| Transcript |
COMMUNITY
NEWS A
CAY gOLIOAR/1'Y -- Faet or Fit:tioJJ? paye 2
TROY PERRY page 3
VD and the Healthy Homosexual page 5
~~[L~[KJ@~ and the [}{]@(U]@~~l:\(illfil[L page 4
SERVING THE GAY
COMMUNITY 10( 1'HA1''g EN1'ER1'AINNEN1' paye 8
May 1974 - Fort Worth/Dallas Vol. I, No. 2
Fort Worth To Se Site of
Texas Gay Conference
The Fort \\orlh/Dallas l\klroplex Gay Council has announced that on June 21-23
they \\i ll sponsor a Te:'l.aS Gay Confrren<'<' lo be held in Fort \\orth. The Council expeds
the thn•t• days of workshops and lt'dures will attract gay people from all over
T<':'l.as and tht> South;H'SL The Confrn·n<'<' will he sly led for non-movemt>nl gays as
M'll as rnov<'m<'nl gays, according lo Confrn·rH·e Chairperson Charles Gillis.
"Gay Pt•oph• who are in organizations are a small minoril} compared lo non-movenwnt
gays here in Tnas. \\c want to reach both groups - to help the non-mowmenl
gays h<'ltt•r understand the gay movement, and help the movement gays with the lechni<
·alilies of Llwir work," said Gillis. lie also pointed out that the Conference will be
for the <'xpression of all viewpoints, both rnnservative and radical and in between.
O nt• of the o hjel'l ivt's of the Conft•rt•m·e will lw lo form a sla te coalition of gay organizations.
The gay organizations of Texas an• hein11: requested to send del<·11:att•s to
tlw Conference lo voice opi nions <'On<•<•rnin11: a eoalilion. During the Conference a business
session of the delegates wi ll be called with the hopeful outcome of a unil<'d gay
Tnas.
Council Coordinator Wayne ll ibhk poin ts oul, "\\e have so much more strength in
urrily. The Council was formed hy four dedieated groups in the 1\letroplex, so Lhal
''herr the Courrcil speaks, il represents hundreds of \1elroplex gays. If something like
llouslon should ever happen again, we have the strength to defend oun;e(ves against
the lies of Llw homophobic world. Wouldn't il be great if the entire slate '~as united
in this way·~"
Gillis has announeed tha t the fcalur<'d speak<'rs for the conference will be Barbara
Gillings an cl Dr. Franklin Kameny.
Dr. l\.arneny is an astronomer and physi<•isl, with a Ph.D. from Harvard Lnivt'rsily.
lie is also the founder and presid<'nl of the \1attachine Society of Washington, D.C.
Barbara Gilli11gs is the renown('d Lesbian/feminist leader who is coordinator of
the /\ nwrican Library \ssocialion's Task For<'c on Gay Libt'ralion.
/\ ft•w of the proposed workshops for the Corrfer<'nce include: Dealing with Public
Officials, Gays and the Law, Human Lih<'ralion, F<•minism, Religion and the llomost':'
l.ual, fl('(aliom•hips, Gay Lilt'ralure, Gay Culture and Ilislory, Fund Raising, the
''kws \ledia and many more. The Council hopes to ha\e local professionals, civil
right;; leacl<'rs and public officials partiripatt• in the workshops. In order lo protect
some of th(' workshop leaders, they ''ill nol IH' announced until the Conference.
"Tlw gay public leaders \\ill he announced ll<'forehand, of cour:;e, but we have a
<·ommilnll'nl lo protect the non-gay and gay volunt<·crs who could place themselves
irr j<•opardy by aiding us," Gillis pointed out.
R<•gistralion for th<' Confl'rerH'<' has h('gun, fres h<•ing I 0 per pertiOn, or L 5 per
<'oupl('. Th('re art' also a limitccl numlJ<'r of scholarship registrations available lo low
irworn(' p<'rsons. Free housing will he available on a firs t-come, first-serve ba~is for
pn·-n·gistrants who request it. For more information, write the Council's Fort Worth
address, P.O. Box 73 18 , Forl Worth, TX 761 JI; or call (817) 838-2095 in Forl
Worth or (2 1 ~) 71.2-L 94 7 in Dallas. (Registration Form ebewhere in this issue.)
The Fort \\or lh/Dallas \klroplex Gay Council i:; made up of the Fort Worth and
Dallas Chapters of LIH' Daughlt•rs of Bilitis; Fort Worth's \ R \and Friend of .l<'sus;
and Dallas' Cirel<• of Friends.
RETROSPECT
Gays and B lu ecoats
Get It Together
by John Tiffany, Chairperson,
Political tction Committee of 1l R t
Wedne~day, .\larch 13, ''as LIH' da)' that \\a)'nc Ribble
an cl I began for ,\LR\ what could be a long and beneficial
dialog with the Fort \\orlh Police Department. \s \dvi~er;..
of AURA, and on behalf of Llw Fort Worth Gay Community,
we met with the Deputy Chi<·f of Police, H.F.
Hopkins, and then ,,;1h the Captain of the Vice quad, C.
E. Hogue. The meetings \\ert• productive, and \LR\joins
with Chi('{ Hopkins in his "hope that \le ha\e opened a
channel of communication between Llw police and the gays
of Fort \\orlh . ., •
Chief Hopkins set the tenor for
the cards-on-the-table discussion
by stating that he didn't know very
much about gays or queers
- but that he didn't have any adverse
feelings about them. As
far as he was concerned, all human
beings deserve respect and
the equal protection of the law;
futhermore, he felt that the word
"queer" was used out of habit
and was not an epithet. It seemed
to both of us that Chief Hopkins
is a man secure in himself
who can realistically appreciate
the problems of gays as related to
the law, even if he cannot understand
homosexuality per se.
In the course of the discussion
the topic turned to a film at one
time used by the police academy
in the training of rookies and
(Continued on Page 7)
LPRE'.\fE COURT RULE
\G\.I STOR;\G
W4Slll.VGTO.\ The Supreme
Court handed doY.n a decision
the week of April 7-13 which upholds
the Houston "disguise ordinance"
Y.hich bans transvestism.
The court, in upholding the
ruling of a lower court, agreed
y,;th arguments by the State of
Texas that ordinances banning
transvestism helped protect the
survival of the race by banning
homosexual guises.
{l:.iiiror's Sore. Commwrin·
Nell's was giren this story ;r
press time. l\'e were 1111ab/e ro
check into f11rrlrcr facts co11ccmi11g
it, except to 1wify tire srvn·.
In tire next iss11e we will /rare~
mor<' Jt'taileJ arriclc.)
Editorial
By Ken Cyr, Director of AURA
The following article was written by John
Tiffany, chairperson of the Political Action
Committee and an AURA Adviser. I felt it
was quite appropriate and had a beautiful
message. It is something that we all need
to think about.
ONE MAN'S OPINION
GAY SOLIDARITY-FACT
OR FICTION?
by John Tiffany
What happens when you hear that there will be a costume
party May 1? Maybe your reaction is anticipation of the
great moment when you can dress in all your finery for the
admiring eyes of the other drags. Maybe it is ho-hum, big
deal. Perhaps it may be an irritation that a bunch of
queens who look like Phyllis Dillers are going to be rummaging
around in the bargain basement of the Salvation
Army.
Much the same type of responses are evoked at the sight
of an especially macho guy in levis and boots. Some may
call it cowboy drag and ask who that Auntie Tom is trying
to fool. Or was he trying to pass for straight? All these
snide comments point to a dichotomy of spirit which divides
the Gay Community.
