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.____GAY AUSTI ~-----.JI
april 1979 ol. 3
Ma~ch on Washingto Set for October
PHILADELPHIA - Some 300 lesbians
and gay men repre enting organizations
from across the country met in Philadelphia
February 24th and 25th to
lay plans for the national gay march
on Washington proposed last summer
by slain gay leader Harvey Milk. The
march has been et for Sunday, October
14th, three months after the July 4th
date Milk originally uggcsted.
The Philadelphia meeting began with
something less than a consensus, not
only on the nature of the march and its
<late but on whether a march should be
held at all. Several large gay-rights
organization , including the National
Gay Ta k Force, had already declined
to participate in the conference. And
delegate teve ·ndean of Gay Rights
National Lobby in Washington argued
against the event on the grounds that
it wouldn't help the effort to obtain
Federal gay-right legi lation. Washington,
D .. activi t ·rank Kameny expr
d the eneral cepticism of several
gay a tivist in the apital wh n h to d
the delegate , "If I was assured that
there would be enough people at the
march, l'd support it. But I'm not sure
that would happen.,,
But Wendy Levine of the San Francisco
Ad Hoc Committee on the March
on Washington disagreed. She read to
the deleg<ites the results of a nationwide
survey which showed support for a
march in the early fall o 1979 with
political issues as the primary focus.
And Brandy Moore of San Franci co
argued, "Gay Freedom parades show
us that we can draw people to ether
in these numbers in support of our
rights.''
The vote of 106 in favor and 56
against was greeted with applause.
"This effort is a quantum leap forward
for the gay-rights movement," Rita
Goldberger of San Francisco declared.
But Steve Shiflett, president of the
Hou ton Gay Political Caucu , was
not convinced. "Just because the vote
happened doc n't mean the march will
happen," he said. Houston repre entativc
we e critical f the d e et for
Continued on page 18. Delegates vote to march on Washington.
by JOHN MURRAY TGTF Won't Seek Repeal of 21.06
There i not going to be a bill introduced
in this legislative session to repeal
section 21.06 of the Texas Penal
Code. It seems that the Board of Directors
of the Txas Gay Task Force
has decided, based on a January 23rd
letter from their legislative consultant
Karol Phelan, that it would not be in
the best interest of the gay community
to introduce such a bill at this time.
Originally there was concern among
members of the Board about the
possible negative effects of pu hing
for repeal in that it might inspire the
introduction of more repressive legi -
lation or even a strengthening of
current penalties. The Board was also
aware that this was an issue of major
concern to the gay community and that
an introduction of a bill to repeal was
expected of the lobbying effort. Facing
the reality of the slim chance such a
ALGPC Endorses, Delays
The Austin Lesbian/Gay Political
Caucus voted at its March 18 meeting
to support the International Day of
Action for Reproductive Freedom scheduled
for March 31. The day of action,
planned ·last summer at a conference
of European, Latin American, African
and North American women, is
for the purpose of demonstrating
support for the right to safe birth
control and abortion and an end to
forced sterilization.
In other action, ALGP voted to
table a motion by co-chair Steve Thomas
to withhold endorsement of the
National Gay March on Washington
scheduled for October 14 of this year,
until the members knew more about
the event and about the organization
planning it. (See article, this issue.)
The motion stemmed from a steering
decl n to opp~~ 'e
march as planned by a conference in
Philadelphia on February 24 and 25
and to call for a second conference.
In explaining the steering committee
decision, Thomas said the Philadelphia
conference was dominated by
delegates from San Francisco and ew
York while other regions of the country
were inadequately represented. He
claimed more time was needed to prepare
for a ..successful march and that
a march that failed to draw enough
participants would be a serious setback
for the gay community.
Concerning the coming elections,
the chair announced the steering committee's
decision not to endor e city
council candidates.
On a motion from the floor ALGPC
voted to donate $25.00 to a lesbian
custody defense fund. Individual donation
from member
measure would have for success, the
Board decided to seek the introduction
of a bill but not to enthusiastically
encourage its adoption.
TGTF legislative lobbyist Bettie
aylor pointed out to me that he
felt this original decision ~s unwi e
for two reasons. She indicated that it
would be essentially the throwing away
(and wasting of a political favor that
could possibly be of vital importance
in the event of the introduction of
even more repre ive legislation. As
Continued on pa e 2.
House Bill Would
by DAVID MORRIS Ban Popper.
Representative Tony Polumbo of
Houston has introduced a bill to make
it illegal to sell or offer to sell "any
substance that contains any quantity
of butyl nitrite or isobutyl nitrite,"
known popularly as "poppers.'' The
proposed legislation would add a
section to the Controlled Substance
Act making it a Class C misdemeanor,
punishable by a fine up to 200, to
seJl the substance, but makes no mention
of pos ession or manufacture.
NormaJly, sale, po session or manufacture
of substance on any of several
lists contained in the A t is prohibited
by law except when licen ed,
as in the case of prescription drugs.
Any substance may be added to the
official Controlled Sub tance li ts at
the discretion of the Director of Public
Health after a public hearing but
it is not clear whether Polumbo's bill
adds poppers to the list.
Currently, the sale of poppers is
prohibited by federal food and drug
See relat ~d a tic~e,
pag.~ 7.
regulation onl.. if the seller specifies
the ub tance is intended to be
used as a drug. Popper are generally
old as "room deodorizers or 'liquid
incense. ' The state Controlled
Sub tance Act is more effective than
food and drug regulations.
Butyl nitrite can be sold only by
pre cription in Georgia and has been
hanned outright in onnecticut.
Polumbo bill (HB907) is pre -
ently in a subcommitte of the House
Criminal Jurispruden e Committee. If
passed by the full Hou e and the en-
. ate, the law would ta ·e effect ptem-ber
I, 1979V
Gay Austin staff:
John Murray ____________ Managing Editor
David Morris ews Editor
Phil Conard Advertising Manager
Contributors and Columnists:
Stan Bear, Phil Conard, Lars Eighner, Wayde Frey, Dennis
Haney, John Harrison, Joseph Kelly, Ron Moss, Marian
Phillips, Bob Prewitt, Gary Reese, Georg Stojcevic,
Steve Thomas, Michelle Williams
Gay Austin is published monthly by Gay Community Services
of the University YMCA/YWCA, 2330 Guadalupe, Austin,
Texas 78705.
Opinions expressed in Gay Austin are those of the writer or
editor and not necessarily those of Gay Community Services,
the University YMCA/YWCA, or the advertisers. The publi-
GAY AUSTIN
cation 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 is distributed free at many local businesses. Subscriptions
are available at $6.00 per year.
The Coordinators of Gay Community Services include:
Carr Strong General Coordinator
John Murray Publication Coordinator
Bob Prewitt Office and Peer Counseling Coordinator
Gary Reese Media Coordinator
Phil Conard Finance Coordinator
Paul Guttery Speakers Bureau Coordinator
\/QI. 3, l 10. 7
TGTF ..
Continued from page 1.
examples of the types . of legislation
that the lobbying effort is currently
up against, she mentioned a bill to
bar gay teachers from public classrooms
(which has since died in committee),
Senator Mengden's bill to bar
same sex dancing, drag, entertaining
in drag, and a wide range of other
activities defined as obscene from
on-premise alcoholic beverage establishments,
and a bill introduced by
Representative Polumbo that would
add butyl nitrite (poppers) to the
Texas Controlled Substances Act.
She was also very concerned with
the possibility of irreparably damaging
the career of one of our few supporters
in the Lcgislacure. It seems that it is
much easier for our legislators to oppose
repressive legislation aimed at the gay
community, which is usually interpreted
as a civil rights issue, than it is to actively
seek the repeal of existing discriminatory
legislation such as 21.06, which
is currently seen as advocating and/or
approving the homosexual lifestyle.
She added, however, that Rcprc entative
Sam Hudson had indicated that he
would be willing to introduce a bill to
repeal 21.06 hut had hccn di cuuratied
from doing o.
Karol Phelan, in her re pon e to the
originaJ decision to ~eek a repeal measure,
ha wriucn in pan 1ha1 1hc ··T F
must face the 1eality that the 111 la-ture
ha , tn the pa t. ' 11 fit to pa,
di criminatory lcgt. latilln anJ to puhlllll£!
E~..:~-~-..J!;...l 1icly mock efforts to repeal Section
Human Rights Festival, 1978
Upcoming GCS Events
HUMA RIGHTS FESTIVAL
Gay Community Services and the Austin Lesbian/Gay Political Caucus
will sponsor an Arts and Crafts Show combined with the Second Annual Breakfast
for Human Rights. Both events will be held on Auditorium Shores on May
26. Live entertainment will augment the many artists displaying and selling
their work. The Breakfast wilJ follow the pattern of last year's Festival. Complete
details will be in next month's Gay Austin. Artists interested in setting
up a booth should contact the GCS office at 477-6699.
COSTUME DA CE A D DRAG SHOW
Gay Community Services will sponsor an all-out drag show to determine
the King/Queen of Austin drag. Following the show will be the first GCS Costume
Dance. These events are planned for early May at a downtown location.
All people, male and female, interested in participating in the Drag Show are
encouraged to enter. Applicant hould have one number prepared, roughly
ten minutes in length. GCS will provide both lighting and <;0und. Exact date
and location will be announced in next month's Gay Austin .
..........................................................................................................................................................
DR G SHOW E TRY BL K
'ame: ___________________ Phonc: _____ _
Stage name =-----------------
ddre =---------------City:. ______ zip:--
Special need . ... u•••UUIUU• ................. -........................................................ nn........................ ••••••••••••·•·••••·••••·••••••••••••• .... • • .... .. • ~- )> •••••
•~
'1 .
21.06 of the Texas Penal Cmk. With
this prevailing mood, asking a nlL'mhcr
to make a token gesture to the gay
community by merely intro<.lucing a
repeal measure i ludicrous." She al o
urged the education of the Legislature
as to the needs of the gay community
and also the education of the gay
community on the "existing political
environment and the importance of
timing" in the legislative effort.V
'? ? q
? 1 ? ~ 9 • •
• ? ~ .
'") • ..:> • ' '1. ? ·Questions? q_
'l. ? '?
') .? ~ ·1 ;) f''1. ,,,. ? •
'l ? • '? ?
•
GAY COMMUNITY SERVICES
/ t HOTLINE , ?
• 477-6699
'
vol. 3, i10. 7 GAY AUSTIN apriJ 1979 3
Broadcasters Seek Lesbian, Gay Advice
by GARY REESE
On March 14, representatives of the
gay community met for the first time
with panels of Al!stin broadcasters in
an i:!ffort to determine how the community's
needs may best be met.
Federal Communications Commision
requirements have recently been
expanded to require that minorities
other than ethnic groups be consulted
by broadcasters. The broadcasters must
a certain community needs in order to
fulfill their public service function
under FCC guidelines: (Sec Gay Austin,
February, 1979.)
" ~ ach station has the responsibility
of dctem1ining the c needs and
has to ju tify its performance to the
FCC when its license comes up for renewal,"
explained Woody Egger, one
of the community representatives and
a board member of the Texas Gay Task
Force. "The local hroadca ter have
decided that, instead of doing thi on
their own, they would set up panel
Documentation
Sought
IIO STO Rcpre ~entative of the
Am ri an ivil Lib rtie nion, the
Political A ocintion t f pani h peakin'
Organization , the l louston Gay
Politicnl aucu , and four law firms
ar a sembling documentation of harassmcn
t and bmtality by II oust on police
again t gay people, Chicanos, and
Black . The evidence will be pre en ted
to the U.S. Civil Right Commi sion at
it hearings in I lou ton this spring.
The hearings result from a long list
of allegations of police brutality in
I louston. B st known is the case of
J osc Campos Torres who drowned
when police beat him and threw him
in a bayou in 1977.\l
with one representative from every
TV and radio station sitting on each
panel." Initial inquiries about gays
being included in the interview process
were made by Carr Strong, general
coordinator of Gay Community
Services, and Troy Stokes, former GCS
media coordinator. Egger and Mary
Ann Ed wards of Women space held
interview with the two separate panels
of broadcasters.
"I told them that we needed to be
able to speak to our own members of
the community and to enlighten the
community at large,'' Egger explained.
He said that he identified three areas
that require attention. "We need to be
able to get public ervice announcements
aired, to get on interview and
talk hows, and also to have some kind
of program of our own.'' Such a program,
Egger added, would be aired at
a regularly scheduled time and would
be produced and moderated by gays.
