| Transcript |
603 West 12th P.O. Box 5455 Austin, Texas 78763 478-8653 Issue Sixteen December I 980 -
TO NEW READERS
Austin Lambda i a Le bian Jnd
Gay Men•s F.ducational project
located at 603 West 12th Street in
Austin.
Austin Lambda began in Sept.
1979. The project offers a Speakers'
Bureau in which women and
men meet with civic groups,
clas es, and other community
groups to talk about Lesbian and
Gay Jives. Lambda also maintains
d library of books, research paper
and periodicals on homosexuality
which is available to the community
for re earch, browsing and
consciou nc s rai ing. There
are "awareness" groups - a Gay
Men's group that meets every
Monday night, a Lesbian group
that meets every Tirnrsday night,
a Lesbian mothers' group, and
THE WORKINGS WITHIN
Austin Lambda is an all-volunteer proJCct
run by \\omen and men who attend
meetings and offer to take on committed
responsibilities. There is no hierarchy as
such, although decisions to be made arc
roughly sorted out between two groups.
fhe Coordinating Collective takes responsibility
for basically administrative
decisions. The Coordinating Collective
is a group of specifk women and men who
have agreed to take specific responsibilitie
and to attend every Coordinators meeting.
fhe Planning Collective, on the other
.. and, has no specific members. The
Planning Collective is responsible for all
decisions concerrung program planning,
program use of the building, etc. Planning
meetings are open to all women and men
interested in deciding what Lambda docs
and how it happens.
The Coordinators meet the second and
fourth Thursdays of each month, from
6 30-8 p.m. fhe Planning Collective meets
every first and third Mondays of the montl
6 30-8 p.m.
AINBOW WORK
413 E. 6th St.
Austin, Texas
512/474-4511
pt:nodic smaller groups that vary
"ly interest or topic which are
announced in the newsletter.
There are workshops-'awareness'
workshops designed to help
people understand the many
aspects of being Lesbian or Gay,
and informational workshops
designed to expand knowledge
of Lesbian/Gay history and
culture. There are periodic fund·
raising social events, concerts,
etc. The Austin Lambda newsletter
is published monthly and
has a circulation of approximately
l 000. It is available at
Austin Lambda, through the
w 11 as the name, of the project
in recognition of its historic reference
to Lesbos, the Greek
island where the poet Sappho
lived (from whence the name
Lesbian derives) - and to
Lacadaemon, the Greek Province
whose capitol was Sparta,
famed for its male lover-warriors.
The Lambda is used by Lesbian
and Gay Men:s organizations
throughout the country (including
the Austin Gay chapter of
Alcoholics Anonymous, called
Lambda A.A.).
mail for spon ors, at various
stores and agencic around
Austin, and at most Lesbian/
Gay bars and clubs.
The Lambda (Greek letter L)
was chosen as the symbol. as
Austin Lambda is supported by
the community through monthly
sponsorship. If you can become a
Lambda sponsor (receiving newsletters
by mail) see the sponsor's
form at the end of the newsletter.
In Pride .....
LESBIAN AWARENESS SESSIONS
The Lesbian Awareness meetings are held every
Thursday evening from 8-10 p.m. at Lambda. The
sessions are open to all Lesbians who would like
to attend. At the meetings women get together
to talk about their lives - with topics planned and
listed in the Calendar - personal issues, social
issues, political ones, or whatever interests
those present. fhe group is led by a facilitator.
ewcomers are very welcome.
GAY MEN'S AWARENESS SESSIONS
A Gay Men's Awareness session is held at
Austin Lambda each Monday night from 8·1 O
p.m. The gathering is open to all gay men who
want to attend. Generally between 1 S and 30
men meet each week to talk about a subject
of concern (meeting men, sexuality, relationships,
family, age, etc) sometimes serious, often
fun. We ask a $1 donation from all who can
afford it. The sessions are over a year old now;
everyone seems to recommend them hi?hly.
SPEAKERS' BUREAU SPEA KS ON
The joint Austin Lambda-A LGPC Speakers'
Bureau has already spoken to more
than 400 persons in many classes and
groups since its formation in March 1980.
From hot-line trainings to East Austin
Civic groups to huge UT classes the
Bu reau ' s panels of women and m' en have
been talking with people of Austin about
the pleasures and problems of Lesbians
and Gay Men.
The Bureau is ready to make brief presentations
and answer any que..--tions for
groups, clubs, classes in the Austin area .
Specific topics can be arranged on request.
For any further infonnation, or to arrange
a presentation, call Austin Lambda at
478-8653 and leave a message for the
Speakers' Bureau.
LAMBDA PLANNING MEETINGS
Co111fry & ..... ,.
~ .. If Ill BESJ
The first and third Mon days of each
month, from 6:30-8 p.m. are general
planning meetings for Austin Lambda.
