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CJCC Recomends Repeal Of Sodomy Law Atlanta- On November Criminal Coordinating unanimously mended the Monday, 22, the Justice Council recom- repeal of the state statute against sodomy. The Council, chaired by Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson, is made up of 30 state legislators, judges, law enforcement officials and concerned citizens from Fulton and DeKalb counties. It was established two years ago to insure greater efficiency in the criminal justice systems within the two counties, and to provide better communication among the several systems and their departments. The staff of the CJCC is also called the Crime Analysis Team (CAT) and it was their paper on victimless crime that the CJCC ap proved. The paper also suggested recom mending legalization of adultery and for nication, which are misdemeanors, that is. punishable by fines and up to a years im prisonment. In other sections of the paper G P A members Margo Gil Robinson. legalization of por nography, prostitution, gambling, and marijuana was also recommended. The proposals, written chieftly by CAT member Richard Clark, stated that “the treatment of victimless crimes has negative effects on the criminal justice system and on society generally. It unnecessarily ties up criminal justice Regional Offices For NGTF? Courtesy NGTF with toward by Chris Thompson NEW YORK- BARB editor, Bill Smith, recently elected to the National Gay Task Force Board of Directors attended the second meeting of the newly expanded NGTF Board. Tile new board represented a cross section oi the 2.500 plus members oi the organization. "The question of regional offices for NGTF was the main topic of discussion. Smith told us that “regional offices are a must for NGTF to achieves goals. I think the board, on the whole, is eager to proceed with regional office. The major obstical is NGTF’Southern continqent pose for picture at the October Board meeting in New York. Houston’s Gary Van Octeghem; Bill smith, Atlanta; Louie Crew, Ft. Valley, Ga. (Top row 2nd, LR) and Martha Smith, Atlanta (2nd roiy 2nd from end finances. If mem bership continues to grow at last years rates and the Tea Dance program is successful regional offices may become a Reality in late 1977 ” Continued on page 12 Activist Prisoner Slashed BARB NEWS SERVICE An inmate within hours of his release from the prison medical center without in stitutional hearing consultation with the prison psychiatrist singled out Leroy Shorter and slashed his throat. The ZVz inch cut severed veins and muscles and required over 50 stitches. Five prison officials were nearby when the in cident took place. Leroy Shorter was diciplined for his part in the incident by Lt. Wilcott. Shorter claims that Willcott and Shields had previously threatened him for his support of John Gibbs, a well known gay ac tivist prisoner. Early in April. 1976 LEROY SHORTER was released from the segregation unit into the prison population and was tnreated (according to Shorter) by Lt. Shields and Lt. Wilcott, “I am going to get you for em barrassing the ad ministration.” The inmate population prepared an affadavit and petition with over one-hundred signatures denouncing the disciplinary action taken against LEROY SHORTER, the victim' of the attack. Lt. Willcott destroyed both the petition and the affadavit. Sister Evelyn Ancilla, Convent of the Transfiguration, Glendale, Cincinnati, Ohio 45246, has organized a DEFENSE FUND FOR LEROY SHORTER. The Illinois Prisoners Organization located an attorney who visited Leroy Shorter on October 22nd. Attorney Jona Goldschmidt advised that he will be assisting_ Mr. Shorter “IN THE MATTER OF Continued on page 5 the news monthly for southern gays Holiday Issue NATIONAL NOTES Photo by Gil Robinson George, Karen Gold and resources that could be directed toward more serious problems. Treating these ac tivities as crimes un necessarily restricts the choices oi the general public, punishing some people but not others for their commercial and leisure pursuits. Finally, this treatment encourages side effects such as involvement by Continued on page 12 PHILADELP HIA- “I believe that gay people should have civil rights equal to any other people under the constitution,” Coretta King, widow of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, said recently. The Philadelphia Gay News reportecf that Mrs. King made the statement after a brunch in Philadelphia on October 15. The civil rights leader told Gay Raider Mark Segal that gay people are entitled to have equal protection under the law and encouraged gays to exercise their present rights of protest. NEW YORK- The National Coalition of Gay Activists(NCGA) has strongly con demned the country music song, “C.B. Savage” now being heard on AM radio. According to the NCGA, the record sung by Roa Hart is - a ‘'pametic, flighty, vacuous por trayal of a homosexual ‘citizen baner’.” The narrator’s charac terization of