"In the past we've only gotten on
talk shows and interviews in response
to challenge from people like Anita
Bryant or Reverend O'Chester. Or,
Women's Caucus
Endorses Candidates
AUSTI The Au tin Women' Political
Caucus, at their Mar h _Qth Candidate
Forum, ha decided to endorse
the following candidates in the upcoming
City Council elections: place
3 Rick Ream; place 4, Richard Goodman:
place 5, John Trevino; place 6,
Jimmy Snell. There was no endorsement
in place 1 and 2, and no endorsement
for Mayor. Of the eleven issues
the Caucus considered to be of concern
to the City ouncil and the people of
Austin, all four of the candidates
endorsed responded favorably to the
addition of sexual orientation to the
existing Fair Housing OrdinanceV
Put the Texan
in the right hands ...
because it ends up
1• 0 yours.
Tom KESSLER
paid pol1t1cctl _ad ~- ,
Editor
when a nationally known gay spokesperson
ha · come through town." The
local gay community' need have not
been served until we can get broadcasting
time in our own right Egger
explained.
The lack of minority membership in
gay organizations is another problem
which could be ameliorated through in-rea
ed local access to broadcasting
channels. .. As of thi time we have
restricted access to those communitie
- Black, Chi ano, and the young
gay coming out who have no way of
getting in touch with other their age
who are having the SaJT!C difficulties." v
Demonstrator Pat Cramer has suggestion.
Gay men and le bian \'ere among dcm n trntor at the LBJ Librar} la t 1arch I to
greet William oor of the Coors Brewery, who \\a there to participat in a confcrcn con
.. the new partner hip bet\\ ccn bu ine " and government." The Coor Brc\ ·ry i being boycotted
by homo e uaL and many other grou1 for it allegedly raci t, homophobic and
anti-labor practi e . At the conference, Coor pla d the blame for mi. tru t of bi• bu inc
on public ignorance and mi under landing.
"The Daily Texan needs more
coverage of events relevant to
the Austin Lesbian/Gay community;
exposing violations of the civil
rights of all human beings."
-Charlie Rose
VOTE
APRIL 4th
• I
4 april 1979 GAY AUSTIN v'OI. 3, 110. 7
Gay Legal Conference Held
Nat'l Gay Law
in the Future
by KELLY KAY
NEW YORK - Three hundred gay
lawyers, law students and others interested
in the legal profession participated
in a national conference entitled
"Law and the Fight for Gay
Rights" held March l 0 - 11 on the
campus of ew York University.
Sponsored by Lesbian and Gay Law
Students of the ew York University
School of Law and the Rutgers Gay
Caucus, in conjunction with the Lambda
Legal Defense and Education Fund,
Inc., the conference focussed on the
gay lawyer's role in the struggle for
recognition of gay people's civil rights.
Most of the conference's activity
took place in a series of workshops,
which covered topics as varied as child
custody, immigrevion, and criminal
proceedings.
A proposal to form a gay bar association
was considered by the conference,
which voted to postpone the
action until an assessment of the need
for such an organization could be made.
Participants did vote to hold similar
conferences on an annual basis, and
several persons suggested that the next
one be held in the South.
ewly elected ew York Attorney
General Robert Abrams delivered the
conference keynote address, in which
he reaffirmed 0 his "commitment to advance
the causes of gay people in the
courts." The New York attorney
general expressed an understanding of
gays' problems vis-a-vis the law far
above that of his Texan counterparts.
Discussion during the workshops
centered on strategies for increasing
the legal protection currently afforded
gays by the law.
Wayne Dynes, President of the New
York Gay Academic Union, pointed
out that although gays have made
definite legal advances, judges often
ignore prior pro-gay-rights court judgments
and most policemen are still
prejudiced against homosexuals. Dynes
was joined by many, including Tess
Siegel, a straight New York lawyer
who boasted that she has never lost a
gay client's case, in voicing the need to
educate the public in order to dispel
the many myths about homosexuality.
John Ward, a Boston attorney and
Executive Director of Gay and Lesbian
Advocates and Defenders, warned lawyers
representing gay clients to avoid
defenses which are just as homophobic
as the laws gays are fighting. He gave
the example of the lawyer who defended
his client - a divorced gay psychiatrist
with five children - by saying,
"This man's not a degenerate, he's a
daddy."
Jane Trichter, a current city councilmember
of ew York City who began
her political career as a pro-abortion
I DIVIDUAL & RELATIONAL
COUNSELING
Andrew Fono
2004112
GUADALUPE 472-7690
French Cuisine, Courtyard, & Bar.
Open 11 a.m. until midnight
Bakery open Fridays &
Saturdays until 2 a.m.
~14 East 6th St.
lobbyist, discussed lobbying as a strategy
for securing gay rights. Referring
to her involvement in the unsuccessful
attempt to pass a New York City
gay rights package, Trichter said that
it is important that there be a close
working relationship between the sponsors
of any gay rights bill and as broad
a spectrum as possible of the gay community.
Steve Endean, Executive Director of
Gay Rights National Lobby in Washington,
D.C., agreed with Trichter that
the weakest part of the gay movement
is its community organization. Endean
explained that no lobbyist can be
effective without "a constituency net·
work" organized to support his eff osts.
For example, he said, an organization
called Christian Voice - which fights
against gay rights, abortion, affinnative
action, etc. - can mobilize I 00,000
members to contact their legislators
when an important issue or vote comes
before Congress. Endean said that gays
must be organized to the point that
they can apply just as much or more
pressure on their legislators.
Trich ter encouraged gays to run their
own candidates for elected offices when
possible, even if success seems unlikely.
She said that even lost campaigns are
productive, because they build the
candidate's name recognition and credibility,
as well as mobilize support and
raise issues.V
University Bans
Gay Group
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Invoking the
"moral teachings of the Catholic
Church," the Georgetown University
administration has overturned a student
government decision to grant official
campus recognition to Gay People
of Georgetown, a tudent organization.
The administration said that "while
the University supports and cherishes
the individual lives and rights of its
students it will not subsidize thi
cause. Such an endorsement would
be inappropriate for a Catholic university.
'
With little opposition, the Georgetown
Student Senate had upheld a
decision by the Student Activities
,.
CAPITAL
COIN
COMPANY
3004 Guadalupe
WASHING TON, D.C. - A bill to prohibit
discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation in housing, employment,
and public accomodations has been
introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives
but probably will not receive
a hearing in the Education and
Labor Committee or the Judiciary
Committee to which it has been referred.
The measure, co-sponsored by
representatives Henry Waxman (D.Calif.)
and Theodore Weiss (D.-NY)
is not matched by a corresponding
bill in the Senate.
Lobbyist Steve Endean.
Similar attempts in past years have
met similar fates. No gay-rights bill has
ever been introduced in the Senate and
none of the bills introduced in the
House has ever received a hearing.
Steve Endean of the Gay Rights
ational Lobby say F deral la
protecting le bians and gay men should
not be expected s on. " Anyone who
believes in a quick effort - even five
years - is fooling themselves," he says.
"It could be as much as IO to IS years
before we get a bill." Endean believes
hearings on gay-rights bills shouldn't
be held until grass-roots support has
been developed, probably within another
three yearsV
Commission to recognize the group.
"The tudents arc bchin'd us," a local
gay activist said. "The students are
willing to listen to people who arc
different from them; the student
arc willing to radically confirm our
basic human rights ... If there is any
part of the university that needs to
be educated ... it is the administ ration.''
V
472-1676
kt extensive collecticn of OOlliS and SUPPLIES
OOLD .ThVJElRY FIDM AIL OVER 'lliE IDRLD
also buying antiques and all gold
20% discount on gold jewelry and coin supplies
wi. th this ad.
voJ. 3. 11 . -I GAY AUSTIN 5
Letters
Editors' Note:
We are providing this space for
letters from our readers for feedback,
comments, and announcements of
interest to the lesbian and gay community
in the hope that an effective forum
is established.
Coors boycott
sti II·
To the Editors: 't·-..
A few weeks ago William Coors was
in town for a seminar sponsored by
the LBJ School, the Graduate School
of Business, and the Institute of Constructive
Capitalism. The University of
Texas Employees Union in cooperation
with other groups picketed and
leafleted that meeting. NoW Coo.rs .has
a full page ad in The Adv.ocst' ing
us to "check it out" ror"_·qurselfit. If
you do check it out you Will Jjn<l that
the owners of Coors 'are ·~'?(~~J good
and pure as they claim.' .tl!eiP'~er is.
The workers did not "vc~ · 2 - 1
against the union. Coors br.oke the
strike; it broke the union. It fired all
of those on strike;_ it replaced the
strikers with scabs. Coors stalled and
finally the election was held with the
scab v tin 1 out the union. ~e strike
is over. We lost. The b9ycott is not
over. The AFI.,CIO is continuing the
boycott.
Coors continues its usual ways. In
their Advocate ad, they admit that
they require polygraph tests. They
humiliate their workers. They attempt
to control the private lives of their
employee . Check it out - read the
ad yourself. oars continues to be a
major cornerstone of tho e rightwing
groups who continue to attack unions,
the ·RA, gay-rights - anything that
might help bring a decent life to the
vast majority of Americans.
· The purpos-e of the conference at
the LBJ School was to hring Coors
into the dominant business coalition
that now rules America. If the "Coors"
of America continue to be successful
in their attacks on unions. gays, women,
minorities, the poor, then these forces
will become the new "center'' of
American politics. We cannot allow
this.
No one - lesbian, gay, worker -
no one should ever willingly participate
in his/her own oppression.
Please do not be bought out by ads.
Do continue to boycott Coors.
Shelly Caldwell
President
James Kieke
Executive Vice-President
University of Texas Employees Union
TFT, AFT,. AFL-CIO
Box 8182
UT Station
Austin, Texas 78712
Laments closing
of theater
Editor:
Austin's fir t and only all-male movie
theater closed its doors on Wednesday,
March 7, 1979. Financial difficulties
were believed to be the reason the
three partners closed the Cinema
ollies Club. I, for one, really enjoyed
those Jack Wrangler films. Austin
finally had a gay porn theater of its
very own! Here's hoping the owners
can get some other investors to buy up
their lease and reopen the theater. We
in Austin deserve our own gay movie
house. It's a disappointment to all of
us involved in the venture right now.
May the situation improve for the better
real soon, so all of us can see our favorite
gay porn stars on the big screen
once again.
Wayde Frey
Austin, 3-14-79
I .
Lesbians Charge
Police Harassment
SAN FRANCISCO - Support is growing
for two lesbians who have charged
the San. Francisco police with harass·
ment in an incident outside a women's
bar in late January. The women say
police handcuffed and beat them outside
the bar and later abused them
Buy
physically and verbally at two different
police stations. They were eventually
charged with resisting arrest,
public drunkenness and failure to
identify themselves.
Wages Due Lesbians, a San Francisco
organization, has asked Mayor
Diane Feinstein to take action against
the officers involved in the incident
and to issue a public statement reprimanding
them, and has demanded that
charges against the women b dropped. v
Gay Austin
Classirieds
Exile in Holland
Gay Man
~ Flees U.S. 'Justice'
BOSTO , - Gay Community Nelvs of
Boston reports that Richard Bearse,
who fled from the courtroom during his
trial on charges of "intent to rape" a
14-year-old youth, is now in Holland.
The Fitchburg, Massachusetts barber
was accused of sitting naked in a darkened
sauna with the youth for 20
minutes and of massaging his neck,
shoulders and stomach. o genital
contact solidtation or sexual conversation
wa alleged and the youth made
no objection to Bcarse's actions. The
youth }).ad inquired aoout using the
barber shop's sauna while Bearse cut
his hair and had accepted Bearse's
invitation to join him in it.
After a trial in which the judge
showed what observers described as
bizarre behavior and blatant prejudice
against the defendant, Bearse disappeared
from the courtroom while the
jury was considering its verdict. The
offense he was charged with could
result in a life sentence and the prosecutor
assured Bearse he would be
sentenced to 10 to 15 years without
probation.
The Sexual Reform Institute of
Holland and the Werkgrupp Pedophilie
have provided Bearse with lodging,
financial upport and two lawyers.
Dutch police and immigration officials
have assured him he will not be
extradited and have given him permission
to remain in the country
for at least three months.