These are the times that most programs
are planned and scheduled - usually at
least a month in advance. TI1e planning
meetings are open to all Lesbians and
Gay Men who want to help determine
what is planned at Austin Lambda.
2
•
•
•
TRIMMING LAMBDA'S
PURPOSES
With the passing of Lambda's first
anniversary in September, the autumn
has been a time of review and reconsideration.
We've looked at the
things Lambda has tried to be over
its first year and we've prepared
formal incorporation papers and
application papers for tax exemption
with IRS. We've taken stock of
which events or services women and
men in the community seem to want
from Lambda -- and we've talked
with lawyer friends about the best
way to shape Lambda's organization,
now that we know some things about
what it is and what it isn't.
Some of Austin Lambda's original
aspirations have worked well; others
have faded with disuse. Probably the
most useful services provided by
Lambda have been (a) the groups and
workshops that are held here. including
discussion sessions for Gay Men,
for Lesbians, for Lesbian/Gay
parents with children, workshops on
depression, jobs, alcohol, etc. (b) the
Speakers' Bureau which sends women
and men to speak with classes,
organizations. etc, about homosexuality
and the lives of Lesbians and
Gay Men, (c) the telephone line.
which has been available for information
and referral to many hundreds
of people over the past year who
want to know where to go for this or
that. what meets when, where to
find counselors. lawyers. physicians.
etc., (d) our small but very-well-used
Library which has been used for
everything from pleasure reading to
research papers and ( e) to a smaller
extent, social gatherings and fundraisers.
It has seemed to many of us that
certain of Austin Lambda's purposes
arc far more used by local
women and men than others. usinf.
the simple statistics we keep, it has
become clear that Lambda is used
primarily for (a) the groups th.at
meet here, (b) the telephone lme,
(c) drop-in for information and for
the Library and (d) services such
as the Speaker's Bureau. People do
not seem to be using Lambda for
casual socializing; the only social
events that draw large numbers are
the large benefit fund-raisers, like
the Robin Tyler performance,
dance-concerts with local musicians,
etc.
In October, for example, more
than 250 people called Lambda
for information or telephone
counseling. There were more than
325 visits to the center by women,
355 visits by men. Of those nearly
700 visits, approximately 500 were
for groups and workshops, for information
and for the Library:
approximately 200 were for social
events. (Of the 200 for social
events, more than half were here
for the Halloween make-up fundraiser
and for an ALGPC meet-thecandidates
night).
The Coordinators began to consider
how best to focus Lambda's
activities in the places that women
and men seem to want them. At
the same time our work on the
application for tax exemption was
challern!ino- us to be more specific- - b
is Lambda a multi-purpose social
agency? is Lambda a community
c~nter? is Lambda an educational
project?
It was decided (pending feed-back
from more people) that Lambda is.
in its strongest sense, an educational
project. The awareness groups
and workshops, the Speakers
Bureau, the telephone information
line and the growing Library,
seem to be what most people
want from Austin Lambda. So
the le!-!al and actual purpo.se s of Austin Lambda from now on will
focus on these areas. Social
events will be held mostly for
fund-raising.
In clarifying Austin Lambda
as an educational project, it raises
hopes that over the next year we
will develop an even stronger
Speaker's Bureau. reaching out to
more and different sorts of
groups: that we will develop the
Library into a legitimate archive
of books and periodicals about
Lesbians and Gays including
fiction by and about homo exuals
non-fiction including research
studies about homosexuality,
essays and the poetry of Lesbians
and Gay Men: historical and
genera] information papers;
Lesbian/Gay newspapers and
newsletters from around the
country; support literature such
as legal documents for homosexual
rights and law suits, etc: a
bette; information line for the
telephone: more and varied
workshops, not just as support
groups but as educational sessions
(on homosexuality in history, for
example): andcontinuation of
the newsletter as an extending of
Lambda's purpose out into the
community. We would like, in
the future, to actually contribute
to information about Lesbians and
Gays (in Austin, expccially) by
doing our own studies.
We would like to know how
vou feel about this focus. Austin
Lambda will be essentially the
same project. at the same place,
but our work efforts will go into
'llbmenspace
fl] PAT CROWE & ASSOCIATES L.13 REALTORS ·
Counseling and Information Center
2330 Guadalupe
.\ustin. Tc\a-. 78705
(512) 472-3053
"'6men talking to "'6men
Marylin Orton
3
443-209]
477-7a:x:J
Rosalyn Clifton
ce rtain priorities more th:rn others.