Too many people advocate liberty and respect for alternative
lifestyles without really believing in these concepts.
They are only chic platitudes to be mouthed in an effort
to appear truly liberal. And what about the attitudes of
Gay men toward our sisters? And vice versa?
Sexism, intolerance and a lack of love and understanding
are the barriers which hinder the formation of a sense of
community and a Gay solidarity which could be a powerful
force for all of us when dealing with non-gays. Think about
it! When was the last time that you ridiculed or otherwise
denigrated a fellow Gay for not meeting your expectations
in some superficial area?
It's not really an unsurmountable problem; all that is
needed is an awareness that the problem exists and a willingness
to put aside petty prejudices. Mistrust, misunderstanding
and thoughtless derision are well enough left to
ignorant "straights." We hardly need to oppress, ridicule,
or hold in contempt any of our brothers or sisters whatever
their lifestyle. We can be proud, we can be beautiful,
we can be together: for Gay is Good, Gay is Love.
Think about it.
The official views of A URA and this newspaper are expressed
in the editorial column above. Opinions expressed
in by lined columns, letters and cartoons, however, are
those of the writers and artists and do not necessarily
represent the opinions of A LBA or COHUl.'VlTY l\TEWS.
Michael Walton-
Charles Gi ll is·
David Stevens
John Ti ffa ny .
Sp i ggot · · ·
Jay Alexander
Staff .. Wayne
Chairperson, Communications
Committee of AURA
Publication Coordinator
. -Art Di rector
. . -Photographer
. Cultural Writer
Amusements Writer
Ribble, Ken Cyr , J immy Steele
IT'S OFFICIAL-WE'RE
NO LONGER SICK!
WASHINGTON- The American Psychiatric Association has announced
that a vote by mail of its membership has upheld the decision
to remove homosexuality from the list of "mental disorders".
The association said that 5,854, or 58 per cent, voted to back
the board of trustee's redefinition; 3,810, or 37.8 per cent,
voted to revert to the old listing; and 367, or 3.6 per cent abstained.
About half the association's members took part in the nationwide
balloting.
At its regular meeting, Dec . 15, the association's board ruled
that homosexuality should no longer be listed as a mental disorder
and urged that gay people be given the same civil rights protection
guaranteed other citizens.
The board also replaced the homosexuality category with a new
one-sexual orientation disturbance-which it said was "for individuals
whose sexual interests are directed primarily towards people
of the same sex and who are either disturbed by, in conf l ict with,
or wish to change their sex_ual orientation."
"This diagnostic category is distinguished from homosexuality
which, by itself, does not necessarily constitute a psych iatric
disorder," the board said.
The vote was prompted by a petition from about 200 dissenting
psychiatrists.
Publication of the name of any
person, business or group in
Community News should not
be construed as any indication
of the sexual pref erence of that
person, business or group, or of
their employees or members.
ADVERTISING RATES are $1
per column inch. Want Ads are
5 cents per word.
Community News is published
monthly by AURA (Awareness,
Unity and Resea rch Association),
P.O. Box 7318, Fort Worth, TX
7611 1.
SUBSCRIPTION RA TE is $3. 00
per year, mailed in plain envelope.
LETTERS to the Editor of Community
News should be signed.
However, name will be withheld
upon request. All letters are subject
to editing to meet space requirements
and to remove possibly
libelous statements.
Co" espondents and staff writers
are needed, as well as artists, typists
and other workers, if Community
News is to thrive and
be able to effectively serve the
Gay Community. Won 't you
help us. Write Mike Walton or
Charles Gillis, P.O. Box 7318,
Fort Worth, TX 76111, or call
(817)838-2095.
Page 2
TROY
PERRY
"}ou know, many times when we have
our beach parties everybody cuts up u:ith
me. I put 011 my bathing suit, I go running
out to get i11to the surf A11d they say,
'th, the pastor is going to practice walking
on the water.' Well, I want to tell you something.
Thr l,ord literally helped me walk on
the water this last week. A 11d that was the
water of prejudice and the water of hate.
lie didn't let me sink down. I didn't have
to get down there with them! I held my
head high, and I know everything is going
to u•ork out.
"I'm not afraid because I'm happy! I
know that God's right there, and lie 's making
me the happy perso11 that I am! lie 's
making you happy. You've all got something
to be happy about this momi11g. "
- From a sermon by the Rev. Troy Perry
77ie accompanying article is edited by Ken Cyr with
material from the Atlanta Barb and Rev. Perry's book,
The Lord Is My Shepherd and He Knows I'm Gay.
TROY PERR r is probably considered the mo~l dynamic of all gay lea<'··r~. The Re\.
'.\1r. Perry \viii be in Dallas al pres,; lime, so in honor of his visit Community \ews'
first monthly Profile will be about him.
Rev. Troy Perry is the founder
and Moderator of the Universal
Fellowship of Metropolitan Community
Churches. Troy heard
the call of God when he was 13;
but it wasn't until 15 years later,
when he heard the cry of his fellow
man, that his real ministry
began.
He was born July 27, 1940, in
Tallahassee, Florida, to a couple
that was to produce four more
sons. Troy's father was a successful
farmer, businessman and
bootlegger, this last profession
leading to his violent death in
1952.
Mrs. Perry chose her second
husband unwisely. The man
drank heavily, mismanaged the
family business, and beat the
children, especially Troy. Troy
rebelled by running off to live
with relatives in South Georgia.
His act gave his mother the
strength to pack up the rest of
the boys and start a new, independent
life.
It was in Georgia that Troy
started preaching, inspired by his
Aunt Bea. He lived with her for
a lime in El Paso, Texas, and
then returned home because of
his mother's strong desire to
keep the family together. Young
Troy preached to Pentacostal,
Church of God and Baptist congregations.
It was a Baptist
Church that licensed him to
preach when he was I 5. To pursue
his calling in the South, he
followed the "unwritten law"
and took a wife when he was I 8;
they went to Chicago so he could
enter Bible College.
But Troy had been aware of homosexual
feelings within himself,
even before he was old enough to
understand them. Despite several
experiences as he was growing
up, he hoped to sublimate his desires
in marriage and his ministry.
He couldn't understand why
God would have made him a homosexual,
yet called him to a
profession where such people
seemed out of place.
While attending school in Chicago,
Troy pastored a nearby
Pentecostal church. But a former
lover, in a fit of jealousy, exposed
him to the district overseer;
and Troy was ordered to return
immediately to Florida.
There his work continued, and
he was ordained. But Florida
was conducting a "witch hunt"
for homosexuals in t 961, and
Rev. Perry walked under a heavy
shadow. His wife had teamed about
him in Chicago, and stood
by him; they had a son. His mother
also learned about his homosexuality,
and came to accept it
because she loved him.
He returned to Chicago to finish
school. He took a day job
with a plastics firm and attended
Moody Bible Institute at night.
The plastics company offered
him a junior executive position
at a new plant they were opening
in Torrance, California, and
he accepted.
In California, the Church of
God of Prophecy, a denomination
he had been attracted to in
Chicago, gave Rev. Perry a congregation
to pastor in Santa Ana.
He preached the straight and narrow,
and practiced what he
preached. But he felt vaguely unfulfilled.
He was 23.
Like many gay people, Rev.
Perry knew nothing about homosexuality
except from his own
experiences, and the negative attitude
society had drilled into
him. Now he began reading about
the subject, and at last accepted
the fact that he was, indeed,
a homosexual.