The case has been widely publicized
in Holland and supporters have protested
at the U.S. Embassy. Frank
Torey of the Dutch Spartacus Organintion
commented, .. Living in Holland,
where sexual education is light-years
:ihead of where it is in the Englishspeaking
world, it is easy to overlook
the significance of what is happening
in Boston. But we won't."
Bearse is now working with a coalition
of Dutch gay and youth groups
who are trying to help 14-year-old
Bubba tayes of Mississippi, recently
sentenced to 48 years in an adult
prison, without the possibility of
probation for his first conviction
of participation in a robbery. ''I've
learned ho important political
action is · Bearse said. "The boy
in m case was abused by the trial
as much as I was, and Bubba is
abused. All u:s. •justice' knows how
to do is abuse minors and those adults
who relate to them. V
Brydon to Head NGTF
N tW YORK - Charles F. Brydon, a
40-year-old insurance executive who
is currently co-chair of the ,ational
Gay Task Force Board of Directors,
has been named to replace Dr. Bruce
Voeller as co-executive director of
NGTF. Voeller resigned in October.
As an army captain Brydon erved
in Germany, Korea and Vietnam in
the '60s and became a gay civil rights
activist in the '70s. He joined the
NGTF Board of Director in 1976.
The new director hopes to build
greater grass-roots support for GTF.
•'The task force has only I 0 000
members out of an estimated _Q million
gay people in the .S., ' he said. He
also urged TGTF to build alliances
beyond those already establish d with
' feminist organizations. "Gay group ,
need to make connections with bla k
civil right group , su h a the 'AACP,
and with the labor movement, ' h said.
Brydon say pa t gay civil rights
efforts have shown that "we can gain
allies in the civic and politi al leader-hip.''
Hebelieve that th gay right
movement cannot afford t alien te
the con ervativc who believe in pri a Y
and who under tands th t it i wrong
to discriminate .. ,
Brydon will assume office on April 9. ·- . " ~ ..
Charles Brydon.
6 apriI 1979 GAY AUSTIN v'Ol. 3, r10. 7
Gay Couple Sues INS
LOS ANGELES - A gay couple claiming
to be legally married has filed suit
against the Immigration and Naturalization
Service to prevent deportation
of one of the partners. The suit, filed
in U.S. District Court by American
Civil Liberties Union lawyers, results
from the INS's refusal to grant preferential
resident alien visa to Anthony
Sullivan, an Australian citizen, as the
spouse of Richard Adams, a citizen
of this country.
In its initial decision, the INS told
the pair, "You have failed to establish
that a bona fide marital relation-
Brazilian Press
Supports Lampiao
SAO PAOLO, BRAZIL - The Brazilian
Press Association, the journalists' union,
and a number of artistic and cultural
groups have rallied to the defense of
Lampitio, Brazil's first serious gay publication,
since the Brazilian military
dictatorship issued subpoenas against
the paper's editorial collective last
September (see Gay Austin, March
1979.) A coalition called the Permanent
Commission for the Defense of Freedom
of Expression characterized the
subpoenas and other government threats
against the paper as "one more attack
on freedom of expression" and called
charges of "offending morality and
propriety" a "subterfuge for censorship."
The legal action against the paper is
based on the Press Law passed by the
military government when it took
power in 1964. Journalists for at least
four non-gay publications who have
written articles on homosexuality are
also currently under investigation for
alleged violations of the same provisions
of the law.V
ship can exist between two faggots."
A later ruling claimed a gay male
spouse "cannot function as a wife by
assuming female duties and obligations
inherent in the marital relationship."
The lawsuit claims the INS decision
violates constitutional guarantees of
equal protection.
The ruling is at least the second
instance of discrimination against homosexuals
since the INS told representatives
of the National Gay Task Force
last year that they would end the
practice. (See Gay Austin, March,
1979.)V
Gay Couple
Adopts Child
SAN FRANCISCO - For what is believed
to be the first time in history, a
court has granted an openly gay couple
the right to adopt a child. On January
12 a Los Angeles Superior Court judge
approved the adoption of 23-monthold
Robert David by Reverend Jim
Dykes of the Metropolitan Community
Church and his spouse, Albert Lanny
Dykes, a physician.
Since there is no legal recognition
of gay couples under California law,
Dr. Dykes is the official parent while
Rev. Dykes is the child's guardian.
It is officially considered a singleparent
adoption.V
Youth Counselor
Acquitted
HOUSTO - A fonner counselor for
a half-way house for runaways in Houston
was found not guilty of sexual misconduct
after the alleged victim, who
was also the state's chief witness, admitted
he had lied in a similar trial
against another counselor at the same
half-way house last December. The
16-year-old youth told the jury police
had grilled and rehearsed him before
his testimony in the earlier trial, which
also resulted in acquittal.
The two trials resul ted from a statement
made by the youth during an
investigation by what is known locally
as the "chicken-hawk squad" of the
Houston Police Department. Two other
counselors from the half-way hou e
who were also charged have not yet
been brought to trial.
Assistant District ttorney Brian
R.ains, who admits he knew of the
perjury, refused to explain his pro ecuting
the second defendant. Defen e
attorney Larry Watts accused the
Distri t ttomey' office of ''knowing
u e of perjured te timony in vi lati n
of the c n n f ethi .''
I r
Lesbian Relationship
Grounds for Alimony Cut
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA - A Minnesota
District Court judge has ruled
that a woman's stable lesbian relationship
is sufficient grounds for the
termination of alimony payments from
her ex-husband. After a divorce agreement
made in 1972 which required
alimony "until such time as she remarries
or dies," the ex-husband took
the woman to court to stop alimony
when he discovered she was involved
Arson Suspected in
Gay Commune Fire
WOLF CREEK, OREGON - Arson is
suspected in the fire which destroyed
the farmhouse of a small commune
of gay men here last January 12. The
commune, at which the gay men's
journal RFD was published until recently,
has been the target of haras -
ment and vandalism for the past year
and last fall townspeople exprc cd
concern when two boys, aged three
and seven, moved to the farm to be
raised there.
The local sheriff found two unu ed
Molotov cocktails and an empty gasoline
can near the ite of the fire.
There were no injurie · but damage
was estimated at 30,000. o arre ts
in a relationship with another woman.
Although it is not believed the de·
cision will establish important legal
precedent, Jean O'Leary of the National
Gay Task Force considers it significant.
"I think the judge is right," O'Leary
said. "If this is a stable relationship,
it certainly is the equivalent of a
marriage situation ... We could solve
all these problems just by legalizing
homosexual marriages." V
TV Evangelist
Dropped
for Anti-Gay Sermon
DALLAS - Dallas television station
WFAA - TV has discontinued its weekly
broadcasts by evangelist James Robison
because of a sermon he delivered in
late February in which he called the
gay movement ''despicable'' and "a
perversion of the highest order."
Station manager David Lane said he
believed the ermon violated the Federal
Communications Commission's Fairness
Doctrine.
''I should he able to say what' in
my head and in the Bible ." Robison
aid. "I'll alway preach that home -
are expected.V sexuality i a in ." V
Demonstators Attacked
EW YORK - A group of 50 gay and
lesbian demonstrators at the office of
' a Queens City Councillor was attacked
by several dozen teenagers who threw
eggs, fruit, and bottles at them and
yelled, "Get out of our neighborhood"
and "Castrate gay men." Witnesses say
the eight or ten police on the scene
escorted demonstrators to safety when
they had finished , but made no attempt
to stop the attack.
Joyce Hunter, a member of Lesbians
Rising, said, "In all the years I've been
demonstration, I've never encountered
706L6 .. ltreet
anything as vicious as this . . . It wa
really dangerou .'' She said the demonstrators
"didn't expect a nice crowd,
but we didn't expect the violence
either. The police encouraged their
behavior, but we kept our cool."
The demonstration was organized
by the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay
Rights against Queen_ City Councillor
Thomas J. Man ton for his consistent
opposition to gay rights.
Hunter says the activists will return.
"We have to demonstrate in the area
again because many of us live in the
district," she said.V
A.UITIX. TSXA.S
I I ' • r' f ! • "' ) I
\ , ' ,
I •
.. . .
' -
vol. 3, 110. 7 .GAY AUSTIN april 1979 7
POPPERS
a gui~e for consumers
"Poppers" is the common name for the drug butyl nitrite. Well known in
the gay community, it is sold in small bottles or in mesh-covered crushable vials
in most adult bookstores, many headshops, and by mail order. Butyl may not'
legally be sold for human consumption, so each of these dozens of brand-name
products is sold as "liquid incense" or "room deodorizer" or "scent." This is
ironic because few people find the smell entirely pleasing.
Butyl nitrite is very similar to the medical drug amyl nitrite. Both arc sometimes
incorrectly called nitrates and one manufacturer labels his!foduct with a
complex chemical name which, nonetheless, translates into buty rite. Differences
in effect between butyl (the incense) and amyl (the pres ription drug)
would seem to be minimal. More reports of minor side effects are encountered
with butyl, but these may be the result of impurities which do not occur in
pharmaceutically controlled amyl.
The nitrites arc strong vasodilators. Blood ves.cls in the body are not rigid
pipes, but arc more like a system of valves capable of being opened or closed.
When the vessels are opened (dilated), blood may rush through them more
freely; if this happens in the face it is called blushing. With most people, vasodilation
occurs over most of the body surface when they approach orgasm,
resulting in the well-known sexual flush.
Medically, nitrites arc used to treat angina pectoris. When the arteries which
supply blood to the heart become narrowed by the deposit of sediment on the
inside walls - the way hot-water pipes are narrowed in hard-water areas - they
arc no longer capable of delivering maximum blood supply to the heart. This
may not bother a person engaged in quiet activities, but in heavier activity or in
excitement, the heart's demand for blood may increase beyond the diseased
arteries' ability to supply it. The result is severe pain in the chest: angina pcctoris.
itrite have the ability to dilate these blood vessels temporarily and so
reverse the situation of insufficient blood supply to the heart.
by LARS EIGHNER
If the artery becomes completely blocked. hO\ t:vcr, then part of the heart
tissue is bound to die. Thi is called myocardial mfar th n - or heart attack -
and the possibility of its happening is why no 01h.: . hould attempt to treat che t
pains with nitrites except under clo c medical supcrvi. ion.
The folks who niff butyl nitrite in book tore and di os, of cour e. do not
have angina pectoris. They sniff it for the rush. ·
Recreational u e of nitrites seem to be i lakd to thrc factor . First,
nitrites produce a strong. hot. tlu hing cnsation imilar to the flush which
accompanic sexual activity. Many men identify thi en·ation a cxual, although
not as many women expericnt:c i L in tJ1i, wa . Variation of the cffc t
accompany many kind of heavy activity uch a fighting. weightlifting. and
other athletic endeavor.
Secondly, popper arc believed t be aphrodi ia . Almo t every p ychoactivc
drug has at one time or another b1.:cn thought to in ·r1.:a e .c ·ual drive
or ability. But the primary place of c. ual arou al in human beings i not
between the leg ; it i between the car . Virtually anything. will innea
drive and ability if the user believe it will. 'itritc· do not directly cau men
to have erections. The many report of thi: eff cct an be c plained b ' the
mental association of the u e of the drug with c ual activit '.
Finall , nitrite. usually cause a en ation of lighthcad dn
to their vasodilator effects. The blood vc .els in thr bod c:on ·titulc a clo t:d
container. A strong va odilator cau c the blood c.: cl to op 11 up. which
amounts to making the container much larger. If a ·ontain r 0 1 larger. th
pressure of the cnclo e<l fluid gets lower, o nitrit ·an udJ nl rcdu c blood
pressure. When blood pres ure g c down. there ma n lt be .ufficicnt force
for enough blood to overcome gravity and get to the brain.
Temporary drop in blood pres ure arc comna 11 and normal; they account
for the e'l ation of faintness that people omctimc~ . p ricn · when tand-
Continued on page 16.
DOING IN DOWNTOW
austin's official approach
to revitalization
On December 8, 1977, the Austin City Council instructed the City Manager to
prepare an economic development plan for Downtown. Thi stud · recently
approved hy the Council, proposes a set of "development strategic de igncd
to halt the economic and physical deterioration of Central Austin." Alth u 1h
the goals and objectives of the study arc desirable, the strategics for achieving
them fail to break with the specious comfort of wi hes, familiar upcr tition ,
and oversimplifications; they relate only minimally to the real world and ignore
the need for effective physical planning to create a continuou net\ ork of afe,
lively and intcre ting streets which foster public contad and enc uragc a variety
of commerce, cultural opportunities and culture .