If) ou arl' a sponsor and get the
new letter by mail. you'll have
t1 card you can send back to us
with your feelings about L1111bdJ
.h Jn t•ducational center. If you
gt't thl• nl'w.letter around town.
pk.1se c.111 or write if you have
a11) rt-.1ction or suggestions you'd
ltke to give. Following is the statement
of purpose. in legal tongue.
cha c '' .1' lkcitkd for our incorporat10n
.111J I RS p.ipers.
LAMBDA'S STATEMENT OF
PURPOSE
\u,tm L.1mbd.1 i" org.111ized exclus
I'd) for thl' purpo'll' of t'ducating
thl' publtt· .1bout homosexuality in
ortkr to fostt'r :in undl'rstanding of
l10mosexuab. nus purpo e is carried
tiuc through (.d A. public information
'l'f\11 .• l' Spe.1kl'r"' Bureau): (b) A
It 1)r.1r) of books. periodical . resl'arch
p.tpt•r, .111d .1n) other documents
-.'l)ll\.'l'rnlllg homo~exu:iht}. from all
p ..· r-.pl'ctiH'"> ,I\ .tilablc. opt'n to the
rubhc. ((') \n mformation Jnd
rcf .. ·rr.il ..,en ice \.·oncl'rning homo'
e>..u,duy: (d) Thl' conducting of
d1..,l·u ion .• twJrem·ss and support
grnup, concl'rning Homosexuality:
and I l') PublicJtion of a monthly
Ill'\\ ... letter to further educate and
mform the public about our purpose.
G i::-r5 A "JT QUES ART DES GN
FOR XMAS··· GIVE A BOOK !
We're having .a Christmas LibraryRaising
Drive ! We would like to
enlarge the Library as soon as possible
by several hundred volumes and
many more periodical subscriptions
Christmas is a tight-budget time,
but can you save one gift for Austin
L1mbda? Give the Library a book
any work by Lesbian or Gay writers.
works abollt homosexuality,
research studies. etc. Or send $5 or
more to Lambda, Box 5455. Austin
78763. for our periodical subscription
fund. Sec the following
article about BOOKWOMEN and
out Library Drive.
BOOKWOMEN AID
LAMBDA DRIVE
If you aren't sure what sort of
book to give Lambda. and you
would rather give a book than
$5. our friends at UOOKWOMEN
Bookstore will be keeping a
checklist of books we already have
and books that others have purchased
for us. They will also have
"Ii t of suggested books that you
can buy or order for the Libra rythat
haven'r yet been bought . or
which require severa I copies.
BOOKWOM EN, of cour:-.l'. will
be happy to order any book for
you - for Lambda or for yourself.
YARD SALE NOTES
PHOTO EXHIBITS AT LAMBDA
This summer a ritual was quktly
begun at Lambda by photographer
Rod Florence. For several months
Rod's photographs hung in the Library
room at Lambda - the newsletter
apologizes for not shouting the news.
Rod's contribution has since generated
continued interest in small
exhibits. For November and December
photographs by Marie
Jackson Parker are on display.
Please stop by; and if you have art
work you would like to di play at
L1mbda. ju t kt us know.
LESBIAN MOTHERS
There will be a monthly pot-luck
UPI><::" for Le hian ~1ot hL'rs and CoParents.
their children and friends,
the first Sund.1y of each month.
Call 445-0463 or 479-0654 for
further informatwn.
NEW WOMEN'S BOOKSTORE
IN SAN ANTONIO
Dear Au.tin Lambda.
\\'e of I a ~1ttjl'rt·s - Woman':-. Cultural
Ccnkr would lih· to be placed
on your m.iiling list. Las Mujl.'res is a
newl} 111corporated non-profit woman'
Book tore collective in San Antonio
prm iding a community outreach to
area frmini t and gays.
Books, record . poster:-., cu tom
111sti11 Lambda wislres to tlrank all je\\dr} .• 111d local art isl ' works on
spo11mn am/ ji'ie11ds wlro made the con 1gnme11t arc offered to finance
1\ore111ber tan/ mle a success. It's al- our , .11 t ·r \\' 1 · 1 1. . \.t t • e a so prov1t c a real 111g
\\'at 5 e11courag111g tn see suclr response 11 1 ·
I
. . . 1 room .inc ent mg library and arc open
to aI.. tw1, . -r,11s1.1 1.f! pro1ect. Ii e /ro. pe to to "" II to clrop by t 0 11· ste11 t 0 lllllSI·C
11hl ' t/11~ actzrl!t a regular pro1ect, \\,Itch fV and just visit and meet
5'2/478·5598
AJS .. ~ .. EXAS 78701
s J 11t Yt w""c tau Hart to clean out rite 11e,, 1~ ·e d (' ti d
I ( 1
) n 11 s. urren y we prov1 c
garage. c nset . or attic please re- J re f erra 1 servi· ce, non-sexi·s t c l1 1'I d -
I member Lmzhda. ll'e receil'ed 5330 • I t d'
1
, re 11 programs, a Ill poc ry rea mg :1...------------------- Jroin a5t 111011 rlr 5 Ollt-dar mle. Jnd .ire planning to offer Spani h '
* TEX'S
COLORADO STREET BAR
JO..i (oloraJo Street •\usrin
4
le" on ,111d elf-help health session .