Though he and his wife still
loved each other, and now had
two sons, Rev. Perry felt that
the only honest thing they could
do would be to separate. She
took the boys and returned to
her family. At the same time,
he was forced to resign his pastorate.
He moved to Huntington Park,
where his mother was living with
a new husband. Rev. Perry became
acquainted with the Los
Angeles gay scene, and formed a
fast friendship with Willie Smith,
who was to become music director
of the church Troy was to
found.
No one but God had any inkling
of this in 1965, when Rev.
Perry was drafted. He had an active
gay sex life in the Army,
both stateside and in Germany,
where he spent most of his twoyear
hitch.
Back in L.A. he moved in with
his friend, Willie Smith. A friend
of Willie's introduced him to
Ben, the young man who was to
become his hrst real lover. Rev.
Perry felt head over heels in love.
But his love for Ben replaced
his love for God~ and when their
affair ended, six months later,
Troy felt completely alone. He
attempted suicide. His close
brush with death brought him
back to God, and his mission began
taking shape in his mind.
If he was waiting for a "si~."
it came in 1968 when a friend of
his, Carlos, was arrested as part
of a harassment campaign by the
local police. After Rev. Perry
had obtamed his release, Carlos
was inconsolable; he felt that no
one cared about him.
"God cares," Troy said almost
automatically.
But Carlos, who had been told
by the pastor of his church that
he couldn't be both a homosexual
and a Christian, wouldn't believe
it. "God doesn't care about
me," he said.
Rev. Perry realized then how
many of his fellow gays felt the
same way- he himself had had
doubts; and he knew what he
had to do.
He took out an ad in the Advocate,
a national gay newspaper
based in Los Angeles. announcing
that the first service of the
Metropolitan Community Church
would be held October 6, 1968.
Rev. Perry conducted the service
m his living room, wearing borrowed
vestments; I:! people attended.
The church continued and
grew. Doctrines had to be ecumenical
enough that no one,
from whatever denominational
background, would feel left out.
And MCC could not exclude nongays,
for that would be to practice
in reverse the discrimination
that had been used against gays
for so long.
After five years, the fellowship
had expanded to more than 50
congregations, all over America
and in other parts of the world.
Rev. Perry stepped down from
the pastorate of the L.A. church
to become Moderator of the
Board of Elders.
And despite some setbacksthe
fire bombings of church buildmgs
in some cities- the MCC
ministry has grown continually
and phenomenally.
Page 3
l\1ETROPOLITA~
COl\11\1 U ITY
CllURCll
Rev. Richard Vincent, Pastor I OF DALLA
31l:H Ross \H'nue
826-0291
(on leave of absence)
Rev. David Carden, Acting Pastor
Sunday Services 11 :00 a.m. & 7 30 p.m.
Thursday Services: 8:00 p.m.
"A OiristiOll Oiurch for all people in 01ristian Lo1•e"
Community Semce Center Crisis Line and Gay Information
Center, 826-2192, Monday Saturday, 7 p.m.- 11 p.m.
SILENCE AND THE HOMOSEXUAL
I 1Vas never quilt• certain that the lime would ever arise.
\rtuall}, I never much thought of it, or if I did, I quickly
argued the thought away. Why disturb pt•opl(''~ Unfortunatt•
as it is, l\e often enjoyed helping to realize tlw absurd
idt>al, of ~liddlc .\merica for those \\ho helit•H•cl in them.
Pt·r-;onally, I have never been abll' to live in tilt' soothing
comfort of a clrf'am, much less ont• t'ncouraged h) tht• existing
socit'l}. 't et in a vicarious and soml'\\ hat pen erse st•nse,
I have oftt·n t•njo}ed watching otllt'r' '<'<·mmgly n•wl in
their '<latt•-supported fantasy, gleefully una1Vart• of its vacuity.
l'io doubt. many of m) compatriob 11ill violently disavmv
mt•, hut in 'Pile of all that has happ1•nt•d, in spilt• of
all that could happen, I can still find mr<·lf slyly squt•rzing
mpt•lf into the ideal and often manelli11g at ho\\ well I can
do it.
l\e ahvays lovrd the feeling of belonging, espt'cially whrn
I knew I actually didn't belong at all. This was no excep·
lion. Rugs thick on the floor of a home adequalt'ly, y<'l
taslelt>s.•ly, decorated, a color lf'levision brightly shining,
surround1·d by boys and girls doing and being 1vhat tlwy
n•,pel'livel) ',hould'. \\ho am I to 1lisrupl sud1 t•t·,tas}
11ht•n silt•nct· or, al mo,.;l, incons1•qw•ntial untruths would
sa\t' a floundering dream from unsuspectt·d inundation.
Yt'l I have a(,o loved belonginl!: to the gay underworld. I
find it an e'l.citinl!: and wonderful experirnl't'. \nd so the
qut•stion,.; of personal truth, personal integrit}. and se(f.
1•,lt·t·m inevitably arise. They, too, art• easy to dismiss.
\\hy go proclaiming that you are homosnual vvht•n lwtcro,,
e ... uals do not announce thrir personal sc'l.uality. And fantasies
rontinue! We outgrow many things. Happily, cowarcli('
e and naivete are sometimes among them. Both were
somt•1vhat diminished 1vhcn I finally rl'alizt•d that silt•11re
about ont•'s ,;e,uality i~ a tacit assertion that it is sp('cifically
lwtero,t•'l.uality. If a person be homo,e'l.ual, he thereby
contributes to the de~truction of his vt•ry existe11ce.
Pt•ople tt•nd to cli,.;count the importante of Lhe linguistil'
n•ality in our daily li1es. I am rem111dr1l of a pa"agt· in
lorw-t'o \ ab,urdist pla)', The Bald ''ioprano, \\ lwn• tlwre is
a di-nr--ion about the impossihilit} of di,tingui,hing llw
p1·opl1· \vith the same name when tlwy 1vt•re s1•t•n lo!!:Plher.
\ 1vorcl can be t'Vt'r)' thing. Oftt'n, nothing 1•lst• "ill 1)0.
• upt·rfiriall). we need look no further than th<' marriage
ml\ for proof of thi,. But on an t•lusi\t•ly drepn ll'vt'I, an
t''l.flt'rit•nct• ran he "ilfrd into practical no111•'1.isl('111·e if it is
not v1·rbalizecl, if it is deprived of linguistic reality. This
oft1·n opt'rate' consciousl) for tht' i1N111t• an1l larg<'ly unco1N
·iousl)' for the rest of us. llo" many homost''l.Uals
haw thu, bern silrnct'd into )('ss than full reality by tlwir
familit•, ("\\ e kno1v he i.\ but M' don't talk about it; it's
ea-ier for us all that \\a).")
Tlw ti mt' mtbl come \\hrn IH' must make an is,ut• out of
somPllring that people go to suth lenl!:ths not to makt• an
i--ut• of. If thrre is going to be silenn•, \\e 1wuld wi,h that
it ht' an lionr. t silt•ncc. But thr silenct• prevalent in many
of our farnilit•s i, inherently penerse and d(',lrut'live. It is
a silenre that cries out to he somt'lhing t•lst•, a frrtilr bn·1·1ling
ground for rreudian slips. ,\t any rat<\ it is not a silenrt•
that refrains from verhali:i:ation for fear of owrslating
tht' obvious. It is a silence that "ishes tlw all too ohvious
would di,appl'ar from the earth.
by Timothy Habick
The only acceptable type of silence would come from a
person who fully realizes and accepts the possibility of a
variety or continuum of se'l.ualitit·~. For such a pnson,
people are approached more as sexual being" than as specif
ically homosexual or lwll'rose'l.ual beings. I le rt'ali..:1•s that
such fragmentation of st''l.uality places a limit on whom ont•
may love or have a speeial relationship with. lie n•j1·cls tlw
schizoid s<•xuality of modt'rn socit'ly as a ust'lt•ss and ndarious
abstraction. Sexuality is thcrt•fore certainly not a11
is..ue with him.
nfortunately, of course, peopl<' with ~uch an aquarianlikc
t•xpanded consciousnt•ss art• hard to find. Indeed, tlw
modern worltl is teeming with p1·oplt' whost• sile11c<' is oppressive
and mm.t b1• broken and destroyed.
