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2 may 1979
Gay Austin
vol. 3, no. 8
Anti-Gay Lobby
Formed
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Claiming to
have 100,000 members and a budget of
$1 million, an organization called Christian Voice has been formed to lobby
against gay rights, pronography, child
abuse and busing and in favor of the
death penalty. The group, which has
four lobbyists, is an offshoot of the
right-wing fundamentalist American
Christian Cause, whose tax-exempt
status bars them from lobbying directly.
Christian Voice promotional literature links homosexuality, abortion, the
ERA and pornography and states, "We
believe that America's rapid decline as
a world power is a direct result of these
things." It claims that "homosexuals
are rampant in our schools, our government and even in many churches."
The organization's congressional advisory committee includes Senator Orin
Hatch (R-Utah), Senator Roger Jepsen
(R-Iowa) and Senator Gordon Humphrey (R-New Hampshire). It has been endorsed by eight House members including Representative Larry McDonald
of Georgia, well known for his opposi
tion to gay rights. Pat Boone, Lawrence
Welk and Art Linkletter are also listed
as supporters.
The organization's office is headed
by Gary Jarmin, legislative director of
the American Conservative Union, who
lobbied against the Panama Canal
Treaty and SALT negotiations, and in
favor of pro-South Africa and Rhodesia policies.
Steve Enden of the Gay Rights
National Lobby says the new group
should be taken seriously. "This is a
very serious threat to our movement,"
he warned. "There is a strong possibility that Christian Voice may not only
scare Congress from legislation designed
to guarantee civil rights for lesbians and
gay men, but that the Christian Voice
campaign could also result in the enactment of specifically anti-gay legislation as well. While the immediate
impact would be felt at the national
level, Christian Voice's organizing and
development of constituent support
around the country could well eventually have a profound impact on local
gay civil rights efforts as well." V
Puerto Rican Socialists
Back Gay Rights
NEW YORK - An overwhelming majority of delegates to the Puerto Rican
Socialist Party congress held last December in New York City approved a resolution condemning persecution and
discrimination based on sexual preference. The resolution states that homosexuals suffer oppression in living conditions, housing, and jobs and in public,
cultural and political life. It calls for
recognition of the rights of lesbians and
gay men as citizens and individuals.
PSP member Victor Lopez-Tosado
said, "The anti-gay movement has been
using gays as scapegoats to divide the
working class. It is very important for
the struggle of homosexuals in Puerto
Rico and abroad that a major socialist
party has come out on their side. This
is a historical resolution also because
the party is mainly organized in a Latin
American country where oppression, as
a result of machismo etc., to homosexuals is very common."
The PSP is an important force in
elections in Puerto Rico and is organized in major Puerto Rican communities in the United States.V
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GAY COMMUNITY SERVICES ?
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477-6699
IWY in Toronto: feminists demand lesbian rights.
Canadian IWY
Demands Lesbian Rights
TORONTO - The coalition which
organized Toronto's International
Women's Day demonstration in March
included lesbian rights for the first time
among their four demands. Until this
year, lesbian rights had been only a
subsidiary concern for the annual event.
Canadian women and male supporters demanded an end to harassment of
lesbians, full employment rights for
women, full funding of social services,
and free access to abortion and contraception as well as an end to forced
sterilization.
The coalition stated, "Women are
fighting back. This past year we have
fought and are fighting for our rights
in the work place. We have organized
to oppose changes in Unemployment
Insurance legislation. We've fought
against die attempt to shut down women's services. We've organized to oppose
the attacks on lesbians and gay men.
Individually and collectively, we've
organized to resist the attempt to take
away the gains we've struggled long
and hard to win."V
GAY AUSTIN is published monthly by Gay Community Services of the
University YMCA/YWCA, 2330 Guadalupe, Austin, Texas 78705. The
Coordinators of Gay Community Services include:
Carr Strong .General Coordinator
John Murray-
Bob Prewitt—
Gary Reese—
Publications Coordinator
_Office and Peer Counseling Coordinator
. Media Coordinator
Finance Coordinator
-Speakers Bureau Coordinator
Opinions expressed in GAY AUSTIN are those of the writer or editor
and not necessarily those of Gay Community Ser'ices, the University
YMCA/YWCA, or the advertisers. The publication herein of any person's name, portrait or photograph is not an indication of that person's
sexual orientation. All contents copyright 1979 by GAY AUSTIN.
Material may be reprinted without prior permission if credit is given
to GAY AUSTIN.
GAY AUSTIN staff:
John Murray-
David Morris-
Phil Conard
_Managing Editor
_News Editor
_Advertlsing Manager
CONTRIBUTORS AND COLUMNISTS:
Frank Answers, Stan Bear, Rush Cheshire, Phil Conard, David Drake,
Lars Eighner, Dennis Haney, Amme Hogan, Scott Lind, David Morris,
John Murray, Bob Prewitt, Frank Proschan, Gary Reese, Georg Stojcevic, Scott Van Osdol, Dan Transmission.
The following publications were used in compliling national and international news for this issue of GAY AUSTIN:
THE ADVOCATE (Los Angeles); THE AUSTIN-AMERICAN STATESMAN (Austin); THE BODY POLITIC (Toronto); GAY COMMUNITY
NEWS (Boston); GAYSWEEK (New York); OFF OUR BACKS (New
York); SEVENDAYS (New York).
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