the ‘C.B. Savage’ as “lisping, odd and wierd serves to re-enforce false sterotypes and panders to the vilest of prejudices against gay people,” says the group. SAN FRANCISCO- The San Francisco Human Rights Commission unanimously ruled that the Pacific Telephone Company must issue a new employment statement barring anti- § ay discrimination. The ecision is a major test of San Francisco’s new gay rights law. If PT&T does not comply to Human Rights Com mission has the right to order all phone booths to be removed from San Francisco’s sidewalks. NEW JERSEY- A New Jersey state appeals court ruled November s that John Gish, a high school English teacher should submit to a psychiatric examination to determine if he is mentally capable of teaching and diseipling students. Gish says that the Examination , is a responce to his out spoken stand on gay rights and is a violation of his constitutional guarantee of free speach. MILWAUKEE- A member of the Army Reserve is an admitted lesbian said she will fight her honorable discharge from the Army. Miriam Ben- Shalom, 28, joined the Army Reserve three years ago and at that time, she said, she didn’t try to hide the fact that she was gay. Ms. Shalom intends to fight her discharge in the courts. SAN FRANCISCO- California’s newly elected Senator, Republican S. I. Hayakawa, continues to mystify California gays with his views on gay rights. Hayakawa nad been quoted early in his election battle with incumbent Sen. John Tunney as saying, “I am deeply prejudiced against gay people and I will vote that way.” In a later statement however, a west coast g ay newspaper quotes im as saying that although he considers gayness an p ‘aboi abomination”, he would be the first to stand up against anyone who persecuted gay ie merely because their sexuality. DAYTON, OH.: An Air Force serviceperson has been recommended for an honorable discharge for “displaying homosexual ten dencies” because he associated - with homosexuals. Staff Sgt. Jack Tyler who insists he is straight” noted that letters to a gay friend were used against him. Tyler said that he ended his letters to the gay friend with the expression “Fondly, Jack. WASHINGTON, D.C.- The Justice Depart ment released files recently that gave new insight into former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover’s interest in homosexuality. The Justice Department released heavily cen sored summaries of 164 folders of secret files many of which discussed allegations that various politicans, important people and government employees were gay. The files also contained several memoranda on many people who has reportedly said that Hoover himself was a homosexual. LOS ANGELES- The L.A. campus of U.C.L.A. has adopted a policy statement that No person shall be denied employment or any other benefit of employment on the sole basis of that person’s private sexual preference of orien tation.” WASHINGTON, D.C.- The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a New Jersey court order which instructed a divorced husband to pay his former wife alimony.The case is significant because the former wife is a transexual. The lower court ruled that the transexual was legally a woman and that the marriage had been consummated. The U.S. Supreme court ap proved of this reasoning and affirmed that decision. LONDON, ENG- Two Church of England bishops have con demned a form of marriage ceremony performed for two lesbian couples by the vicar of Thaxted parish church who is himself an admitted homosexual. The pastor defended the ceremony as only a private blessing. SOUTHERN SHORTS WINCHESTER, TENN.- An Episcopal priest, indicted on 16 sex related charges was an exemplary clergyman during his early years in Georgia, according to those who knew him. The Rev. Claudis Ira Vermilye Jr. 47, was indicted recently on various charges including crimes against nature and the alleged production of por nographic and homosexual films at his Boys Farm, Inc. for wayward boys. JACKSON, MS.- It didn’t take long for the residents of Hinds County to convey their reaciions-mostly negative- to state of ficials after receiving their 1977 licence renewals. The director of the Mississippi motor vehicle licence plate division confirmed that an “extraordinary” volume of discontent had been reported to his office within days after the mailing of 1,000 sets of new plates which bore the three-letter prefix “GAY”. The state has no plans at present to offer replacements to disgruntled motorists in the countv. RICHMOND, VA.- A federal court of appeals has ruled that public colleges and univer sities cannot refuse Continued on page 11 ON THE COVER Mr. Club Baths 1977 is Art Karopoulos. Representing the Club Lagrange Baths The competition for Mr. Club Baths is always fantastic and the winner is always a man to watch in more ways than one! Art is an aspiring actor and with his talent it won't be long before we see him at the movies! Photo Courtesy Gay Chicago Magazine by Tom Coughlin