\II avi~c are conducted by volunker
,., ith all mo111es used to expand
our outreach.
\\ h,1\e plJnnt d social gathering
e\ ..r 'iccond .rnd fourth Sunda} 5 from
3.i:; '.m. Pka c drop by b v1 it if you
.m.. IO\\ n tl11 \vay.
Thank .
L1 ~lujere
802 E. M1..,tlt:toe
San \nton10 (512) 7 36-6478
's
•
QUESTIONS YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO ASK/
BUT SOMEONE ELSE ALWAYS ASKED THEM FIRST
("Questions you always wanted to ask ... " is a regular feature of the Austin
Lambda newsletter. Answers come from literature found in our Library.
Send the question you always wanted to ask- to us!)
Q: IS HOMOSEXUALITY HEALTHY?
Most professionals agree that the critical test of mental health and emotional
stability is whether an individual is able to maintain a more or less smoothly
functioning life. An overwhelming body of evidence indicates that by this criterion,
sexual orientation does not determine the quality of mental health. A
numbeF of researchers, pioneered by Dr. Evelyn Hooker in a study conducted
for the National Institute of Men ~al Health, have administered psychological
tests to groups of heterosexuals and homosexuals and have been unable to distinguish
between the groups in terms of functionality, stability and creativity.
As long ago as 1935 Sigmund Freud wrote that "Homosexuality ... is nothing
to be ashamed of, no vice, no degradation, it cannot be classified as an illness."
Subsequently, some of his disciples disagreed with that view, basing their opinion
entirely on studies of individuals in psychiatric treatment. But, in 1973, the
Board of Trustees of the American Psychiatric Association acknowledged the
research on non-patient samples and removed homosexuality from its official
listing of psychiatric disorders. This decision was later ratified by the APA
membership.
The APA also passed the following resolution:
"Whereas homosexuality per so implies no impairment in judgement,
stability, reliability, or general social or vocational capabilities, therefore
be it resolved that the American Psychiatric Association deplores
all public and private discrimination against homosexuals in such areas
as employment, housing, public accomodation, and liscencing,and declares
that no burden of proof of such judgement, capacity or reliability
shall be placed upon homosexuals greater than that imposed on any
other persons. Further, the AP A supports and urges the enactment of
civil rights legislation at local, state and federal levels that would offer
homosexual citizens the same protections now guaranteed to others on
the basis of race, creed, color, etc. Further, the APA supports and urges
the repeal of all discriminatory legislation singling out homosexual acts
by consenting adults in private."
In 1975, the American Psychological Association adopted a similar resolution
with this added language:
"The American Psychological Association urges all mental health professionals
to take the lead in removing the stigma of mental illness
associated with homosexual orientation."
Many mental health professionals point out that the individual who actually needs
treatment is the one who suffers from homophobia, which is a reaction of fear or
rage (ed. note: such as the recent killings in New York) toward homosexuality or homosexuals.
Verbal abuse or physical attacks on gay people are often engaged in by persons
suffering from homophobia .
Eb RIVER
women's
PRESS
908 C Wf.St 1:2 th St
.\LIStln, tC) .\S 78-03
=1AAA1-- VYV
5
Face the Music
Sunday's, 8 pm
KUT- F'.'d 90.7
Tues.-Sun. 8 p.m.-:2 a.m.
6
Intoning strams of melodies
Submerged in times not recalled.
Qualities of ones before me
Carried like a color dominant
f·merging over aqd over.
Daughter, I show you elves
I fail to even recognize I have.
Mother you showed me yours
Cloistered in privacy shared with those birthed.
Body within body within body ...... .
Unaware of mirrored me sage~.
Random traits printed again and again
As genes floating thru the maze of years.
Like growing ea turtles panmng
Lifetimes of creacures l.icking longevity.
Our collective womanself grow .
Changing little by little by little.
* * *
Do not caJI me J wilJ not come sometimes
Sometimes I must hear only my~elf, my own heartbeat
Touch only my own body, my own
I mu t move slowly
No rush rush here here
I shall run water spla hing thru the e pools forgetting
sounds ... que tions, voice., door slamms, tears.
(
"
u
d
0
Soft '>kin, live smell'>, I know those comforts. a
But myself, I do not love myself e
Without the tender. tinkling softsounds.