I am st•nsitive to the ideals of disc rt'lion in socit'ly. I have
no innate desire to outrage my associates. Y t'l I say that
they must i111lee1l lw rep1·atedly outraged. \lrrle Milin, in
the afterword of his t''l.ct'llt'nt 1•ssay, "On Being Diffrrenl,"
arrivt'd at th1· ultimate t•xplanation of the situatio11 that tlw
responsiblt• homos1·xual is in:
,\young homost''l.ual fri1·nd rt•ct•nll) saitl, "It's no
serret that you, that Ollt', has such-and-such color
hair, is )t'a high, \\eil!:hs thus and so. and so 011, hut
whrn ) ou kt•ep ont• part of yourself secret, that becomes
the most important part of you."
I have many frit'nds (even a couple of enemies, I'm happy
to add). \lost art• homost•'l.ual, but quite a few have lwtrrosexual
l<'1Hlt•nc1t•s: I low them all more than they suspcet.
But sooner or later in a perso11\ life, he muol ask a
few ultimate question~. For tlw homosexual, these must include
a recognition of his personal sexuality, the st't'rt'livt•
and therdor(' most important part of his being. Ill' must
lsk wlwtlwr his friends would ht' outraged hy his sl'xualily
and, if so, wlwtlwr they any longn dest•rve to be his friends.
lie mw.,t he n•ady to lost• frit>1Hb and possibly makt• 1'11t··
mic>. Whom. aftt·r all, an· IH' fooling'( But most impor·
lantly. ran w1• afford dis,t•mhlance in such crucial mattt•rs,
matters that afft·c·t the very es.-encc of our e'l.istt•rl('('. or
cour,1·, in the art'a of 1·mploym1·nt, some "discrt'lion" may
;;till lw n•quirl'cl for somt·; compassion may he in order for
thosP fc\v unstablt· individuals 1vho~r mental !'>tahility could
not withstand the sho<·k. But as a general rull', wt• musl
remember that <'v<•ry simulation of hclcroscxuality opeaks
for a condemnation of homosexuality, that rvery rvasio11
proclaims thal w1• have something about which to he
ashamed, that every chance not takt•n to tlisplay our righ l
lo be homo,.;t>xtial, every situation not ronfronted, is a tragic
los~ to tht' dnelopm1·nt of a more accPptable socit'ly.
We must outragr, therefore, until our S1·xuality can 110
longer occasion outrage; we must proclaim that w<' an·
homosc'l.ual until M ' find our,whes heralding somt'lhing
that really no long<'r matter,; we must "comt• out" with
the world until th<'rt• is nothing left lo come out of. Silence
must at last he broken, and 1v<' must begin with our~
ehe-. for tlw homt>-t'xtral\ l>1vn silt'nce is his worst t•11t·my.
The exp1·rit•nc·<· t'Ould indel'd prov<' a frightrni11g ont• ; c·ourage
will ht• at a prt'rnium. But, with \lerle \lillt'r, I kt•i·p
forgetting, an cl J musn 't, the basic decency of most pt'opl<'.
Page 4
Top Names Support
New York Gays
On Rights Bill
NEW YORK- Former U.S. Attor~~~~
yj ney General Ramsey Clark, for-
1 mer New York Mayor Robert
=:<:.....x• Wagner and feminist Gloria Steinam
were among the many notable
public figures who agreed to
testify April 18 in support of the
miiii~;il New York City Council's gay
~~~;'I rights bill, which was to come up
-~-"•=• for an unprecedented fifth vote
,....,. ... "'""""- in the General Welfare CommitDALLA
D.O.B. JOINS
WOMEN'S COALITION
DALLAS A new member of
the Dallas Women's Coalition,
as of March 8, is the Dallas
Chapter of the Daughters of
Bili tis.
The group was voted into
the coalition after a statement
was presented by Suzanne Waters
and Chris McKee on behalf
of the D.O.B. explaining what
the D.O.B. is, what they are
doing, why they wished to join
the Coalition, what they could
contribute and what they
hoped to achieve by joining.
Other member organizations
include the National Organiza·
tion for Women, Women's Equality
Action League, the
League of Women Voters, the
Unitarian Universalist Women's
Alliance, the American Association
of University Women, the
Dallas Women's Political Caucus
and Women for Change.
TROUBLED?
FREE COUNSELING
By Licensed Psychologist
Who Understands Your
Special Pro blems
Call 4 78-5838
A Commu11ity Service of
AGAPE 1.C.C.
Lesbian Resource
Center Opens
DALLAS On Saturday, April
13, the Daughters of Bilitis held
an open house for their new Lesbian
Resource Center at 4612
Victor.
The Center will serve as a Lesbian
Information Center, will
house the D.O.B. Library, and
will operate a Crisis Intervention
Line. For more information,
write or call D.0.B. at P.O. Box
5944, Dallas, TX 75222; (214)
742-1947.
tee immediately following the
hearings.
The bill, entitled Intro 2, would
amend New York City's Omnibus
Civil Rights Act to include
"sexual orientation" along with
"race, color, creed, national origin,
ancestry, sex or physical handicap"
as attributes which may
not be used as a basis for discrimination
in employment, housing
and public accomoda tions. It
was introduced into the I 974
City Council by 20 co-sponsors
(22 votes are needed in the full
Council for passage) as replacement
for an identical bill, Intro
4 7 5, which was introduced in
January 1971 but failed to win a
committee majority.
Since Intro 475 was defeated,
ten U.S. cities have passed similar
measures into law. The cities
are: San Francisco, Washington
(DC), Detroit, Seattle, Berkeley,
Columbus, Boulder, Minneapolis,
East Lansing (Michigan) and
Ann Arbor (Michigan).
Others who have agreed to tes-tify,
at the invitation of the Gen·
eral Welfare Committee Chair·
woman Aileen Ryan and at the
behest of New York's gay organizations
are, Aryeh Neier, executive
director of the American
Civil Liberties Union; Wilma
Scott Heida, president of the
National Organization for Women;
Florence Kennedy, Field
Co-ordinator of the National
Black Feminist Organization;
Margaret Sloane, chairwoman of
the National Black Feminist Organization;
Rabbi Balfour Brickner
of the Union of American
Hebrew Congregations; Dr. John
Spiegal, president-elect of the A-merican
Psychiatric Associa lion;
Robert Morganthau, former United
States Attorney; and also five
members of the New York Mayor's
cabinet.
In addition to parents of gay
citizens and gays who have been
victims of discrimination, testi·
mony will also be heard from
spokespeople for the New York
City gay community, including
Dr. Howard Brown, former
Health Commissioner and Chairman
of the National Gay Task
Force; Father Robert E. Carter
of Dignity, a national organiza·
tion of gay Roman Catholics; E.