The primary goal of the plan is to insure the fiscal heal th of the City. 111is
is a worthy goal which, in keeping with safe, lively, and interesting trect can
be achieved through the encouragement of private entrepreneur hip and mallbusiness
activity. Commendably, the plan recognizes these method , but al 0
propo e that the city .. a sist with land assembly" for large. inglc-u c d vclopmcnts
(office towers). Land assembly is objectionable becau e. to in urc diversity,
an area mu t . ervc more than one, and preferably more than two, primary
uses. These uses must insure the presence of people who go outdoors on different
schedules and who arc in the area for different purpo·cs.
Office tower do not meet this criterion. Further bank and offi e tower
by function lack a spread of people throughout the day (one of the main
current problems). and thus replace old stagnation with new. 1o t u11furtunatc,
the mea urc of succc sunder the new plan is increased tax-ba c revenues (money
generated from a higher tax a sc sment of land and building' ; thu the downtown
problem ha bccorn~ a problem not in social theory, communll or p '·
chology, but in bookkecpmg. Downtown cea e to become a human creation
and become a commodity._ Its. achievements are not to be ju<lg d by ar hitectural
beauty, cultural insp1rat10n and hurnan asso iation but by cconc mic
productivity, taxable re ou1ce , and fiscal succe . Urban id olo 'Y ha be ome
by PHILLIP CO ARD
business idcolog}.
Downtown Austin has th<.: potential to become a \\ 11-hakmc d. dhcr ilicd
and exciting di tril.'.l. Wid chokr and riLh opprn H.mit) i. the 1 ur1 o ol ·itic ..
Sixth Street i Ii cl. !ar~1 cly b \trtue of 1t. ~real cull •ct1on of rn.tll dun nt .
This diver i ty not the bank tm\CT. or City Hall ha made D m11 t )\ 1 \lhr;mt
and exciting.
The current cit) plan for Do\l.nto\\11 rcdevdopm nt ha h t t••l t 111 tJ1i
fact. Thi L It mo. t tragic Ila\\ it 111pha 1~ on cconomiudl~ i;,I le ma.
culture.
•'Bars. porno1•raphi · hol>kstor and othe1 nu1 anc · land u c ·an 1k' lound
along part of C"ong1 c en u and • i. th . t rcct. Allhou11L th \. u . .., ,!H'
not numcrou they and the patron the) attract act to de tro. \\hate\ ·1
wholesom environment the\ idnit) might othcrn I l po l' :·
''Strategics for the l·conomk R1.:v1t:tl11a11011 of Cl:ntr~I u. ti11.'· p. M).
It i unfortunate that the Council dw. r to i idudc tl11 pa1~1~ 1:q h tk : 11
puhli oppo ition voiced at the hearing. Then 111clu 1011 <I it hov. ,1 I IP·
found mi under ·tanding of the purpo :ind putcnt ial of th<.: Do llh '' 11 ,111.:a.
for the ·'nut ance" land u e and their pat1011 . ''l'll. Ill\ on. 1 th .'11 t
omcwhcrc bet\ ccn !\1r. Pc p 1· and the A lult ~tP1c. Jlil' '' ,, · t.il Ii h-ment
arc the only bu me c tha cep th t1c1.:t acti\l' (.111 I lhll I< 1 .• tfl:.
relatively rime-free. and 111tc1c till!..' rncnt)·lllur ltt1u1 1.:HI~ d.1~. \\lr.11 m.1k1..
Si thStrcct uc.:ccsful1 It diverit t\\ellt\·lousholll all;1\.
Bel0te following their plan I<: I 1. tl1 City C<11m 11. '1011 I h1L·1" a\\.t~
from their p cudo c1cncc of dty plannrng and e amine JU "h.rt Illa th1.
real \\orlc.1 lick.
Copic of .. Strate 0 1e for the I ·onomi · Rcvitali1.at1011 'I ( l'lllta
may he obtained from the Planning D partm nt or by calling 477-C- 11. l mand
a copy (they hesitate ll giv them reely · your ta · dollar I ai 1 for it l r ·
duction."\i'
8 apriJ 1979 GAY AUSTIN v'Ol. 3, r1 . 7
CIT~
by Bob Prewitt
The only thing certain about the 5 lst Annual Acedemy Awards, to be televised
April 9, is that Jason Robards will not win a third consecutive Oscar for
Best Supporting Actor. Robards, who pocketed awards for his performances in
All the President's Men (1976) and Julia (1977) has not been nominated this
year, which suits me just fine. Last year he "spoiled" what would have been an
·otherWise perfect scorecard for me. I correctly predicted the winners in all the
major categories (Best Picture, Director, and performances) - except Supporting
. Actor, for which I chose the redoubtable Alec Guinness. Oh well. Considering
the number of surprises the Academy provides each year, I guess I should be
satisfied with five out of six.
This year, choosing winners seems even more precarious. In almost every
category there are legitimate reasons for picking a number of nominees to win.
o single film would seem to be a clear favorite, though very typically one
movie will end up bagging most of the major awards. Still, look for at least one
minor upset, and perhaps a major one or two. There are too many intangible_
factors at work to expect otherwise. Frankly, I'll be quite happy if I pick three
of the top six categories correctly this year.
Best Supporting Actor. The biggest urprise here is the incomprehensible
omission of veteran character actor Robert Morley, who maivelously redefined
gluttony in Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? It appears that the film's
overall mediocrity spoiled his chances. Had he been nominated, my choice
would have been much more difficult. As it is, the prediction isn't all that
nerve-racking. Richard Farnsworth gave an affecting performance in Comes A
Horseman, but the film was ignored by the public, and he stands little chance.
Two of the nominees mentioned most often, Bruce Dern (Coming Home) and
Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter) will in my estimation walk away from
the Dorothy Chandler pavilion empty-handed. Dem is a competent actor, and
yes it's true he's not received enough attention for his work. In this film his
portrayal of the volatile Vietnam veteran left behind by life in America was
quite engaging. But it's a perfonnance too similar to others he's given in the
past (did anyone see Black Sunday?), and one grows weary of repetition obscure
or otherwise. Dern will receive a healthy vote, many for sentimental
reasons, but it shouldn't carry him over. Walken, on the other hand, has had no
trouble with publicity, and he hasn't been working in films that long. AU his
interviews and photo essays had me geared for the supporting performance of
the year. It's true Walken is good in The Deer Hunter, but frankly 1 was more
impressed by John Savage, and my gut feeling is the Academy will not let
hype completely guide their vote.
Jack Warden was wonderful as the L.A. Rams trainer in Heaven Can Wait.
Ifs a tribute of no small stature that Warden upstaged his funny, bumblin(T
co-star, Charles Grodin, with a nomination. ( Grodin had received more prenomination
publicity than had Warden. Still, Warden's "light comedy" role .
undoubtedly will be overshadowed by the heavy duty performances he's forced
to compete with. My pick to win, with little hesitation, is John Hurt ( fidnight
Express , the British actor who so overwhelmed with his subtle, yet devastating
performance as the drug-riddled Max. The vote will be close, with Walken and
Dern not far behind, but Hurt should pull it out, and it's an honor richly de·
erved.
705 RED RIVER 47i-0418
Best Supporting Actress. Probably the most difficult category to predict.
Still, it's essentially a four-way race. Penelope Milford (Coming Home), ·as b st
I can remember, was all right, but I had totally forgotten her performance by
the time nominations were released, and was surprised to see her name. Where
is Kelly Bishop, so affecting as Jill Clayburgh's best friend in An Unmarried
Woman? Or even Diane Keaton for Interiors? At any rate, I don't expect the
Academy to remember Milford any better than I do, especially considering
her competition. To pick the winner from the remaining four one might as
well draw straws .
Although it's certainly possible that Dyan Cannon (Heaven Can Wait) will
win in an upset, I really can't choose her. The competition's too strong. However,
should the Academy decide to give nearly every award in ight to the
light, frothy comedy (which could very well happen, given the current "let's·
not-deal-with-it'' mood of the country), her chances would increase dramatically.
Cannon is ble sed with a marvlous gift for comedy and an exquisite sense
of timing, but something tells me this just isn't her year. No doubt there will
be others.
That leaves three nominees, and rny choice is based solely on intuition - not a
bad criterion when the Oscars are the concern. All three women - Maggie
Smith (Califomia Suite}, Maureen Stapleton (Interiors), and Meryl Streep
(The Deer l/unter) - are spectacular. Smith and Stapleton are in a similar
po ition, having been nominated several times before (Smith won the 0 car
for Be t Actress in 1969 for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie; Stapleton ha ·
never won in two supporting nominations). In fact, my choice was more difficult
before I saw Strcep's perfom1ance; both Smith and Stapleton are c tablished
veterans and Academy favorites. 1 had just about decided to go with
Stapleton on a hunch when The Deer Hunter finally got to town, and mercifully
forced my decision another direction: in a sizable surprise, Meryl Streep
will win the award. It's not often that a nominee wins the first time around,
but it's not unheard of, either (Diane Keaton did it just last year). And Streep's
performance is ab olutelyfascinating, one of the many marvels of The Deer
Hunter. Still, a lot depends on how the member hip reacts to The Deer Hu11ter
as a whole; if it turns away from the Vietnam epic in other categories, it will
probably turn away from Streep as well. I say this probably won't happen,
but if it does, and Smith, Stapleton or Cannon win instead, 1 won't be upset
in the least.
Best Actress. Another tough one. Ellen Burstyn (Same Time, Next Year)
nabbed the nomination I thought might go to Marybeth Hurt (Interiors) or
Melanie Mayron (Girlfriends). Burstyn is quite good as Doris, one-half of the
affectionate, if adulterous, pair of lovers originally created for the stage. And
he is an Academy favorite of sorts, having won Best Actress in 1974 for Alice
Doesn't Live Here Anymore. But as a whole Same Time, Next Year is uneven,
and with the strong performances of her peers, Burstyn has to be considered a
long-shot.
I really was not impres ed with Jane Fonda in Coming lfome, and do not
expect her to win. Her portrayal was too bland, and at the same time too mannered
and self-conscious. Also working against her, Coming Home was relea ed
early in the year, a very real factor indeed; the Academy, it has often been said,
has a short memory. She could win a "sympathy award" for losing to Keaton
last year, but that, too, seems unlikely.
Once again the choice comes down to three: Geraldine Page (Interiors ,
Jill Clayburgh (An Unmarried Woman), and Ingrid Berman (Autumn Sonata).
Page was brilliant in Interiors, and may have the most expre ivc face in movies
today. She also has been nominated several times before. But her part was relatively
small, and Interiors received mixed reviews; these could be crucial.
Based purely on performance, I believe Clayburgh should win. She met the
challenge of a large and demanding role, displaying a wide range of emotions
with great power and control. But Bergman will win. As the distraught, emotionally
impotent mother in "Sonata," she was wonderfully convincing, but
this in itself would not be enough for her to win the 0 car over Clayburgh.
The heer force of sentimentality will make the difference, and I do not say
thi di paragingly. Bergman is one of the mot magnetic, important stars in
Hollywo d hi tory. If she wins, he will own four Oscar , more than any other
performer. And ince "Sonata" may in fact be Bergman' la t major work,
who could really blame the Academy? If ·he doc n't win, it will be a mild, an<l
perhaps melancholy, surprise.
Best Actor. I feel the least comfortable predicting here, becau e I haven't
een two f the film repre ented : The Buddy llolly Story (Gary Bu ey) and
The Boys from Brazil Laurence Olivier). Still, I have some confidence. I have
seen Bu ey before (in Straight Time, particularly) and know he i taJented
and powerful. Still, a a newcomer among the nominee hi chance dimini h
significantly. Olivier's nomination was the one major surpri e this year, and
Brad Davis ( fie/night Expre s) de rve an apology. I can't hc]p but b Ii ve
Olivier wa honored for the ninth time out of re pcct for hi long mu triou
career rather than for hi performance in "Brazil" (both the film and Olivier
have received mixed reviews). In either case he i no heir apparent to the 0 car.
Continued on page 16.
v'OI. 3, 110. 7 GAY AUSTIN apriJ 19799
V~NYl~SMS
by Dennis Haney
DISCO BITS AND PIECES
Prelude Records has a hot album release called .. Fire Night Dance" by the
Peter Jaequcs Band. Both the title cut and .. Walking on Music" are receiving
heavy play which should make this LP one of the year's biggest and best.