The soft internal tolling rhythm , w
My own rhythm., only mine. ti·
Quiet soft pace, I want you. I ·
Longing for you I walk slowly away. tr.
poems bv Lynn Licl1tenfels J
AnnaLisa, at age 11:
(to her mother)
"Why do (some of the women in the family) keep
using the word 'different' to talk to me about my
dad? He'sgay- not 'different.' 'Special' is the
only word I'll listen to from now on."
Nandy, at age 13:
(to her father)
"Dad, how long have you had to put up with people
who arc prejudiced against gays the same way they
are against Blacks? "
Annalisa, at age 6:
(to her father)
"Eddie sure does love you, doesn't he? Know how I
can tell? Every time I come in to wake you up, he's
snuggled up to you just the way I do.''
Nandy, at age 14:
(to her father)
"Just want you to know I've changed my mind about
wanting you to marry again. You're both my mom
and dad.''
Nandy, at age 17:
(in a letter)
"My father has always had a very open relationship
with us. If my sister or I ever asked a question, or if
my dad felt that he had something to say, the truth
was always told in a straightforward manner. Because
of this, our trust or love for one another was never
strongly tested. We always knew that the other two
were looking out for our best interests, but that they
were also being honest.
We were in the car driving home from the laundromat
when my father turned down the radio and told
us that he was gay. I doubt that we shall ever forget
that night. It was an evening filled with uncertainty
and love. Dad asked us if we knew what 'gay' meant,
and when we said no, he took a deep breath and started
to tell us.
Everything seemed strange to me. Usually my father
was light-hearted and easy-going in the evenings. But
that night his tone was serious and his body was tense.
I remember how heavy my heart felt, and seeing as if
through a fog. Internally, I begged him not to explain,
Old
can 5t.
Cafe
A Place of Charm.
Continental Steaks.
French Cuisine. Cocktails &
Exquisite Pastries.
310 East 6th St
7
to ay lrnt he wa~ not a homo exuJI, ven though I
did not know what gay meJnt. \JI I knew at thJt
pomt wa that be111g 'gay' wJ-.n't normal and was.
therefore, unacceptable. My father couldn't be gay;
he was perfect.
Daddy either couldn't hear or refused to listen to my
internal pleading. He told us that being homo exual
meant that you loved someone of the same ex as
yourself. As he explained, my anxiety began to melt.
He explained that he was gay, and that just meant that
he loved men in the same way that he loved our mother.
I don't remember exactly what was said, or what happen~
d afterward, except that we all hugged and that
omehow we loved each other more than ever.
Looking into our past and futures. I don't sec how
my . i ter and I could ha' e been rai ed more positively.
Keeping communication line open. howing us case
in hi tory dealing with homosexuality, and being unashamed
wa my father's way of explaining. ·nrnt is
also what kept my sister and I from being biased. Our
father i our father: his hair 1s dark. he is a great cook,
and he elates men. It is that uncomplicated and natural
for u . We don't care what other people think.
We love him, and he love. us. What else is there?
Devin. at age 41
(to the L1mbda newsletter)
"My bemg gay has added a special clo enc s between
my df and my daughter that i not very common
MARl I KRA~ZBERC
POLARITY E''IERGY BAL AN( INC
hea'ing bod-,. work
fooa dwareness
polar1tv exerc.1ses
clear thinking
<.lasses & ind1v1dual sessions
reasonable fees 472 4520
I
A.l.R. gallery
worh by Matthew fhomp!'on
414 Ea t 6th
Hl:~RY'S ~IE~IRY'S ~
Vlnta~e fj.~
Clothln~ and Costumes
PRODUCED BY:
TllE PHAHHS
:.!3I: bTllSl
AU~flN I fXA5 8
between male parents and their d,rnghters. By my
being o open and hone t with them about my being
gay, they have felt comfortable in corning to me with
their serious questions, individuaJly, from time to
time - about sex roles, women nudes being exploited
in men's magaz;nes, menopause, masterbation, incest,
matcrnal-paternaJ jealou ies and competitions, and
women's liberation. l doubt that many heterosexual
fathers have had such opportunities. And in return,
l have learned not to be prejudiced against various
types of women from them. How could l continue
i!1 those old attitude patterns when the t\vo persons
I love the most in this world, my daughters, arc such
delightful people of the oppo ite sex. My parents anJ
brothers and sisters may have failed me di mally in
separating my gayness from my being their brother
and son - but not my daughters, ever. They have been
the very best loving family support that any gay could
have.
FOR TIIE WOMEN IN YOUR LIFE ...