Carrington Boggan of the Gay Legal
Caucus; Jean O'Leary and
Ginny Vida of Lesbian Feminist
Liberation ; and Pete Fisher and
Marty Robinson of the Gay Activist
Alliance of New York City.
VD and the Healthy Homosexual
If you have nol yet contracted YD, the
odds are lhal you will in the future. This
conclusion is based on the grnerall} promiscuous
sexual patterns of male gays, the susceptibility
of the human organism lo the unusually
virulent VD grrms, the failure of
some lo recognize lhal they have become
infected, and the delay of others in seeking
lrealmenl.
The most common question by gays about
VD are: How do you gel it? What
are the symptoms? Where can you go for
treatment? Whal is the general procedure
al the doctor's office? Let's consider each
of these in turn.
Except in rare instance , the only way a
person can be infected '~ilh VD is through
sexual contact; il is nol spread by toilet
seats, door handles, drinking fountains, or
eating utensils. The germs that cause VD
die rather quickly when exposed to oxygen
in the atmosphere and live for the long term
only in the moist warmth of the body.
However, normal hygeine will not de troy
the germs; nor will il deter the lransmi ion
of these germs lo another. Anyone can gel
it, there i no immunity developed so you
can acquire il repeatedly, and you may never
know you have bren exposed or infected.
The lwo most common infrclion that
fall into the catchall of veneral disease are
gonorrhea, also known as GC or clap, and
syphillis. Gonorrhea in the male i usually
evinced by an uncontrollable disrhaqi;c of
pus and a burning sensa tion upon urination.
This presumes the site of the infection is
the urethra of the penis. If the infection
should occur in some other mucous membrane
such as the inside of the eHlid, the
mouth or throat, or the rrclum, 'thr y mplom
might be itching or there might br no
symptoms at all.
The early ymplon of syphillis is a painless
sore called a chancre which appear·
where the germ en lered the body. The
chancre usually appears within len lo ninety
days after exposure and will disappear with
or without lreal rnrnl. ince the sore is
painle and may nol be visible if il i in
the mouth or rectum, a person may progress
to the secondary stage of the disease
and be completely oblivious of the problem.
The secondary stage of the disease is u~ually
marked by a rash on any part of the body,
hair falling oul in tufts, a ore throat, or severe
headaches. As in the ca e of GC, there
may be no symptoms whatever.
ince in Texa a minor may he treated
for VD without paren tal consent, tlw que;;tion
of source of lrealnienl is best left lo
the individual. If you hav(' a family doctor
and are on good terms, then by all means
consult wi th him. lf you don't have a particu
lar doctor in mind, or you had rather
not discuss you sex life with him, then your
best bet is the Public lleallh , en icr.
There are some poin ts especially in favor
of the public health approach. Fir:;l of all,
the C'l.aminalion and ln•almenl are free.
eeondly, you will be dealing "ith people
who handle these ca.ses as part of their
daily routine. They will not be :;hocked,
inquisili\e, nor "ill they moralizr or attempt
lo embarrass you. And, if you go
to a prirnlc physician, he mu:;l by law report
the case lo lhr public health people
-so you will probably wind up talking
to them anyway.
Some people hesitate lo go lo the public
health sen ice because they haveheard
horror slorie:; about the treatment, about
being a:;ked rude questions and being embarra:;
sed "hen they determine you are
gay. \ll lhis i garbage. These people
ha\e heller things lo do than embarrass
you or pry in lo your pri\ale affairs beyond
the point of gelling information
that \\ill help them to check lhr spread
of this diseru-e, which is no\v al epidemic
proportions among gay peoplr. Your
per:;onal life is really none of their concern.
The Fort Worth facility is localed al
1800 University Dri\e; and the Dallas location
is 1936 melia l. , hould you
elect to go lo either office. some information
about the proce~s might remove
any qualms you may haH': about it.
First, of course, they will ask for ) our
name and addre s. This is confidential
and cannot be relrased lo anyone. It is
used only lo contact you in the e\ent the
tests indicate you need lrealmenl. (If
you should le l positive, or at any other
time, you still have the option of going
lo a private phy~ician for treatment.) In
a few minutes a technician will call you
in for an e:>.amination and a short interview
and medical hi ·tory. \ t this time,
for your own good, lell lhem you are
gay. The reason is lhal they will need lo
run some lesb that they might not otherwise
do. If these le ts are neglected, you
could blill ha\ r VD and not ha\e it discovered
"hen il is easiest lo cu re \\ilh a
fe,, shob of a broad spectrum antibiotic
such as penicillin or tetracycline.
Remember that anyone can acquire the
infection and nol be aware of it At present
some authorities estimate there are
at least one million persons who are infected
and are unknowingly in feeling others.
For your own health':; sake and
because of your resporn;ibilily lo those
you lo\e, ha\e a checkup. Failure lo do
o could contribute lo the already epidemic
occurrence of \ D in the gay community
and could, if nol treated, cause
you lo de\elop arthritis, or blindne •, or
even cause drath. Do } ourself and tho:;e
you trick ''ilh a favor and ha\e a cht>ckup.
Plea.~<'!
A Nole to gay \\Omen: Plea,e don't regard
this as a se'l.isl \ie\\. The ,.iluation
is simply that gay guy:; contribute more
lo the YD problem than ''omen. Be·
cause of the anatomic aspects of lovemaking
bel\\een \\Omen, it i, most unlikely
that transfer of the germ would occur.
llowever, lhi~ does nol give blanket
insurance that you will not be infected
and not Imo" it. 1n fact, women almost
nner ha\e any symptoms. It':; good
~rist• lo ha\e a clwckup. It could literally
be \\Orth your life.
Page 5
•
•
THAT'S
ENTERTAINMENT
•
•
• • • • • • • • • • •
THE GREAT GATSBY
Eastern critics panned it unmercifully.
Well, those who can
get into good movies do. Those
who can't write sick reviews about
them. The Great Gatsby is
a great movie by any standard.
In all probability, America is on
its way to being "Gatsbyized."
The movie is such a blockbuster
that it may just change America's
lifestyle overnight. No doubt
little girls will get dolls for Christmas
that show their thighs and
drink gin.
Unquestionably one of the
most coveted parts for women
this year, the ephemeral Daisy
1s played by Mia Farrow, who
got the prize hands down after a
string of lovlies had put in their
bids.
Ali McGraw, who first landed
the Daisy role, allegedly as a wedding
present from her husband,
Bob Evans, president of Paramount,
withdrew when her marriage
broke up. Both Barbara
Streisand and Candice Bergen
were candidates for the roll.
Tuesday Weld turned down a request
to do a screen test, and
Faye Dunaway is said to have
taken four hours, with the aid of
her own makeup men and hairdressers,
to get ready for the minutes-
long test. All failed to beat
out Mia.
Paramount bills the clawing
and scratching for the roll opposite
Robert Redford as "the most
famous footrace among actresses
for a role since the competition
in 1939 for Scarlett O'Hara in
Gone With the Wind. "
Far on the other end of the
spectrum in the varying psyches
of womankind is Mame Dennis.
No fainting butterfly this lady!
Like Gatsby, Mame is a film of
no small expense about a period
of life in America when decadence
was a way of life for many.
Mame's Beekman Place townhouse
is a multi-floored study in
Art Deco with gold-filagreed
front doors on loan from the
Queen Mary and a $9000 glass
piano made to order.