No, that's not a new disco song by the Emotions you're hearing, but,
rather. Alton McClain and Destiny doing the ultimate rip-off with ''It Must
Be Love."
Village People strike again with "In the Navy" from the forthcoming album
"Go West." Casablanca, meanwhile, has raised the list price of their previous
albums from $7 .98 to $8.98, making Village People the first group to have their
entire catalog raised all at once.
Capitol Records has finally started releasing more commercial twelve-inch
single . Three worth noting arc A Taste of Honey's classic "Boogie Oogie
Oogic," Desmond Child and Rouge's "Our Love is Insane,'' and Gonzalez'
"Haven't Stopped Dancing Yet."
Although Herbie Mann's "Superman" is doing well, the original version
by Celi Bee is infinitely superior. Both are currently available as twelve-inch
singles.
Melba Moore follows up her successful rendition of the Bee qees' "You
Stepped Into my Life ," with a new disco single entitled "Pick Me Up, I'll
Dance."
Additional disco singles worth noting are Carrie Lucas· "Dance ith You,"
the Bombers' 0 (Everybody) Get Dancin' " and remixed versions of Celi Bee's
"Fly Me On the Wings of Love" and Cher's "Take Mc Home."
Donna Summer is currently in the studio at work on a new album with
producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellote. Meanwhile, she has become one
of only seven female solo vocalists to top both the pop single and album charts
simultaneously. The Queen of Disco continues to reign!
"Bang a Gong" is the latest rock song to be redone disco style, this time by
a group calling themselves Witch Queen. Other recent remakes have included
Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" and Del Shannon's old rock and roll hit
.. Runaway." Meanwhile, the Beach Boys are the latest to try their hand at
disco with a new twelve-inch release entitled "Here Comes the Night.''
Sylvester has a hot new twelve-ince single out called "I (Who Have Nothing)"
from his new album "Stars." Portions of the LP were co-produced
with Cerrone.
Linda Clifford's new album titled "Let Me Be Your Woman" has been released
and features a sizzling disco version of "Bridge Over Troubled Water."
From the Jady who gave us "Runaway Love" and "If My Friends Could See
Me Now," this one should be dynamite.
Madleen Kane, who scored well last year with "Rough Diamond," is back
on the chart with "Forbidden Love" from the forthcoming album "Cheri."
Vicki Sue Robinson returns to the scene with the release of her new disco
single "Nighttime Fantasy." Remebered best for "Tum the Beat Around" and
"Hold Tight,'' she should score well with this latest outing, featured in the
upcom~ng film Noctuma. "V
Andersons' Illusions
is back for one week only
Tue•.- Sat. a:oo pm April 3-8 Set. & Sun. 2:00 pm
4th & Lavaca
4'78-4538 o r
4'78 -7844
c hlldren'•
NEW RECORD COMP ANY RELEASES GAY ALBUM
Aboveground Records, a new record company based in Philadelphia, has
just announced the release of its first album, GAY AME GAME, featuring
singer/songwriter Tom Wilson.
Wilson, who accompanies himself on piano, has appeared at coffeehouses,
bars, and conferences in Philadelphia and New York. On the record he is backed
up by a small group of instrumentalists.
GAY NAME GAME is the album's title song and there are twelve others
ranging from humor and satire to quiet ballads.
Writing about his appearance at The Glines in ew York, Gay Community
News (Boston) called Wilson "the surprise hit of the evening ... the gay version
of Tom Lehrer, with a little Randy ewman thrown in ... "
Philadelphia's Drummer, applauding an eppearance at the University of
Pennsylvania, called Wilson "wry, engaging" and .. appealing."
At a recent statewide conference in Pennsylvania Gay Era was ••completely
charmed by his songs and demeanor after dinner. '
The album will be available at gay bookstores and specialty shops and can
be ordered directly from Aboveground Records, Box 2131, Philadelphia, PA
19103. ($7 .00 plus 50 cents postage and handling; Pennsylvania residents
add 6% sales tax.)
''We're a gay company," according to a spokesperson from Aboveground,
''so it's appropriate that our first offering is an upbeat, upfront gay album. We
plan to record other gay artists in the near future.'' "V
THE STUDE TS'
• School Supp/Ms - all
• C.lculators & Ty,,.wrl
• Alt & EnglnHrlng Su
• lf«:ord• ' r.,,.,
• SIJonlng Good1 f
• .w..lry & Clau Rings I
•a.,,.,., Book• •
,__-=--t Store
!..~ !t=•:' :.:o:R ec~rs •..•. io & Television
elt1• & Texa Souvenirs
H t• Shop
:, cial & ltlall Order
"
,,, to make• purchHe with VISA or ltla:stercharge?
,,, to ttart • Co-Op tlm• payment plan?
If you have any of th ... needs; come by the Co-Op and give us a chance to
M lp. The University Co-Op, a Texas tradlt on s nee 1896. We want to be
your atore.
-~
476-7211
2248 Guadalupe
,_ - - """"'.c 00 ,_
Photo notes
,I
-Photos by Joseph Kelly
12 apriJ 1979 GAY AUSTIN v'OI. 3, r10. 7
by Georg Stojcevic
For most of us the kitchen is a place filled with the memories of good food
and good times. However, it seems whenever we attempt to recreate that good
food in our own kitchens the results are a mixture of chaos, bedlam, and severe
heartburn.
It is the intent of this column to Jead you through the culinary battlefield
and help you to achieve the basic sense that will enable you to prepare and enjoy
food that is edible, reasonably inexpensive, and relatively hassle-free.
The recipes that I will pass on to you are not very fancy; I'll leave the
Cordon Bleu to those souls with more time, money, and nerves.
Whether your kitchen is large enough for a game of rugby or smaller than
a breadbox, a few things remain the same. In the pots and pans department
you should have some kind of kettle or large pot, at least a couple of gallons
worth, and a few medium and small saucepans, a skillet, and perhaps a tea
kettle. This basic set is a must if you want to rise above the prepared/tinned/
frozen neofood syndrome.
Lay in some spices - garlic, cayenne (red pepper), basil, oregano, chili,
curry, thyme, as well as good old salt and pepper. These basics can give a dish
that borders on the mediocre a push into the divine.
Don't forget a few utensils - wooden spoons, slotted spoons, spatula,
wire whip (cool it you fetishists) and perhaps a good strainer. With these varied
implements of destruction you should be ab]e to launch a fair-sized culinary
catastrophe.
Now that you have a vague idea of what a kitchen is all about let us get
into the more practical side of things. The recipes that 1'11 be sending your way
in this column are all laid out with simplicity in mind, and after you get the
hang of each one, please vary, experiment. Cooking can be an art form as well
as a whole bunch of fun.V
:~:::~:::~=~=----~-=~=~~:::::·--"-··----,
l quart milk l stick margarine or butter
2 cups water 5 slices cooked bacon
Salt and a generous amount of pepper
Combine above ingredients and cook tiH potatoes are well done. Stir often
to prevent scorching. Use ]ow heat. Very good with hefty sandwiches and beer.
~ .......................................................................................................................................................... ,
Bean Soup Southside Style
2 qts. water ~lb. bacon or ham, chopped
2 onions chopped 4 potatoes cubed
4 carrots sliced Salt and pepper
1 lb. Northern or pea beans soaked overnight and rinsed
Combine an of above and cook till beans are tender, about 2 - .2~ hours.
Great with franks or sausage.
,,/~'.~~.::.~.~~ .. ~~~=~HHOOHOOHOHO-MOHOHOHOHOHHOHOHOHOOHOHOHHHHOOHOO-HOOHHHHH_O_HO .. HHHOHHHOHH ___ OOMOOHHHHOHOOOHOHHHOHHHOOHOOHOOHOOOOOHOOHOMOHOOOHOOOHOHHOHOOOHOOHOHHHHHOHHoooooHOOHH-I
111 111 V\;g 't:tble Soup (Minestrone)
~ •tt . water 6 - 8 beef bouillon cubes
I cup celery chopped 1 onion chopped in very ~ m 111 pieces
4 - 6 carrots chopped ~ cup parsley chopped
4 tomatoes chopped Dash garlic
Let the above come to a boil, then turn down heat and let simmer a couple
of hours. At that point. add: 2 cups macaroni
I can stewed tomatoes 1 can ~arbanzo beans
l can pin to beans
Let cook till macaroni is tender, add saJt, pepper, and a UJ:>h lli · .1) cnnc.
Have a little crusty bread and enjoy.
Farmers Market Vegetable Soup
2 qts. water 6 -8 beef bouillon cubes
1 lb. fresh green beans I lb. fresh peas
5 fresh tomatoes 4 - 5 small zucchini squash
4 med. size potatoes l pkg. frozen corn
1 pkg. frozen Hrna beans 4 carrots
Slice and cut up fresh veggies and combine with water and bouillon; let
cook for an hour and a half. Add frozen veggies and cook another half hour.
Salt and pepper to your taste. A good way to end a long day.
Recycled Soup
This recipe is a do-it-yourself-as-you-go-along kind of recipe. Just put anywhere
from 2 to 4 quarts of water in a pot and add leftover beef and bones,
pork and bones, etc. Add a bit of onion, salt, pepper, and let boil for a while,
like an hour or two. Strain out the bones and debris and add any veggies, pasta,
rice you feel like; cook until they arc done. This is also a great place to use up
leftover veggies, noodles etc. You can make some really good combinations
in this way. Bon appetit.
Serbian Hunter Soup
This recipe came to me in a drunken stupor. After indulging in a wee trifle
too much of slivovitz (the fiery native plum brandy of my homeland, Serbia)
I decided a meal with above-average restorative power was caJled for. So I devised
this number to set me right. It worked and not only will destroy a hangover,
but is downright tasty. Even non-drunks and non-Serbs found it appealing.
I qt. water l qt. cheap red wine
6 white onions l pound smoked garlic sausage
I small chicken cut up 4 po1atoes
2 cloves fresh garlic 6 comatocs
1 bunch green onions 3 tsp. cayenne
2 tsp. Tabasco l pint tomato juice
2 tsp. basil 5 tsp. black pepper
I 1 stalk celery, chopped Salt to taste
1 Combine all of above and cook at least three hours. Invite over some
II friends, break a loaf of crusty bread and enjoy. It is spicy and will get your
1............ ........ ...._, ____, ., .......... .._..... •......., ___. ..................... __. ...........................b..l.o..o..d " . .m...o..v..i.n...g.. .a..g..a..i.n.... ....... ____ ·---11-11 .... I HIE IJllllllll ..... , _ ..._ ___ _
. ....
7
..... c
vol. 3, 110. 7 GAY AUSl .. IN a1Jril 191913
BOOK REVIEWS
. .. ..
by Marian Phillips
Iler/and. By Charlotte Perkins Gilman. 146 pages. Pantheon. $2.95.
I have my prejudices - as indeed who hasn't? - and two of them are that
I don't like utopian novels because they bore me, and I do like feminist literature
but it depresses me (and well it might.) So when I came across a book
whose front cover said Herland: A Lost Ferninine Utopian Novel by Charlotte
Perkins Gilman, I sighed, reminded myself that even reviewing books
has its drab moments, and started to slog through it.
Slogging was unnecessary: I flew through it instead. When I finished the last
page I paused briefly in order to make out a list of people that I wanted to
send copies to, and then went back to the beginning and read it all over again.
From the first line to the last, lier/and is a jewel of a novel - fast-paced, entertaining
and thoughtful. Everyone should read it at least once, merely because
it's clever, well-written and instructive. For women, however, it is additionally
recommended that you re'read it on certain specific occasions, to
wit: when you start thinking that if one more man patronizes you because
of your sex, you're going to punch him in the nose; when you've been ubjected
to a choru of insults, wolf-whistles and obscene suggestions because
you choose to walk down the street alone: and finally, when it gets to the
point where a man calls from his car, "Hey baby, you need a ride?" and it
takes a conscious effort of will for you to refrain from screaming insults and
breakin 1 his windshield. Iler/and is medicine for all of these symptoms.guaranteed
to soothe, heal and otherwise repair the abraded nerves which, like
the pugilist's broken nose, arc the occupational hazard of the full-time feminist.