·Woman Identified Gifts·
Jewelry · T-Shirts · Greeting Cards
· NEW LESBIAN TITLES ·
CHOICES: A Novel of Lesbian Love
LESBIAN CROSSROADS
SONGS TO A HANDSOME If/OMAN
· Gift Certificates ·
BOO KW OMEN
every woman's bookshop
324 E. 6th · 472-2785
?()~~~
GIVE A SPECIAL GIFT
NEW RELEASES: TERESA TRULL,
WOODY SIMMONS, ALIX DOBKIN,
KRISTIN LEMS & OTHERS
AVAILABLE IN:
AUSTIN - Bookwomen, Discount,
Zebra, Discovery, Inner Sanctum,
Record Town, Grok Books
D11trlbut•d br LITTLE FEATHER MUSIC DISTRIBUTION
1704 KERR AVE AUSTIN TX 71704
SPARE LOG?
If you have firewood to spare, help
keep Lambda warm this winter.
There is a working fireplace A and
donations of wood can be left on
the front porch. Thanks! I
BEING A SPONSOR
Austin Lambda is supported by the
community it serves, regardless of
sexual orientation. We now have more
than I 50 sponsors and have applied
for recognition of tax-exempt status.
Our aim is to have a financially sound
educational project run on low-costs
sponsorships coming from individuals.
Large contributions arc welcome also.
Please offer what you can as a
sponsor. Each contribution is vital
to the project's existence. Your regular
support helps create a strong Lesbian/
Gay education project for the
community.
THE NEWSLETTER
Editing/Layout: Michael Fernandes
Printing: Red River Women's Press
Tlze Austin Lambda newsletter is
published once a month by Austin
Lambda, a Lesbian/Gay Education-al
fJroject. It is mailed free to sponsors
or may be pic.. ked up at various locations
around Austin.
Deadlines for the Austin Lambda
ne~vsletter (photos, articles, calendar
items) is generally the 20th of each
month. The newsletter has a circulation
of 1000.
White Mout1f ain
NO MORAL MAJORITY
from Presbyterian Outlook
There :s no such thing as a moral majority, regardless of what may have
happened recently at Dallas' Reunion Arena . .Majorities mav include
people who value many of the same things, but morality ha~ to ~u with
right and wrong, not the feeling of either a majority or a minority. Majorities
are notoriously untrustworthy when it comes to morality. for majorities
like to have a lot of talk about morality and then do Yery little about
supporting what is right. For one thing. individuals get lost when the will
of a majority is equated with what is moral (right). The guy or gal who is
out of step is considered wrong and may be asked to leave the country. the
club, the church.
It was a majority-supported government in Germany who said that being
Jewish was wrong and that it was right to kill people just because they we;e
Semitic. It was with majority support that a Black man was lynched by a
mob in Sherman, Texas in the 30's: the majority frlt he was subhuman
because he was Black and it wasn't wrong to mutilate and then kill him. It
is rarely a majority that begins to reform when local governments arc corrupt:
the majority will approve almost anything so long as it doesn't cost
anything or people can get something for noth: 1g.
Morality is not decided by mass meetings of people who profor.<: the name
of Jesus by sticking his name on the outside of their special interest packages.
The Messiah was not one who put much stock in majorities because he knew
too well the lust for power and control that seeks to use God for vote-!.!ettino ~ .::>•
Jesus rowed against the stream and declared that the poor were special to
God. because they were helpless. He said that children were to be loved, not
either ... ouscd physically or by 'smother' love. lfr noticed women, who still
haven't been declared equal to men in the terms of rights.
Be very scared when someone tries to persuade you of right or wrong because
the majority approves or rejects.
Robert H. Leslie Jr.
Pastor, Westminster Church
Dallas
9
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'A Disaster For The Movement'
By Ji/ Clarie
"A disaster to lesbian and aay
riahts and the women's movement."
That's how Lucia Valeska
of the National Gay Task Force
(NGTF) desaibcd the grim outcome
of the national dcction. In
the aftermath, GCN interviewed
numerous lesbian, gay and feminist
political organizers. Most were
not surprised by right-wing Republican
Ronald Rcapn's victory
and all but the Reagan supporters
were disturbed by the large margin
by which his machine vaulted him
into the Oval Office. The landslide
conservative Republican victory in
the Senate, on the other hand,
shocked conservative and liberal
alike.
Foremost on the minds of progressive
lesbians and gays is the
blow that will probably be dealt to
us in the U.S. Supreme Court,
where as many as four judges may
be stepping down during Reagan's
term - unless they move to resign
immcdiatdy so that lame-duck
President Jimmy Carter can make
the appointments. Viewed from
this angle, the cause of human
rights may incur more severe
damage from Reagan's election
than from the conservative coup in
the Senate; a Supreme Court appointment
is good for the life ·of
the judge, whereas a Senate scat is
up for grabs every six years.
"As far as Reagan's promise to
appoint a woman to the Supreme
Court . .. well, Phyllis Schlafly is a
lawyer," commented Ann Magwre
of the Massachusetts Gay
Political Caucus.