Unlike the clamoring about
Daisy, Warners felt no one other
than the illustrious Lucille Ball
could play the fiery Mame. But
the company had to wait, willing
they say, until she was satisfied
with the script. After she gave
her final blessing, production
was halted for another year while
she recovered from a ski-broken
leg.
by Jay Alexander
The all-star 20th Century Fox
production of Alexander Dumas'
classic, The Three Musketeers,
has some notable personalities
indeed. Those who have written
off Raquel Welch as an actress
should take another look at her
as a comedienne since she is truly
funny in her efforts to escape
the amorous attempts of her senile
husband, to aid the queen
and to properly appreciate the
attentions of D'Artagnan, played
by Michael York. Faye Dunaway
is cast as Milady, a scheming
courtesan enlisted by Cardinal
Richelieu (Chari ton Heston)
in his plot to entrap the queen in
her love affair with Lord Buckingham
(Siman Ward).
If that's not enough stars in
one whack for you, other notables
in the film include Oliver
Reed, Richard Chamberlain,
Frank Finlay and Christopher
Lee.
Some ill feelings apparently
erupted among some of the more
notables in the film after they
saw a screening and discovered
to their dismay that a lot of
scenes they shot were missing.
It seems they all agreed to work
for a set number of weeks at a
certain fee for something called
"the project," which turned out
to be more than one film. Perhaps
this was why the filmmakers
were already boasting of a
sequel during the closing credits
of the first film.
FW/D Theatre:
The Boys in the Band opened
April 17 for four weeks (Theatre
Three, Dallas). Sunday in New
York with Sal Mineo now thru
May 5 (Windmill Dinner Theatre,
Dallas). Butterflies Are Free,
May 30 - June 8 (Scott Theatre,
Fort Worth). A world premier,
Jack Ruby, The All-American
Boy, April 23 May 25 (Kalita
Humphrey Theatre, Dallas Theatre
Center). Fuse, an original
script, April 9 27 (Down Center
Stage, Dallas Theatre Center).
Boeing, Boeing, Boeing with Van
Johnson opened April 2 for six
weeks (Country Dinner Playhouse,
Dallas). The Owl and the
Pussycat with Sue Ane Langdon,
April 16 thru May 19 (Granny's
Dinner Playhouse , Dallas). Fiddler
on the Roof opens May 20
for two weeks (Casa Manana Musicals,
Fort Worth).
Conference on Mental Health
Oppression To Be Held
ANN ARBOR- A National Conference
on Gay People and Mental
Health Oppression is to be
held here May 4-7. The conference
is set to coincide with the
national convention of the American
Psychiatric Association
in Detroit. Organizers of the
Ann Arbor conference expressed
the view that this should not
be "just another Gay Conference"
but one with a specific
focus (mental health oppression)
and a possible target (the APA).
The Conference will not be
limited merely to mental health
concerns, however. It will include
creative workshops, films,
dance, music, theatre and speakers.
There will be separate workshops
for both women and men.
Workshop topics include gay
people and mental health, local
mental health institutions, gay
media, the politics of drag, genetic
theories of gayness, lesbians
over 30, and racism among gays.
For a more detailed schedule
of the Gay Conference in Ann
Arbor, write to Spring Conference
Committee, 1933 Brock Ct.,
Ann Arbor, Ml 48104, or call
(313) 769-4186.
FEEDBACK
Our Readers Write
Dear Folks:
I was pleased to see the publication
of the Community News
in this area and feel that it will
be a great asset to the cause of
civil liberties not only to the gay
people of this area but to the
liberation of the entire community.
We need to be liberated not
only from archaic, inhumane
conceptions about what it means
to be homo sapiens, but we need
also to be liberated to an integrated,
intelligent conceptions of
what it would be like to be homo
humanus.
Congratulations and best wishes,
Tony Lunati
. . .
Hi,
I think your newspaper is getting
off to a good start. Keep up
the good work.
J.P.
Fort Worth
MCC-llOUSTON
OBTAINS BUILDING
HOUSTON At I p.m. on March
31, 35 people gathered in a former
store for the candlelight
dedication service of the Metropolitan
Community Church of
Houston's new home. Rev. Robert
Falls, pastor of MCC- Oklahoma
City, officiated the service
assisted by Rev. David Carden,
acting pastor of MCC- Dallas.
Also present at the service was
Bob Miller, an exhorter of the
Dallas church, who "has done
considerable work with the
Houston group in the past to
help it get started," according to
the Channel, publication of the
MCC· Dallas.
MCC Houston extends a cordial
invitation to residents and
visitors to attend one of their
services in their new sanctuary at
2020 Waugl1 every Sunday at I
p.m.
Desperately Needed: We've been
without a refrigerator since September
and summer is coming.
llow about your old frig for
$25. Call or write Robin, c/o
.. --------... --------·AURA.
PATH TO HUMANISM
by Jamie Jamison
"I was born a woman and nothing l wear, or do for a living,
or say in terms of four letter words is going lo change
lhal. I will nol allow you lo define me, because I know
what I am," said Ann Davis.
Ann J. Davis, American Minorities Instructor and historian,
spoke to members and guests of the Dallas Daughters
of Bili tis al the Women For Change office March 15.
Ms. Davis' topic wab "lluman Liberation," a revolutionary
issue which encompasses many different areas. "When
we talk about human liberalion, we're talking about everyone
being free lo be themselves and at the same time identifying
with the humanity that is in all of us."
Ann pointed oul, "Just like racism was used by the power
slruclure to keep poor whiles and blacks apart in the
South; lo keep poor whiles from identifying with black
causes; the same thing is being done lo women. They're
using the issue of lesbianism as an allempl lo keep us apart.
Ms. Davis described lo the women how she became interested
in human liberation and related ome of her past
experiences with ethnic and racial minority peopl e. Sharing
her interpretation of the causation of minority oppression,
she said, "The basic hang-up in this country is a sexual
one." She quoted Gene Liggcll in saying, "The word
'homosexual' shouldn't even be a noun. IL should be a
verb that describes some bedroom behavior."
Ann has often slated that she likes lo slay "street honest,"
meaning that she allempts lo slay in Louch and keep
aware of minority happenings. "I think that for lesbian
and straight women, we musl not be afraid lo reach across
lines and lry lo reach each other .. .. we can learn from
each other."
Reprinted with permission from THE MONTHLY DOB'R, publication
of the Dallas Daughters of Bili tis.
Don't waste it! We can use it!
Your old newspapers, aluminum
cans, magazines, coke bottles,
etc., can help support the Gay
movement in this area. For pick
up, call (817) 838-2095.
CHIU SUPPER-BINGO
PARTY
Saturday, April 27, 1974
2800 Purington
(In First Unitarian Church )
3/person SS/couple
Chili/ Brans/Salad/ Brl'r
Door Prizes- Bingo Prizes
COME AND BRING YOUR
YOUR FRIENDS!
(Sponsored by Ft. Worth Daughters
of Bilitis and AURA. Proceeds to
go to the FW/D Metroplex Gay
Council for the Texas Gay Confer·
once, Juno 21 ·23, in Fort Worth.I
Page 6
MCC FOLLIES: Best Show In Town
Look oul Casa Manana and Slate Fair l\1usicals; you now have competition. Anyone who
was al the Encore in Dallas on Saturday night, April 21, would have to agree that the besl
show in the Melroplex is The J1CC Follies: Tears and Laughter performed by the Melropolilan
Community Church of Dallas Thespians.
This reviewer went expecting (although pre-show publicity staled "no drag") lo see, if nol
a drag show, then al least a lot of pantomime. I had decided not even to lake notes when
they began lhe pre-show music which consisted of revival-type church music. You would expect
church music not lo go over loo well in a bar, wouldn't you? Well, if you weren't there,
believe me, the audience loved it! MCC-Dallas has a gold mine in its pianist and organi l.