Gilman's novel (which was serialized in her magazine The Forenmner in
1915, but never reprinted until now) presents us with a country entirely populated
by women and completely cut off from the rest of the world until it
is di covered by three (male) explorers. Between them the men show us the
two ends and middle of the exist continuum: Jeff is a Southern gentleman
who feel that women are weak, helpless darlings with the souls of angels;
Terry believes that there are two kinds of women - •'those he wanted and
those he didn't," and whose pct theory is that all women love to be ""mas·
tcrcd,'' a word which for him encompasses everything from overbearing rudene
s to rape; and Van (the narrator) repre ents a man of reason - prejudiced,
certainly, but willing to change his opinions when faced vith undeniable facts.
The emotional atmosphere in lier/and is in striking contra t to that of mo t
fcmini t writin) . Feminist literature as a whole i written in a context of phy·
sical menace. Women, who are (in general) smaller than men and who are
usually given little or no physical training, arc con tantly threatened with
violence, either implicit or explicit. We cannot walk out alone at night for fear
of as ault and rape. We arc advi cd not to resist a rapist becau c he'll probably
be strong enough to murder and/or mutilate us. We need multiple locks on our
door and window bccau e we cannot be safe even in our home . The deference
men have exacted from women for so many cen turie is due prcci 1
to their ahility to punish us if we don't comply. and although nowadays a
threat is frequently disguised as patronage. the violence surfaces quickly enough
if a man ts challenged (as almost any uppity feminist can testify.)
In Her/and Gilman has shown us a country where. becau e the women outnumber
the men a million to three, this physical threat is missing, and it is this
which makes the novel so relaxing. Terry blusters and threatens, and instead of
trembling, the women "'would gather around and watch him as if it was an exhibition,
politely, but with evident interest." The women are never bitter or
scornful, but neither are they intin1idated. The point is driven home at the
end of the book when the three men fall in love with, and marry, three women
of Herland. Terry's desire to "master" his wife leads him to pull out what in
our society is the male trump card - violence. He attempts to rape her, and -
but I won't spoil it for you, since to this particular uppity feminist it was the
high point of the novel. It leads to a trial in whkh Terry disdains even to defend
himself - because, as Van notes, ''in a court in our country he would have been
held quite 'within his rights,' of course." Instead, Terry told his judges
that they were incapable of understanding a mans needs, a man's
desires, a man's point of view. He called them neuters, epicencs, bloodless,
sexless creatures. He said they could of course kill him - as so
many insects could - but that the · despised them nonetheless.
And all those stern grave mothers did not eem to mind his des-pising
them, not in the least. ·
This passage is typical Gilman - unfailingly polite, always grave, but with
goodnatured merriment practically bubbling out as she face and deflates the
most swollen manifestations of male pride. This repressed laughter take her
triumphantly to the finish as the men, about to be expelled from Herland, are
requested by their guides not to reveal Herland's existence until the women
deem it advisable. Terry, consi tent to the last, refu es, and threatens to bring
an expedition and force entry .
"TI1en" they said quite calmly, "he must remain an absolute prison-er,
always."
•'Anesthesia would be kinder," urged Moadine.
"And safer," added Zava.
"He will promise, 1 think'' said Ellador.
And he did. With which agreement we at last left Herland. 'V
~~~~e~e~~e~e~r·~~
Ill B• ec::===iCC:Z:::::Zat=:=::let====J0r:=:==::Jl:I
~ GAY BOOKS
~ ~ PUBLISHED
~ ~
~ ~
~ ~
~ ~
~ ~
~ ~
~ ~
~ ~
~ ~
~ ~
W YORK - St. Martin's Press has
announced plans to regularly relea e,
in both paperback and hardcover
editions, outstanding fiction with gay
themes and ettings. Michael Denny,
editor for the program and a ociate
editor for Christopher Street fagazine,
explained the purpose of the proje t:
"We need gay fiction for two reasons -
one, to strengthen the sen e of elf·
identity and two, to develop gay writer
and arti t . " St. Martin's ha undertaken
the gay fiction program y.rith the reali·
zation that gay readers now con titut
a major ector of the book-bu 'ing public,
and that there is a la k of ellwri
tten literature available to the e
reader relevant to their O'Wll life tyle .
The three novel cho. en to inaugurate
the progran1 are: Dm id at Olil et by
Wallace Hamilton· Special Teachers/
Special Boys b. P ter Fi h r and arc
Rubin· and A Queer Kind of Death b
George Baxt. Publication date : Febru·
ary _ , 1 79. Price: 4. paperba k·
10.00 hardcovcr.'\l
mc==sa m e s EJ~s a s
~' I ~ e e e e e e
Book Reviews continued on next page .
• I • • • .-e • f ltl t • '9f
I I
f 1 I t I
~
,
I
14apriJ 1979 GAY AUSTIN v'Ol. 3, r1o. 7
by G. P. Stojcevic
A Queer Kind of Death by George Baxt -- St. Martins Press paperback, $4.95
When this book first made its appearance in the rather paranoid atmosphere
of the pre-stonewall, pre-gay lib year of 1966, it received a fair amount of critical
acclaim as a mystery novel. The strong undercurrents and the fact that the
detective and main characters were gay wa played down or simply not mentioned
at all. ow revived in a quality paperback format, the book i once again
getting some attention, and not a~ just another mystery.
A Queer Kind of Death is filled with all types of extremely complex and
well-delineated characters. The plot, that of the murder of an actor-modelhustler-
blackmailer in his bath by electrocution, evolves through varied interplay
by the various people that were either vi timized by him or who inhabited hi
world. Two characters are the main focus and it is through their eye , their
actions, that the events unfold.
Seth Piro a young writer in his early thirtie , former lover and roommate
of the victim is a key uspect. In an attempt to clear himself and come to a
better understanding of his life he decide to write a novel about the Jife of the
victim. In the process of finding out aII the fact , the other characters react
strongly, with fear, panic, and hostility. The pos iblc motives and su pects
mount up quickly.
Enter Pharaoh Love, a black ew York City police detective. He que tion
everyone and opens many clo cts, and during the cour e of his invc tigation
begins to fall in love with his number-one suspe t. The piece begin to fall in
place and a mo t tangled web is woven.
The conclu~ion of the book is a beautiful knockout punch that was surpri
ing, yet totally believable. ufficc it to say, it is one of the mo t unusual
and interesting cocktail partie you will have the occa ion to attend.
George Baxt has given us a universe that is morally bankrupt, peopled
with elfish, bitching, wounded. savage, and loving creatures that are both
completely alien and familiar at the same time. Hi ew York City i a nervejangling
paranoid nightmare that flows like some dark, garbage- trewn river
under the very core of our souls. You hate the victim, yet he is no wor e than
any of the living. Even Pharaoh Love and th Piro have their own ends, their
own needs, and both scheme and plot to serve them. Murder i the obvious
crime, its olution the obvious concluding point of the book, but Baxt has
given us and left us with much more than that. Thi is a book that hould be
read over again. Even at the first reading it will gnaw at you, grate, jar, offend,
make you feel a little less complacent ith the world, with your elf. Whether
you are gay or straight, a mystery fan or not, this b ok hould not be mis ed. "
by John Harrison.
Ltwender Culture. Karla Jay and Allen Young, editors. Jove/HBJ, 1979. $2.50.
Although I am unacquainted with Jay and Young's previous editorial endeavors
(Out of the Closet, After You 're Out), having now read Lavender Culture I
will certainly take time to read them. Presenting on equal footings writings
by both gay women and men, the book is divided into more than 40 short
essays and articles with topics ranging from "Forum on Sado-Masochi m''
to 'The Cleveland Bar Scene in the Forties," from "Images of Gays in Rock
Music" to "Aging ls a State of Mind."
Two quote give some ense of the scope of the book. The first is from Ian
Young's Gay Sunshine article called "The Poetry of Male Love":
A sense of the past, or of its own past, is infinitely valuable to any group
that feels the need to define itself and to create or develop a sen c of
community. A knowledge of gay history and culture, and especially of
gay literature, is worthwhile not only to put the larger questions of cultural
development in their right perspective, but to help individuals now
to realize themselves, to see, and to act.
It is precisely this lack of community sense that keeps o many of us in the
closet, that leaves so many of us to be exploited by straight society. A viable
sense of community is initiated by strong interest in gay literature and thought .
The other quote carries thi sen e of community to the theater. From Don
Shewcy's article "Theater: Gays in the Marketplace vs. Gay for Them elve ,"
a comment from playwright Doric Wilson:
When I first started the theater, the first re ponsc from people was ,
"Gay has nothing to do with my art, gay is what I do when I get to bed ."
It seems to me as long a we define ourselves only sexually, then we arc
also going to have a slight puritani m about sex and so a slight dismi al
of any public statement of our gayness.
This definition of homosexuality, apart from what one docs in bed, is
beautifully expressed in many of the lesbian articles in the book. The double
sexual repression entailed in being a woman and a le bian has led many women
further along the activist path than their gay brothers. For some indication of
Karla Jay's ''community sense," from her article" o Man's Land":
Where there are enough le bians in any given town or city, women
have usually tried to build alternative [to gay bars] ... The advantage
[of coffee houses rap groups, or consciousne s-rnising groups] over the
bars is that one's primary purpose in the bar, however masked, is usually
to cruise, and that underlying assumption reduces us to sex objects and
often fills the air with ten ion.
o one volume can pretend to encapsulate the total range of gay thought
in the 1970's but Lavender Culture is enjoyable reading, finely edited, well
representing a variety of the gay experience in American today:y'
7
vol. 3, 110. 7
Retrospective Dive
Scott Lind
Retrospective dive
crystal sea-shell strands breaking
fronds of a froth of waters
like Captain Nemo descending below the
gloom meeting new enchan tsome sea
creatures like octopusses
legs capturing one
or arms wringing
rock upon which one lays
his suit so sleek so warm
laying it wet upon the rock
cliff face ending in a tumble of stone
crystal salt surroundings of un melding
beating upon the rock whereupon one lays
his suit to dry before he falls
quite naturally in
quite in so he looks up hardly stinging
clear pacific waters through the surf
swimsuit sleekly folding let no
one come
far off a boat drifts
around the cove a boy points
lighthouse set turnings of gulls
around its shaft wheeling
flowing wheeling
bubbles dominion overcome pressure
building inside to burst one long burst
of air trapped inside gasping lungs
- retrospective dive -
so breathing out and in quickly
so breathing out and in and out one
forget lostness of shells clinking
amid t hud<lering blazing salt volcanic
rock and sand swishing with the waves in
late one night a bleat of seaship
calls the birds the gulls the birds the
gulls call tarshinc clinking bells
shadowlcs wind and ilcncc
before which one balls
must ubmit to it
recall without the moon to sec
.GAY AUSTIN
Night triP
- G. P. Stojcevic
A young man with hair unkempt,
casually at ease -
waiting for the bus -
day almost spent,
light soon passing,
the nights beginning -
then dancing - letting loose,
midnight cruiser in
a harlequin parade of
bars, faces, bars, lovers
moving down quiet streets
to hungry rooms where
bodies find release and
sometimes even love -
tongues caress in the darkness,
young men, hard men,
bodies press, hold, stroke,
Asses taut, spread, penetrate -
As the night reaches
its peak - finds climax
before the coming dawn ...
apriJ 1979 15
Turning
- M. D. Williams 3/78
turning
i see,
seeing,
i know,
knowing,
i cry out.
as the
love rushes
out
leaving only
emptine
and the
fearflow
through me
leaving
nothin g.
and in the
noth inon
i turn
to 111 d
Ill} elf:
turnino
on e agarn.
16apri1 1979 GAY AUSTIN v'OI. 3, r1 . -I
PEQfOQMING AQT0
For its mid-March concert, the Austin Symphony joined forces with the
Choral Union to present Bach's Mass in B-Minor. It was a wise decision to
concentrate an entire program on this choral masterpiece. Bach's Mass is a
perfectly proportioned piece of musical architecture, both grand and sublime
in expression. The performers assembled under Akiro Endo's direction did
honor to this music and to the profound aspects of the liturgical text.
That the Choral Union shone brightest should come as no surprise. The
sheer size of the choir - almost 150 strong with the women outnumbering
the men ahnost two to one - was over three times the force required effectively
to perform the work. This limited somewhat the dynamic range -
things tended to go from loud to louder - and a clear delivery of the contrapuntal
texture. But this did not prevent the Choral Union from giving a vivid
and inspired performance, particularly in the mid-section of the credo -
the "Et incarnatus," "Crucifixus," and the "Et resurrexit."
The same could not be said for the four soloists. The tenor and mezzosoprano
in her "Agnus Dei" solo struggled with pitch problems and seemed
hard P.r~d just to stay in tune. (Although, in all fairness, Ms. Wilmore's solo
"Qui ·s extram P~tris," was the most pleasing of the Missa.) Discord was
Pop[Jl?rs ...