Many lesbians and gay men fear
that the movement's loss of accessibility
to the White House will
result in the loss of some hard-won
influence in Congress and loss of
the dialogue which had been initiated
wnh the Immigration and
Naturalization Service. Within
hours of Caner's concession
speech, a defeated-sounding
Valcska commented only that
"the White House project has
been going on for several years
We (NGTF) will try to maintain it.
The outlook IS not good."
Steve Endean of the Gay Rights
National Lobby (GRNL) assured
GCN the fate of the lesbian and
gay rights bills now in the Senate
and in a House committee is unaffec1ed
by the election, since they
arc not expected to be made into
la.,., for years, in any case. All but
t\IJO of the sponsors of the bills
"'ho .,., ere up for reelCC"tion were
returned to Washington - sev-
10
cral, such as Jim Weaver of Oregon,
having survived vigorous
challenges by bom-agains.
However, Endcan and other
lobbyists will have their def ensc
work cut out for them for the next
four years or more. "We'll see
more anti-gay, McDonald-type
amendments in Congress. Unless
we can mobilize more effectively,
their chances of passing will
increase, not decrease," he said.
Understandably, many lesbian
and gay progressive leaders assume
the conservative victories
reflect a general trend toward the •
right in the U.S. However, Tom
Reeves, anti-draft organizer and
political science teacher, disagrees.
He points out that about 52 percent
of eligible voters did not enter
the polls, "and, according to voter
analysis, people who don't vote,
young people, students, blacks,
Hispanics and poor whites, are
moving to the left, not the right."
Endean was not alone when he
assened that right wing success
was largely a result of the disorganization
and complacency of
a majority of liberals and radicals.
"I'm tired of seeing these horrible
results at election time. What do
"e expect? Right-wingers are
working their fannies off.
"Also, liberals don't care about
feminists and gay men.don't care
much about feminist issues. and
feminists don't care much about
labor issues, and environmentalists
don't care about gay rights . . . we
don't have the coalition we need to
get people elected. So we can't just
say, 'It's the conservative times,'
or 'It's Iran.' It's us we have to
organize."
Jill Raymond, lesbian-feminist
activist, doesn't believe that the
country is caught in a dramatic
rightward current. She contends
that the election results merely
reflect the American people's
cyclical shifting back and fonh
between the only two options now
available to them - both unsatisfactory.
Although the influence of
Moral Majority in the Senate
election is undeniable, many
lesbians and gays don't believe
that the average Reagan supporter
was thinking misogynist, homophobic
thoughts as s/he pulled the
lever for Reagan. They believe that
Americans voted their pocketbooks;
they saw Caner as an unimaginative
and inept president
who had done nothing to solve the
country's fiscal ills, so they ousted
him. Now they'll give the Republi-cans
a whack at the economy and
sec what they can accomplish - or
demolish - with their "less government"
approach.
It may or may not be true that
Reagan oy;es his victory to
Caner's allegiance to John
Kenneth Galbraith's economic
model. It may or may not
be true that Reagan didn't win as a
result of vehement anti-abortion
and anti-gay and anti-women
convictions among a majority of
Americans. Nonetheless, many
say, Reagan's election is surely
seen as a victory by born-again
organizers and will embolden
them. Bom-agains, they say, will
interpret Reagan's victory as a
signal that queer-bashing - as
well as misogynist, racist, antisemitic
attacks-will be tolerated.
"Hooligans and intolerance"
will rule the day, says Mel Boozer,
a black man from the Gay Acti·
vists Alliance in D.C. "I worry
about the gay community getting
dispirited and so cautious that we
don't stay on the defensive. We
must hold our ground. This will
mean casualties - being abused,
deprived of our livelihood.''
Reagan will most likely aim his
fiscal magic wand at federally
funded social services.
As socraJ service agencies bite
the dust, so will the gays and
lesbians who work in them. We
may be seeing many lesbians and
gays in the unemployment line -
assuming unemployment compensation
doesn't go the way of social
security insurance under the Reagan
administration.
Armando Gaitan, Latino gay
activist and teacher in Boston,
predicts federal cutbacks will have
a gruesome domino effect. "The
job situation is bad already. If
welfare is cut, it will hun working
class people. The crime rate will go
up. Then there will be a call for
more law and order. This will increase
the polarity between middle
class and poor, between whites
and blacks and Hispanics."
Given a conservative Senate -
" 11h a Republican majority for the
first time in decades, and given
Reagan and the ideological atmosphere
his victory creates, how
must our approach be different in
the future? Lesbian and gay leader~
are making a strong plea for
coalition building with racial
minonties and the poor and environmentali
sts. Many lesbians are
angry at the lack of gay male
support for femmist causes when
even moderate feminist organizarions
like the National Organiza-
'
as
tiied.
