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Gay Pride March is Very Moving Experience by Larry Laughlin Memories of the Atlanta Gay Pride March are burned into my brain like the bright red sun burn I got from part icipating.Unlike many at the March, this was my first demonstration for any political reason. From the moment the Barbmobile arrived at the Civic Center I knew I was in for a high. People-lots of people-gathered to march for gay rights and gay pride! The idea of large numbers of gay people is always gratifying,but to someone who has never seen a larger gathering of gays than what the local bar can boast, the spectacle of 1,500 shouting their convictions was a thrilling vindication of the childhood myths I swallowed. If the March did nothing else but show other gays our potential, it was well worth the effort. The most gratifying aspect was the unity voiced by the entire group. Bar owners, Lesbian Feminists, gay Christians and Socialists all participated. Dif ferences in beliefs and perspectives were evident, but placed in a proper perspective behind the goal of the March: demonstrating for gay rights, gay pride, and telling Ms. Bryant she ain’t won yet. Signs such as “Women, Blacks, and Gays Unite to Fight Oppression,” “Jesus Died for My Sins, Not My Sexuality,” and “It Takes a Fairy to Make Something Beautiful,” were paraded before straight eyes. If I hadn’t been laden with two cameras, I would have joined in with “Save Our Homosexual Children.’’ There are criticisms I could voice about the event, but in the spirit of the March I intend to keep them to myself and affirm my feeling of oneness with what was expressed. For, alas, the high wasn’t to last beyond the evening news. Coverage by Channel 5 was evidence of the sort of conciousness we are up against. Stressing over and over that the March was “controversial,” the commentator indicated that little more than a disagreement with Anita Bryant was behind the March. Out of several speeches touching on many important points, only a brief comment about Anita was represented. Most baf fling of all was the choice of the only two people shown voicing an opinion about the event. One was a woman who happened to be in Pied mont Park. She thought the whole thing was “disgusting” and “non sense.” I kept a keen eye and ear out for reaction from people we passed and that is certainly far from the sentiment I saw expressed by most Democratic Gays Organize Atlanta - In an effort to expand the role of gays in local government, several Atlanta gay leaders met July 2 to form Georgia’s first gay Democratic association. Among those at the initial planning meeting were Rev. Howard Wells of Metropolitan Com munity Church; Frank Sheuren, local president of Dignity , a gay Catholic organization; Gil Robinson, and Dr. Stewart Strenger. “We hope to work not only within the electoral process,” Gil Robison told the BARB, “but also within the framework of the Democratic Party which has historically been more supportive of civil rights and individual freedom. Of course it is the major political party in Georgia. We are very optimistic about ad vancing gay rights by going this route. It has proven to be most ef fective in other cities across the country.” A voter registration drive is the new group’s first project. “Several of us have become deputy registars: You will soon see us around the com munity,” Robison said,“gearing the drive to the Atlanta city elections, October 4. The deadline to register is September 3. It is extremely important for gay people to vote, regardless of political preference. In the post- Miami anti-gay backlash that is developing, the power of the gay vote is going to be very im portant to prevent the erosion of tne gains the gay movement has made in the last few years. “We will endorse those candidates who support anti -discr imination legislation and the repeal of sodomy statutes used in entrapping and harrassing our people.” ‘We must show those ;us "them. One recently told me, ‘Frankly, I’m afraid. After Miami we’re all afraid.’ It is essential that we help them come out of the closet in their support of gay rights as well as dealing with those like City Councilman Hugh Pierce who have been openly homophobic for years.” The gay Democratic association, as yet un named, will meet July 28. For more information call 355-1416. politicians who support i that we are behind them people. The only other person given exposure on the news was a man in drag. Out of 3,000 people in the park, I observed two people in drag. I appreciated his com ments and certainly respect the right of anyone to the lifestyle of his or her choice, but representative, he was not. All this brings to mind what we are up against from inside and outside the movement. For awhile, people with ab solutely nothing more in common than their support for gay rights- civil rights-will have to speak with one voice on that subject. Gay people cannot afford the luxury of internal bickering and self-righteous preaching. There is too much to be gained from pulling together-even if only temporarily. So many are ready to throw in the towel, already burnt out from so little tangible results from their efforts. The kind of mentality we are dealing with is sometimes so overwhelming that it’s tempting to look around for a large, comfortable closet. But once you’ve tasted freedom, a diet of oppression will make you vomit. If there is an Anita Bryant, there is also an Elaine Noble. If there’s Miami, there’s also San Francisco, where an unprecedented 200,000 people marched in sup port for gay rights. There are victories to be won, and Atlanta’s March was proof that we have the resources, even in the Southeast, to win them. the news monthly for southern gays AUGUST 1377 VOL. 4 NO.6 Atlanta - Mayor Maynard Jackson issued a- Civil Liberties Day proclamation in the middle of Atlanta’s 7th Annual Gay Pride Week Celebration. The proclamation included “s among the mino citizens whose civil liberties should be protected. The Mayor noted that Civil Liberties Day included July 4th, Our Independence Day. No mention was. made of Jackson proclaimed Gay Pride Day and incurred heavy criticism from church and civic groups. The Citizens for Decency in Atlanta took out full page ads demanding the Mayor’s resignation or retraction. Jackson defended his action at a news con ference at City Hall with civil liberties groups and church leaders at his side. Organizers of Gay Pride Week 1977, Victor Host and Linda Rejgner, both expressed disap pointment at the Mayor’s failure to proclaim Gay Pride Day as requested. Victor Host sited the fact that 1977 is an election year for Jackson as the probable reason for his failure to issue a Gay Pride Day Proclamation this year. effort to talk with gay community leaders before he issued his proclamation. The media, fresh from its heavy coverage of Dade County, baraged his office as well as gay people with questions concerning what the Mayor would do. An aide to Mayor Jackson did call on one gay person to comment on the Civil Liberties Day proclamation just before the document was released. Despite heavy criticism from that source, the proclamation was issued unchanged. Reaction in the gay community ranged from disappointment to anger with most gays agreeing that election year politics caused the Mayor’s courage to fail.