Continued from page 7..
ing up suddenly. If the drop in blood pressure becomes too severe, the person
will faint. Few people do poppers to the point of actually fainting - but
many feel a bit intoxicated or unsteady on their feet.
All drugs, including poppers, involve certain risks and side effects. The
decision to use a drug involves weighing the expected benefits against the risks
involved.
Some of the risks involved with poppers are what might be termed mechanical
- they involve the circumstances in which the drug is used.
- Butyl nitrite preparations are extremely flammable. This must be considered
when poppers are done at a party, where there may be candles or where
people are smoking.
- Butyl nitrite cannot support life. Only oxygen can do that. Things like
getting into a plastic bag with butyl nitrite are extremely foolhardy.
- Poppers induce temporary faintness and intoxication. Doing poppers
while driving, around dangerous machinery, or where there are lots of hard
sharp objects to fall against is decidedly unwise.
Poppers can cause undesirable effects including nausea, vomiting, dizziness,
fainting, cold sweats, and, most often, headaches. In fact, it is not uncommon
to hear only of ill effects: "All it did to me was give me a headache." Adverse
effects can be warning signs. Any recurrent or strong adverse effect should be
viewed as a message to leave poppers alone.
On the other hand, butyl nitrite has received a number of bad raps. Because
they are sniffed, poppers are sometimes associated with paint, glue, gasoline, and
other petroleum products. While paint and glue are extremely dangerous inhalants,
they are in no way related to butyl. Nitrites are not guilty on this
charge.
There has also been increasing concern about nitrites and nitrates as preservatives
in food as possible causes of cancer. While this is an open question, the
danger would seem to lie in the introduction of the substance into the digestive
tract. There does not appear to be an association. between inhaling the
nitrite vapors and cancer. Butyl, of course, Should never be swallowed.
Poppers do not seem to have a potential for physical addiction, although
users note that in the course of an evening's use, it takes more and more to
get off. Some people report a saturation point at which no additional sniffing
produces a high.
All drugs, however, have the potential for psychological addiction. This is
especially true of sexually related drugs; people tend to substitute the drugs for
sex or b<:_lieve they need them in order _to have sex. The feeling of the "need"
by GARY REESE
not confined to vocalists. In the bass aria, "Et in Spiritum sanctum," the obbligati
of the oboes broke out into a reedy argument where harmonious collabor·
ation should have prevailed.
More disappointing than any particulars, however, was conductor Endo s
conception of the work. While the pacing never became sluggish - the solemn
piety of the Kyrie being nicely rendered - Endo did not offer much variety in
his tempi and at times his interpretation threatened to become prolix rather
than revelatory. The orchestra was never able to match the sense of exaltation
the choir imparted. Nevertheless, for the most part Endo kept the considerable
musical forces coherently together and was successful in projecting an overall
effect of the spiritual and the monumental if sublimity and intimacy did evade
him.
Unquestionably, the star "soloist" of the evening - to judge from the
applause - was concertmaster Leonard Posner. His accompaniment of the alto
aria "Laudcmas te" in the Gloria almost turned it into a violin solo with alto
obbligato! Posner drew a strong, sweet string tone which incredibly filled every
corner of the auditorium and was a model of sterling, if not entirely
self-effacing, instrumental support.V
for the drug in certain situations is a sure sign of psychological dependence.
While there are no documented cases of death or serious harm from the
use of butyl, still there are possible dangers and certain "high-risk'' situations
in which it is wisest to avoid it.
Because of its strong effect on the cardiovascular system, persons with any
·form of cardiovascular disease would be well advised to avoid nitrites, except
when taken under the advice of a physician. This includes persons with angina
pectoris, varicose veins, coronary heart disease, hardening of the arteries, and
high or low blood pressure. Also, for anyone taking a medication associated
with any of these diseases, especially medication for high or low blood pre sure
using poppers is just asking for trouble.
In theory, poppers could cause a variety of dangerous effects in usceptible
individual ranging from stroke to shock.
Reports of bad effects from poppers are most common in people who are
dehydrated - probably because fluid in the body is a primary means of coping
with blood pressure variations. Avoid poppers when drinking alcoholic beverages
heavily, particularly in the sun, or when taking diuretic medications (wat r
pills.)
Because poppers open up the blood stream, they may dislodge blood clots
and the clots may become lodged in damaging position . Persons with a hi tory
of clots or who take anticoagulant medications may find themselves in dire
straits if they use poppers. Persons with kidney or liver disease or per n
taking other vasodilating or vasoconstricting drugs may be in a high risk group.
Persons subject to migraine may find that poppers aggravate their condition.
Even if you are not diagnosed as belonging to one of these high-risk group
there is always a certain risk involved with any drug. On the other hand, very
many people seem to use this drug regularly without apparent ill effects.
Legally, butyl is in limbo. Various authorities have attempted to limit its
manufacture and sale, but without the force of law they can be ignored with
impunity. But if a manufacturer or retailer implies the drug is meant to be
inhaled, he may be in violation of numerous food and drug laws - which gener·
ally have less teeth than controlled substances acts.
If you are going to use butyl, then ome comparison shopping may be in
order. Prices of nationally advertised brands may vary by as much as 300 per
cent. All of the well-known brands are butyl nitrites - although the chemical
names on the labels may vary. Butyl is a fairly unstable chemical, so shopworn
bottles may indicate that potency has been lost. Imitations and "bootlegs"
are common, as are fly-by-nights which may produce inferior or adulterated
products - but it is not neces ary to pay the highest price to get a good as
the market has to offer.V
r~,The
OLD PECAN STREET SPRING ARTS FESTIVAL
uitulization of D< wnt u..m and Sixth Sire ct 1\rea
• Held Snlurdoy, ncl Sundny, April J41h an<l 15th from
IO J).fll, till du k .
(Jn ca • of rahH UI, April 21.sl , nd 22nd.)
• LOCOf(•<I Oii lhe sl<lcwalkS o( lhe 200 lhrou~h 700 hl<H k o(
HI rorlc Old P ( un sere ·1 mas t SI ·111 Strt·<·O.
I
~ol.
•
So
onaceo
which i
of two
(ten o
in the
the bas
ly devc
This
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therefo
ly plant
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tional
.7
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urc,
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r
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ory
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ical
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ted
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vol. 3, 110. 7 GAY A USTIN a1 ril 1979 17
AUSTIN l30TANICAL
NOTES
Some families of flowering plants are easy to recognize and one that is quite
prominent in Austin during the spring is the legume family. This is the family
to which bluebonnets, peas, beans, mequite trees, red bud trees, soybeans,
wisteria and clover all belong.
The familial relationship in this otherwise diverse group is most evident in
the basic similarity of the flowers. The flowers, which are said to be "papilionaceous,"
are bilaterally symmetrical and have five petals: The "standard"
which is usually puright and large; two "wings"; and the .. keel" which consists
of two petals fused together along one edge and which wraps around the stamens
(ten of them) and the pistil. There is a good deal of variation between species
in the relative positions of the keel and wings, but almost always the ovary at
the base of the pistil looks like a tiny pea or bean. (Of course the ovary eventually
develops into a pea or bean or something very similar.)
This family is of extreme economic importance not only because it is an
important food source but also because of the effects of the bacteria which
inhabit nodules on the roots of the legumes. These bacteria take nitrogen (N2)
out of the air and convert it into a form (N03) which will dissolve well in water.
This essential nutrient is thus available in the soil to other plants. Legumes,
therefore, are said to "rejuvenate" the soil in which they grow and are frequently
planted in depleted fields to help rebuild the soil.
Some members of the Leguminosae are poisonous and/or hallucinogenic.
This family has traditionally been called the ''Leguminosae" but during the
past 25 years it has also come to be known as the "Fabaceae," a term which
is more consistent with the nomenclature guidelines set forth in the International
Code of Botanical omenclature.V'
ELL the NUKE
Vote YES on
Proposition 2
I
i
i
Vote NO on i
Propositions 1,3,&4 I
There is still a lot of work that
needs to be done
PLEASE HELP by volunteering some of
your time to answering the phones/working
i_n the office/distributing yard signs/or by
working door-to-door in your neighbourhood.
Contact the Austin Citizens for Economical
Energy at 474-9461 as soon as possible.
PLEASE
VOTE APRIL 7th
i
I
i
I
I
i
I
i
REAL TEXAS
BEER 0orNr
ti II
\v'"~t eueR you \,e HEARD .ABOuT CIS
:XS PROBABLY TRU£ •
MAIDEN LANE AT GUADALUPE
4-5 1- Cf ll'f AUS T.IN
1Sapri I 1979 GAY AUSTIN vol. 3, 110. -
March ...
Continued from page 1.
the march, claiming they needed more
time to organize for it.
Chuck Renslow of the Metropolitan
Gay Business Association of Chicago
agreed with the Houstonians. "I'm pushing
for a 1980 date in order to get properly
organized," he said.
Differences aside, Shiflett and Ray
Hill, also from Houston, later agreed
to serve on the interim steering committee
for the march.
An important decision on the
nature of the planning organization
was made early in the conference when
the delegates accepted a proposal from
the women's caucus to assure "complete
gender parity throughout its proceedings
and march preparations leadership,
publications, paid positions and
in all related areas." The vote to require
an equal voice for women off set early
accusations that the conference would
be dominated by men, accusations
stemming in part from the letter inviting
organizations to participate in
the conference, which encouraged,
but did not require, gender parity
in the delegations.
Since delegates to the conference
represented organizations, a disproportionate
number of them came from
large cities with highly developed gay
communities like San Francisco and
New York. On the second day the
conference was criticized in a proposal
from the Hinterlands caucus, which
consisted of delegates from non-urban
and non-coastal areas. Bringing to light
antagonisms already glimpsed, they
accused the delegates of "cultural and
regional imperialism," and "blatant
disregard of regional delegates." They
moved to delete the word "national'
from the march title "until adequate
representation of regions is obtained. ·
Their proposal failed by a vote of 74
to 24.
There had been talk before the
convention of scuttling it in favor of
a later meeting modelled after the
International Women's Year Convention.
in which delegates were
Co-chairs Walter Lear and Mariana Hernandez.
Cinema ...
Continued from page 8.
Once again, there are three nominees who could very well win. Warren
Beatty (Heaven Can Wait) is an enigmatic, mythified darling in Hollywood·
he may overwhelm everybody with his magnetism and exiness, but not with
his somnambular performance in this film, his personal brainchild. Once previously
nominated, Beatty could steal the award, but I say he won't unles
"Heaven" sweeps most of the categories. Don't hold your breath.
Jon Voight (Coming Home was a favorite throughout most of the year
and may indeed pull it out. His warm ensitive portrayal of a paraplegic Vietnam
vet practically saved the movie. In his favor: he has been nominated before.
Working against him: like Fonda, Voight must contend with the Academy's
poor memory of springtime films. My_ bet is that Robert De iro (The Deer
chosen by regions.
But the conference decided the
principal orgamzmg structure for
the march would be a teering committee
who e members would represent
every region of the country equally.
The rest of the organizing body is
to consist of a national board made
up of representatives of groups supporting
the march and a coordinating
committee whose members would represent
two proposed offices and other
committees.
The delegates accepted a list of
demands for the march, which reads:
I. Repeal all anti-lesbian/gay laws.
2. Pass a comprehensive lesbian/gay
rights bill in Congres .
3. Issue a Presidential executive
order banning discrimination based on
sexual orientation in the Federal Government
and in Federally contracted
public employment.
4. on-descrimination in lesbian
mother and gay father custody cases.
5. Full rights for gay youth, including
revision of the age of consent laws.
Gary van Ooteghem, publisher of
Houston's Upfront, a gay paper, has
been advocating for some time a
"human rights" march on the capital
which would be organized primarily
by homosexuals but would avoid
being identified as a gay event. Originally
set at May 6, the date was later
changed to October 28. Claiming that
"Houston human rights activists are
the furthest advanced of any in the
country," an article in the January
12, 1979 issue of Upfront said that
"large numbers of gays would not
attend a gay march, but would support
the more broad human rights concept."
Van Ooteghern's proposal wa oundly
rejected at the Philadelphia con ference.