I leaned back as the lights dimmed (well, turned off would be more like il), reached for my
drink as the chorus came in, and then almost broke my lover's leg trying to gel to my pen and
paper realizing lhal this was nol going lo be jusl another "bar show."
Here, before a packed audience, were 30 men and women, gay and non-gays, performing
the openi11g number which was "Willkomme" from Cabaret. For a few seconds the party al
my table thought the Cabaret 1\1.C. was pantomiming. IL finally hit us that it wa hi own
voice, the chorus's own voices, and all 30 of them were slaying together in the dance! The
chorus then wcnl in lo the "Money Song" from Cabaret, and again, they were all together. A
truly good number.
The whole show made a mosl fan Laslie evening, especially the numbers, "Real Live Girl,"
"Maybe This Time," and "Sadie Sadist," done lo the lune of "Sadie, Sadie." "The Ilallclujah
Chorus" spoof and the "Fal Ballet" succeeded in forcing a belly laugh from even the "bitchiest
queens."
The honored guests for the evening could nol be left out of the show as they made Troy
Perry, founder and Moderator of the Universal Fellowship of l\1etropolitan Community
Churches, an honorary fairy by presenting him \vilh a magic wand. (What's with the honorary
bit? l thought he was a dues-paying member!) Rev. Robert Falls, district coordinator of the
South Central District of the UF'\1CC, was made Bishop of Fairyland, at which he remarked,
"I wish you had given me the wand; mine hasn't been working loo well lately."
The high light of the evening was lhe song, "We're having so much fun because we're Gay,"
sung Lo the lune of "Mame." Bul then a more seriou ·cord was truck toward lhe end of the
show when Gay People's dreams were expressed in "Tomorrow Belongs to Me."
All the people connected with the show, especially the directors, de erve the highe l
amount of praise! The MCC Thespians will do a repeat performance al the Encore on
April 26 and have been invited lo appear al The Bayou Landing soon. The Thespians
will also appear in Oklahoma City (dale not yet set) and in Fort Worth on June 22 al
the Texas Gay Conference. The proceeds of the shows go to help \ICC's mini try.
-Ken Cyr
Join us at the
TEXAS GAY CONFERENCE
JUNE 21 - 2 3, 1974 Fo rt Worth, Texas
FEATURED SPEAKERS TO BE ATIONAL GAY LEADERS
Ms. Barbara Gittings, coordinator of the American Library Association's
Task Force on Gay Liberation
Dr. Franklin Kameny, founder and president of the Mattachine Society
of Washington, D.C.
LECTURl.:S/WORKS/JOPS/SOCJAL ACTJVITIES/ENTERTAJNMENT/IDEA EXCHANGES
_ Please send me more information about the Texas Gay Conference.
Enclosed is$ _ _ check or money order for registration for the Texas Gay Conference.
($10 per person or $15 per couple make payable to Texas Gay Conference)
Name ----------------- Telephone------
Mailing Address
City/State/Zip
Please try to find free housing for me during the Conference.
__f/eose consider this my application for one of the "registration scholarships. " I am not
financially able to pay the registration fee.
Mail w
Texas Gay Conference
P.O. Box 7318
GAYS & BLUECOATS
(Continued from Page1)
vice officers. The film dealt with
techniques of handling people indulging
in public sex, and was
considered by some to be offensive
to the gay population in general.
Although Chief Hopkins introduced
the use of the film in
his capacity as director of training,
he discontinued its use when
the California courts ruled that
these procedures amounted to
entrapment. The cases which
were begun using the tactics of
the film were dropped and were
not prosecuted. We applaud the
discontinuance of this film and
of those questionable handling
techniques. And we further com·
mend Chief Hopkins for his candor
in admitting the error, especially
to us. We believe he was
expressing personal as well as official
policy in stating that "the
management of the police department
will not discriminate
against the gay people of Fort
Worth."
The door of communication
may well be opening; the distinct
possibility exists that a panel of
responsible gays will be invited
to address the police rookies, possibly
as early as May. This interchange
would be geared to give
the police trainees a chance to
see gay people as they really are,
to ask probing questions, to interchange
ideas, and in the process
to dispell myths and prejudices
that may exist. The out·
come could be an awareness of
gay people as decent human beings
rather than depraved rnisfi ts.
(Editor's Note: Recent com·
munications from A URA indi·
cate that these panels will not
take place. A URA has announced,
however, that dialog is con·
tinuing and an effort is being
made by the Police Department
to educate their rookies about
the gay people of Fort Worth.)
Although it is against police
policy to give written comment
on the law, Chief Hopkins did
say that his personal feelings
were that the activities of "gays
were their own business as long
as they did not violate the law."
Titis comment came in response
to a request for a written clafifi.
ca ti on of the law in regard to
such non-sexual acts as holding
hands, kissing, and dancing in
public places. Again, though he
could not officially comment, he
agrees that such behavior is not
illegal and indeed is protected by
the law as freedom of expression.
In other words, AURA feels that
you need not fear holding the
hand of your lover while shopping
in Leonards, you need not
stop dancing when the police
come by for ID checks in the bar
and you need not draw back
when tempted to kiss a friend
goodbye at the airport. Hold
your head high and experience
Gay Pride!
{Editor's .Vote: We quote a Police
Department Inter-Office
Co"espondence dated April 2
and delivered to Community
News April 8:
"Jn order to eliminate the pos·
ibility of confusing personal opin·
ion with the official department
policy, the following statement
is authorized to be used in the
Gay Community News Publication.
"The Policy of the Fort Worth
Police Department is and will
continue to be to enforce the
law as it regards Sectio11 21.06
and 21.07 of the Texas Penal
Code.
"Members of the department
will not harass or violate the
rights of any citizen.
"Signed: 11.F. Hopkins
Deputy Chief of Police
Inspection & Intelligence
Bureau"
Section 21.06 refers to deviant
sexual conduct, Olld Section 21.
07 refers to public lewdness.)
At the conclusion of this meeting,
Chief Hopkins suggested
that we meet with the officer in
charge of the vice squad, and we
did so. As we were ushered in to
meet with Captain Hogue, he did
not seem too delighted to sec us.
This was an altogether normal response
from a man whose daily
routine involves handling homosexuals
and closet cases who have
run afoul of the law. While he
was at all times polite, he seemed
to be trying excessively to be formal
and continuously referred to
copies of the penal code and local
ordinances to substantiate
and clarify his position.
The ice was finally broken
when Wayne manuevered the
conversation around to a more
responsive personal level, the outcome
of which was an admission
by Capt. Hogue that he probably
would not hire an otherwise qua!·
ified gay person to work closely
with him. When the inequity
and injustice of this position be·
came apparent, Capt. Hogue was
man enough to say that his was
a prejudiced view and that he
had never really considered the
situation in that light.
Since time was pressing, we
had to terminate the conversation
at this point, but we left
with the impression that Capt.
Hogue was a thoroughly professional
officer and an honorable
man who makes an honest effort
to follow the law that he must
enforce. The talk may have served
to increase awareness and
dispel apprehension of all parties.
We hope so.
{l.:ilitor's \'ote: This was the
first meeti11g between the Police
Department and A URA. Already
other meetings hove occured and
others are planned. Community
\'ews will be keeping you infonned
as bulletins are released by
ALRA.)
