAGO, IL. - Gay
marriage activists, Nancy
Davis and Toby Schneiter,
recently sentenced to a year
in prison for a sit-in at the
County Clerk's office in
Chicago, have been tran
sferred to the women’s
prison at Dwight, Illinois.
Chicago gay circles continue
to express outrage over the
extremely stiff sentences
which the two women
received for the “criminal
trespass" when they refused
to leave the county clerks’
office after being denied a
marriage lecensc. Their sit-
in prevented the closing of
the office.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The
American Psychological
Association adopted Sep
tember 5, a policy recom
mending that a parent’s
sc xual orientation * * sho uld
not be the sole or primary
variable considered’' when
considering disputes over
child custody or in
placement of foster children.
A one sentence resolution
on the subject - was
unanimously approved by
the 140 member governing
council representing 42,000
psychologists in the nation.
EMERYVILLE, CA. - Steve
Dain, a girl’s gym teacher
who was fired after he
underwent a sex change
operation but was ordered
reinstated by a judge, was
suspended on charges of
immoral conduct and un
fitness, Before the formal
suspension, Dain has been
fired by the school district
but was ordered reinstated
by a judge who ruled that
the district illegally
dismissed Dain without
roviding 30 days notice.
' e school district says that
Dain might cause
psychological harm to pupils
and might disrupt the
educational process.
Students in the school,
however, have supported
Dain and petioned for his
reinstatement.
si
SOUTHERN SHORTS
Only four candidates
responded by mail. (See
box) Julian Bond (D), ’ of
Georgia Senate District 39,
was among the most out
spoken in his support of the
Continued on page 2.
Atlanta: The National
Carter-Mondel Campaign,
has announced the addition
of Josephine Daly, staff-
person of the San Francisco
Human Rights Com-
misssion, Representative
Elaine Nobel of Boston, and
Jena O’Leary, Co-excutive
director of the National Gay
Task Force, to the 51.3%
National Advisory Com
mittee.
The 51.3".• Committee is
charged with advising
Governor Carter on the
appointment of women to
Federal positions. “As
President,” Governor Carter
said, “I intend to make the
fullest possible use of the
women of America in
helping carry out my
program for 1 . America. As a
candidate for President, I
am fully committed to
equality between men and
women in every area of
government ! and in every
aspect of life..”
The appointment of Daly,
Noble and O’Leary marks
the first time that known gay
people have been appointed
to an important national
advisory committee.
ATLANTA: The Division of
Vocational Rehabilitation of
the State Department of
Human Resources (DHR)
has paid for at least two sex
change operations at an
estimated cost of $10,000. A
spokesman for the Depar
tment confirmed that the
operations were done at a
cost of about $5,000 each
with the money coming from
regular rehabilitation funds.
The spokesman said that the
two operations were per
formed in a Jacksonville, FL.
location sometime before the
first of the year.
TALLHASSEE: G. Harold
Carswell, a one time
Supreme Court nominee who
was accused of making
homosexual advances to an
undercover police officer has
been convicted on a charge
of battery'. A charge of
attempting a lewd and
lascivious act was dropped.
The State Attorney said it is
standard procedure to drop a
lesser offense when a
defendent is convicted of a
more serious charge.
Battery is considered a more
serious criminal act than
attempting a lewd and
lascivious act.
ON THE COVER
Sadlle up for the holiday with our man of the
month, Don Hampson. Don will bo in Chicago
November 27-29 competing for the title of MR
INTERNATIONAL CLUB BATH CHAIN.