Unless conflicts evident at the
Philadelphia convention grow and de -
troy what solidarity exi ts between
lesbian and gay men aero the country,
we arc likely to witne this year
a spectacle never imagined before: a
million openly homosexual people on
the streets of Washington.'\]
Hunter) will take home the Oscar. He ha been growing lowly ince hi cle
trifying performance in The Godfather, Part II and the Academy has bee
watching clo ely, offering first one Be t Actor nomination (for Taxi Driv
and now another. With The Deer Hunter, DeNiro finnly e tablishes him
as a major talent and artist. He makes uperb acting appear eff ortle s· h
concentration and his ability to communicate with or without word are
amazing. J can't help but believe that. m the Academy"s eye hi time ha come
Best Picture of J 978. Predicting thi category i always tncky bu in
To guess Be t Picture with any hope of ucc , at lea t two thing mu t t
considered. First, how narrow is the nominated film 1 · ct and th m
Sec nd, how closely does the film reflect the nation' ' tone". ~t i , a
the attitude and th mo d of current American iety better pr ~ t d I
thi nominated film than the other ? I think the e are important cons1de
ation , and they often work together. Annie Hall, for c ample, wa .n a narr
film· it dealt with a very fundamental concern in our o iety: the intcrper
relationship, and how it work or doe n't work under the pre. ure a
prioritie of the scventie . Smee thi i a topic that i relevant and 1mport<U
to almost everyone today, it follow that the film al o reflected the "t~~
of America to a substantial degree. Con equcntly it wa n t really urpn tr
that Annie Hall won Be t Picture.
What about thi year? I'm afraid that Midnight hxpre . which documen
the personal ordeal of an Ameri an you th impri onccl in Turkey for drug mu
gling, i too narrow a film to win. An Unmarried Woman i not really "narrow
it deal with a woman's perspective of love, and coping with change and ne
found self-reliance. That is relevant to everyone women and those wh
women affect in ome way. Still, the film ha a sort of upper-cla s bia th
lessens its overall impact, and it doc n't carry the ocial con ciousne th
di tingui hes the other dramas nominated. So I rule it ut.
------------~ ...,_ _______ Coming Home and The Deer Hunter, among tho newly emerging filrn
that try to bring the Vietnam War to some ort of meaningful perspective in th
American con cience should be considered together for the purpo e of the Be
Picture award. Vietnam is not a narrow concern in any ense; though s me o
u would rather not think about the war and its consequence , it remain in ou
minds, and therefore i relevant in one way or another to all of u . The que tiol
is, "If competing alone, which of the two war films would win the award, base<
on its ability to deal with the concern most relevantly, skillfully and powe1
fully?" The Deer Hunter would probably come out ahead of Coming Hom
It is more ambitious (to some extent Coming llomc is contained within it
if not nece sarily more skillful. And, in my mind, it i more powerful, thougl
2 532 Guadalupe
''Sot l/,,e adt1Je man''
the llest selectlon In aclult
materlal •••
Anywh r I •
f cour e there is room for disagreement here. Still, I believe The Deer Hunte
wins out.
So that leaves two movies to consider head-to-head: The Deer Hunte
and the one comedy nominated Heaven Can Wait. To speak of the latter a
narrow" or "irrelevant" i ironicalJy useless· where a light comedy is con
cerned, its escapism is precisely what people like about it. Its irrelevance I
its relevance, and in this case that's a powerful force indeed. Heaven Can Wal
is a lick, dassy daydream, full of wit and gentle sarcasm. So the choice fo
Best Picture comes down to two films as different as night and day· there cat
be no hazy allegiance. The Academy will swing either to a painfully relevant
emotionally purging movie, or to a joyous harmles fairy tale. Whichever wa.
the Academy chooses, the decision will influence winners all the way dowt
the line. I believe the award will go to The Deer Hunter. But the selection o
either film will be an interesting reflection on the times in which we live.
Best Director. I don't mess with this one. Twenty-three out of the pa
twenty-five years, the Director award has gone to the per on respon ible fo
the Best Picture. Since I have picked The Deer Hunter a Best Film, I wouJ(
be fooli h not to pick the director of that film, Michael imino.
Other picks. Cinematography: est or Almendros, Days of Heaven; Be
.__ _______________ ,,, ______________ _. lOesrsiglyin Dal evSocteodre :t o YGoiour,'g iofr oMm oGrordeears,e .M'\]i dnight Express; Original Song, 'Hope
•, 110. -
paper, has
e time a
the capital
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ould avoid
vent. Origte
was later
aiming that
ctivists are
any in the
c January
t aid that
would not
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ts concept."
wa oundhia
confer-t
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pectivc in th
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ughs me o
emain in ou
The que Ho
award base
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Deer Hunte
the latter a
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en Can Wal
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ay · there caJ
Ully relevant
ichever wa.
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t of the pa
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ilm, I woul<
\lOl. -' GAY.AUSTIN 19
3/30/79
Red Rider Preservation Society
Urban Survival Skill Fair
Waterloo Park - 10 am till dusk.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
4/18/79
Harlem Opera
4/01/79
ALGPC Steering Committee Meeting
Stokes Building, 3rd floor conference room, 1 pm.
4/4- 6/79
"The Honorable Urashima Taro"
Hogg Auditorium, UT
Tickets: $3.00/adults, $2.00/students.
4/11/79
GCS Coordinating Council Meeting
2330 Guadalupe, 8 pm.
4/17 /79
DANCE FESTIVAL
B. Iden Payne Theatre, UT
Tickets: $3.00/adults, $2.00/students.
4/ 17/79
INTERN A TI ON AL PIANO SERIES
Janina Fialkowska, Canadian
For information phone: 471-5319
4/ 18/79
GCS General Meeting
2330 GuaJalupc, pm.
4/15/79
Medieval Faire
Waterloo Park. 12th & Red River
12 pm till Jusk. Admission free.
BOWLING CAMPING VOLLEYBALL TABLE TENNIS }f.
CAVIT()L
CIT"'
ATtiL~TIC
.ASSUCI Tl()~
~ MENee~ & NON - MEMBERS ere 1nv1ted to come cut for
t- a lex ot f 'Jn with bOd'i SOCIAL & LEAGUE bowling!
~ For more info: ,_...
CALL JOHN DOt:CET 472-1718;
Billy Frazier 454 •7J87
'-
0
G)
G) z
G>
* TENNIS Covered Dish Socials SWIMMING *
GAY MORMONS ORGANUE
- Ron Moss
Affrimation/Gay Mormons United ha ju t undergone a leader hip change
in the state t~f Texas. T!1e roup is open to all active, ina tive an fonner
Lattcr-Da~ amt and fnc_nd . M ctings arc held weekly in Dalla , Hou ton
and Austm. haptcr meetings are also held once a 111 nth alternating fr 111
city to city. Fer further information about Affrimation, you may write P.O.
Box 5095- Dalla , Tcxa 75250 or contact the following branch lead r :
in Dalla, call Steve at 214-52 -9641 ·in Houston call Jcrc1 at 713-449-... 4 3·
and in Au tit call Ron at 512-443-4 I 00. ·
I I I I I• I 1 I '' .
Hogg Auditorium, UT, pm.
For more information phone: 471-5319
4/20/79
AUSTI SYMPHO Y PERFORMA CE
Municipal Auditorium, pm.
4/22/79
ALGPC Regular Meeting
Location to be announced.
For more information phone:
Gay Community Services at 477-6699.
4/30/79
T ASHI: Quartet in Performance
Paramount Theatre, 8 pm.
Tickets: $1.00 & $4.00.
GAY AUSTIN needs yo~
i sue ~y ~ ~ue, AY AUSTI has grown
steadily since it began as a mimeographed
newsletter a few short years
ago. With a little help, it can continue
to row into the kind of newspaper
the Austin gay and lesbian community
needs. It can continue to be a uide
to the entertainment and cultural events
you are looking for. It can become a
forum for debate on issues important to
our community. And it can become a
dependable source of news on events in
Austin and beyond that will f t o r
i e but tha neve seem to be covered
by other news media.
Tuu can help.
}
You can contribute articles, news stories.
news tips, letters, poems, photographs,
whatever you would like to share with
the rest of us. ail your contributions
to GAY AUSTIN, 2330 Guadalupe, Austin,
Texas 78705, or bring them to the GCS
office.
2You can subscribe. Sure, the paper is
distributed free in many local businesses
but if you aren't a frequent patron of
those businesses or if you don't happen
to get there before the free copies run
out, you may miss something important.
And by subscribing, you can help increase
the limited budget with which GAY
COMMUNITY SERVICES helps you.
Do it today!
Fill out the coupon below and make a
check or money order for $6.oo to
GAY COMMUNITY SERVICES and send them
to 2330 Guadalupe, Austin, Texas 78705.
We will send you GAY AUSTIN in a plain
wrapper every month for a year.
(.,P ....l..e...a...s...e... .......r...i...n....t......)... ...............................................................................
·n···a···m····e··· ········································································································
·5·-t·r.·e·e;'t· .. ·a-a:a·r:·e·;;·~· ....................................................................... .
O~ll·i''t':;/•;01011~'t';'tO~ll:••HO~li.lpOOllCl~Odl~OIOllllllllHllllllllllllUllUllOHOllOlllUOHllO
.~ ...............................................................................G...a...y... ...A.....u...s...t..i..n.... ....s..u...b... .....
20a1JriJ 1979 GAY AUSTIN v'Ol. 3, r10. 7
GAY AUSTIN. CLASSIFIEDS
Gay Austin reaches a very special audience which other Austin newspapers just
can't match. To help you communicate with the gay community, we include
a Classified section. As an additional service, you can remain anonymous and
we will assign a number to your ad, notifying you of all responses. All ads
must be submitted and paid for by the publication deadline which is the 15th
of each month prior to publication.
---~~~----·---~~- AME
ADDRESS
-·-----------
CITY ZIP
TELEPHONE
Check one:
0
0
I would like to place a ____ word dassified
in the --------- issue of Gay Awnn.
53.00 for 20 words, 10 cents ea.ch addiuonal
word.
I would like to place an anonymous _
word claSS1fied in the ----- 1SSUe
of Gay Awtir.. GCS will keep my name confi·
denual and noufy me oi all responses. S..l 00
for _o words, IS cents each additional word.
--------! -------! ----------/ --------/ -------/
I 2 3 4 S
--------/ -------- ______ , -------/ -------/
6 7 9 10
______ , -------! ----·---/ ---------/ -----/
11 12 13 14 IS
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16 17 18 19 20
Additional words:
MAIL TiflS FORM TO: GAY COMMUNITI' SERVICES (Classifieds), 2330 Guadalupe, Austin, TX 78705; or drop
it off at the GCS office between 6:00 and 10:00 p.m. daily.
'lite Vital Ettergy
All the energy we ever need is within ourselves.
The will to progress, the initiative to grow.
All this and more can be discovered any
Saturday at Safari.
The body, mind, and sexuality are connections
to our own energy source. Safari Saturday's
feature a different healing art for getting in touch
with your body;
Herbal Foot Bath, Hand, Foot,
Face Massage and much more.
For more information call (512) 472-6828.
Open Sat. 11-6
2004 ~ Gu.dalupe Auetin, Te.- 71705 (512) 472-6121
Classifieds
rounseling: Micltael C. 1 iencfee, Ph.D., 2813 Rio Grande,
476-5419.
The advertisements in Gay Austin signify that these establishments support the
work of Gay Community Services. Patronize them and let them know you appreciate
their support.
THE GUIDE TO GAY AUSTIN
ADULT BOOKSTORES
All American News 2532 Guadalupe 478-0222
Stallion Bookstore 706 East 6th 477-0148
APARTMENT LOCATORS
Grace Hall's Apt. Locators 324 S. Congress 472-7201
BARS
Austin Country 705 Red River 472-0418
Hollywood (women) 304 w. 4th 472-0018
ew Apartment 2828 Rio Grande 478-0224
Private Cellar 709 East 6th 477-0387
The Tap 606 Maiden Lane 451-9114
BATHS
Club Austin Baths 308 w. 16th 476-7986
Executive Health Club Stephen F. Austin Hotel 478-7220
BODY AWARENESS
Safari 2004* Guadalupe 472-6828
COIN SHOP
Capital Coin Company 3004 Guadalupe 472-1676
COUNSELING
Andrew Fono 2004* Guadalupe 472-7690
Michael Menefee, Ph.D. 2813 Rio Grande 476-5419
LEGAL SERVICES
Legal Clinic 501 W. 12th 478-9332
REsTAURANT
Old Pecan Street Cafe 314 East 6th 478-2491
|