Page 7
CONFERENCE TO EXAMINE
GAY CULTURE
OLYUPIA (Washingtvn, The Evergreen State College Gay Resource
Center is organizing a laboratory/festival, "Cluldren of the Seventies,"
on Gay People and Culture. The three-~ay conference will be
held at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, May
16-18.
The goal of the laboratory/festival is to provi~e Gay People on
the Pacific Coast an opportunity to explore the history and develop·
mental aspects of a culture in the process of self-discovery. G_ay
People are more than aware that today's society has systematt~ally
robbed them of personal identity, as well as knowledge of their cultural
contributions. Gays have had little opportunity to define and control
the development of their culture.
The Conference will provide the facilities and the resources for a
Laboratory that may set some directions and provide a framwork for
ex ploying the artistic and educational needs of Gay People. Ga_y People
are defining Gay Culture as those artistic and intellectual pursuits that
Gays are developing about themselves.
The Conference program will provide a variety of workshops, speake
and cultural events. The featured Conference guests will include Kate
Millet, author of Sexual Politics, Winston Leland, editor of Gay Sun·
shine, Charlie Chiverly, editor of Fag Rag, and Jill Johnston, author of
Lesbian Nation.
People interested in attending the Conference, please contact: The.
Gay Resource Center, CAB 305, The Evergreen State College, Olympia,
Waslungton 98505, (206) 866-6544.
WASHINGTON-ARE
YOU LISTENING?
I am not an adwcate for frequent changes 111 lau·s and
constilutwns. Rut lau·s and constitutions mu.~l go hand in
hand uilh the progress of the human mind, as that become.~
more dereloped, more enlightened. ,h new d1.~rovrries are
made, new truths discovered, and manners and opinions
change u·ith lhr. change of cirwmstances, institutions must
adrnnce also to heep pace with the limes. JJ e mi{!.ht as
1ull require a man to wear still the coat 1d1ich fitted him
u-/1en a boy as cil"ilized society to remain er:er under thr
regimen of their barbarous ancestors.
-Thomas Jeffet"son
CO\tE \~D JOI'\1 US!
An Active and Growing Organization Dedicated to You
• Publishers of Community News
• Political Action meeting every Monday night
• Party third Saturday of each month
• Rap Sessions second and fourth Fridays
• Library and Reference Materials
• Working for a Gay Community Center by 1975
Dedicated to Awareness, Unity and Research the Awareness,
Unitv and Research Association cordially inV1tes you to join one
of the most active and fastest growing Gay organizations in Texas.
S S/yr. - Associate (non-voting)
SIO/yr. - Active
Membership includes subscription to Community News and all
other publications of AURA, including the AURA Newsletter.
Not a put-on or just another fly-by-night Gay Lib
Group, but an active Gay Civil Rights/ ervice Or·
ganization. Call 838- 2095 for more information.
AWARE E
WON'T YOU HELP U ?
UNITY and RE EARCH A OCIATION
P.O. Box 7318
Fort Worth , Texas 76 111
(A member organlZation of the FW/D 'detroplex Gay Council)
In an effort for humor, and to raise money for the forthcoming
Texas Gay Conference, the Dallas Daughters of Bil it is, the Dallas
chapter of a national Lesbian/feminist organization, has challenged
AURA, Fort Worth's gay civil rights organization, to a game of
touch football. The football game is one of the many fund raising
projects of the newly-created Fort Worth/Dallas Metroplex Gay Council,
a coal it ion of regional gay groups.
All proceeds collected at the game will be donated to the FW/D
Gay Council to be used for the Texas Gay Conference to be held in
Fort Worth June 21-23. Representatives from all parts of the state
are expected for the weekend of workshops, lectures and general
fun.
The football game has humourously been named (no offense meant)
the "F 1 am i ng Faggots vs. the Di ese 1 Dykes F ru i tbowl." The game
will be played in Dallas on May 12 at 3:30 in the afternoon. For
further information call AURA in Fort Worth at 838-2095 or in Dallas,
the Daughters of Bil it is at 742-1947.
FW/D
METROPLEX
GAY COUNCIL
~~~ Member Organizations:
Daughters of Bilitis
P.O. Box 1564
Fort Worth, Texas 76101
(817) 824-8598
AURA
P.O. Box 7318
Fort Worth, Texas 76111
(817) 838-2095
Daughters of Bilitis
P.O. Box 5944
Dallas, Texas 75222
(214) 742-1947
Circle of Friends
3834 Ross Avenue
Dallas, Texas 75204
Friends of Jesus
P.O. Box 7367
Fort Worth, Texas 76111
(817) 838-9564
"Lnited in Purpose"
FLASH! NOTICE!
We sincerely hope that you
receive this month's issue of
COMMUNITY NEWS . Although
the paper's first edi·
tion last month was printed
by PRINTING CENTER, 210
Jones Street (332-7931; Dallas
line, 261-7136), when the
copy layout was brought in
this month, manager Herb
Chapman refused to accept
the job saying, "We don't
have to print it," and "We
don't have to give you a rea·
son why." Asked why it was
printed last month, Mr. Chapman
replied that it was a mistake.
Brothers, Sisters and
friends who do business with
printers in this are. - please
don't forget this incident
when you next have a print·
ing job. Discrimination is
very hard to prove, but DOLLARS
TALK!
YOU ANO THE POt/CE
Compliments of
The Greater Fort Worth Chapter
Texas Civil Liberties Union
P.O. Box 11587 Fort Worth, Texas 76109
All people have the same rights when they are stopped or a"ested
by the police, whether they are guilty or innocent of a crime.
IF YOU ARE STOPPED BY THE POLICE:
I. You do not have to answer any questions except your name and
your address.
2. If you are in your car, you should get out, close the door and
move away from the car. The policeman may ask to see your driver's
license.
3. The policeman may search you for weapons by patting the outside
of your clothing.
4. If the policeman asks to search your car, you may tell him you do
not want him to search your car, but do not try to stop him ifhe
does.
5. Under no circumstances should you argue with, fight or run away
from a policeman, even if you are innocent.
IF A POLICEMAN COMES TO YOUR HOUSE:
I. Your home is your castle.
2. If you see a policeman coming to your house, you should step
outside and shut the door and talk to him outside. Even if the policeman
asks, you do not have to let him in your house.
3. If he has a search warrant for your house you must let him in, but
tell him he does not have your permission to search your house.
4. If he does not have a warrant and comes into your house anyway,
tell him that you do not give him permission to search your house,
but do not try to stop him.
IF YOU ARE ARRESTED:
1. As soon as you are arrested, ask for a lawyer.
2. If you are charged with a crime for which you can go to jail, you
have the right to a lawyer. lfyou cannot pay for a lawyer, you have
the right to a free lawyer.
3. Do not say anything or sign anything until your lawyer comes.
4. You will be taken before a judge. He will tell you your rights and
what you are charged with. You can ask him for a free lawyer. He
will set your bail.
5. You have the right to get out of jail by paying a bail bond. If you
cannot afford bail and the crime is not serious, you may ask the
judge to let you out with the promise that you will come to court
for your trial.
6. Police must give you a receipt for any belongings they take from
you at the jail.
IF POLICE BREAK THE LAW:
1. If police hit you or call you ugly names, you can protect your
rights by filing a complaint. Do not argue, fight or run away. You
may be seriously hurt or even killed.
2. You can complain to the police department itself, to the Com·
munity Relations Commission, to the Greater Fort Worth Civil Liberties
Union, and in some instances to the FBI and the Jusllce Department.
If you think your constitutional rights have been violated,
you can get help in filing your complaint by calling the CiVll Liberties
Union at 534-2422.
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