Dial
a-ay
n,
ve
he
If
g
w
in
dor
ial
VltrC
lie
en
·a:
a-tion
for Women (NOW) are
staunchly defending lesbian and
gay rights. Jill Raymond, pointing
out how anti-abortionists and the
anti-gays were clearly one and the
same in this election, said that a
coalition of feminist and gay
movements is imperative.
Others propose a third party -
''a democratic-feminist-socialist
party," said Raymond. How soon?
She has no idea, since she hasn't
been able to fully imagine what it
would be like to have a viable third
Party, inured as she is - as all
Americans are - to the two-party
system.
"But I think a third party could
evolve fairly quickly if a lot of
devastating things came about at
once .... But don't get me wrong,
I don't subscribe to the fascismbreeds-
revolution theory of
change. It isn't healthy for people
to live under fascism."
However, progressives know
from experience that it is risky to
support a third party candidate.
Unless a third party gains popular
support almost overnight, and preelection
polls can convince the
voters of this, people who would
have supported a third party
candidate will defect in order to
vote, once again, for the lesser of
two evils. With the moderate-toliberal
vote split, progressive
candidates, exchanging deathblows,
fall before a conservative
contender. Elizabeth Holtzmann
APPEAL FROM BOSTON'S GAY COMMUNITY NEWS
of New York was just such a victim
this week in the three-way battle
between her, liberal Jacob Javits,
and arch-conservative Alfonse
D' Amato, who emerged victorious.
"To get anyplace with national
legislation now, we'll have to work
with Republicans," says Bill Kelsey
of the Walt Whitman Republican
Club in D.C. "Less government
intervention in the lives of
individuals is a cornerstone of the
Republican Party; that's one of
the selling points we have with
Republicans." So the tack taken
by lesbian and gay rights lobbyists
will need to be changed? "Yes, but
admittedly it will be harder -
because so many of the Republians
just elected are conservatives, not
the Connecticut and Massachusetts
moderate type.
"But we can get support from
conservative Republicans. Barry
Goldwater, Jr., and James Edwards
of Alabama voted against
the McDonald Amendment. Edwards
isn't going to sponsor a gay
rights bill, but if it comes to the
floor, he may vote for it."
"Fairy love" is something that
gay men should explore in the '80s,
says John Ward of Gay and Lesbian
Advocates and Defenders.
"It's more powerful than he-men.
... [T]he most creative, powerful
idea to happen in the past decade
didn't come from working within
the system. It was Stonewall -
even though it was quickly aborted
and turned into discos. That kind
of catalytic idea makes government
respond - sometimes. The
fairy movement among gay men is
a good idea. These ideas reverberate.
It's time for another radical
idea.' '
Are any lesbians and gay men
Dear Friends · !111ar(111t~ that JO ll art Harking for $81 . 77 per ll'<:ek, hai·e 110
lztaftlr inrura11(e, and 01u da; you walk out of your houst and are hit hi a
car, This acwall) happened to one of our stafJ. The accident resulucl 111
seriouJ 1n111ries and many months out of 11-.,• ~k. She is now in serious Jinancial
trouble.
We are writing to you because \\<C fie! that you sl1ou!J be aware o} the
actual s1tllat iom of tlzc people who put out a 11ewspc1p1:r likt GC\'. facll of
tlrt 8 / 11//.ti111e ~ tujf 111ukcs $/f)O ver week. he/ore taxes. \ one llavt l1ealtll
ii1surance. It 1s ch arlv a labor o/ oi <.:. Our mmt vrcmnr: pr.ant) is tu obtain
medical 111.mrance for 1>1ir ita/f. To ajlnrd thi.1, wi.. must ram $)()00.
happy about the election?
Well, Tom Reeves feels it's JUSt
as well that so many liberal Democrats
lost their seats. " I worked for
[Sen. George] McGovern for a
while and I liked some of his ideas
but his office was run like th~
Mafia. We need some housecleaning
in government, some real liberals
with new ideas."
"If we ever have fascism in this
country, it will be under old liberals.
We have a healthy fear of the
man on horseback - a right-w:ing
dictatorship by a great public
figure. I don't see Reagan as a
danger for that reason. No, I see a
popular liberal like [Sen. Edward]
Kennedy co-opting our sJoy, move
to the left. Reagan may slow inflation,
but unemployment will rise.
He'll be voted out and I'm afraid
we'll get Kennedy."
Steve Schoonmaker of the Expansionist
Party is "delighted."
He believes that Reagan will make
the U S the supreme world po.,., er
again, thereby safeguarding "the
fey, popular governments remaining."
He's atisfied that abortion
will be outJay,ed at long la~t . and
glad to pronounce the feminist
movement "wiped out."
However, most lesbians and gay
men see a different silver lining to
the approaching thunderhead.
The) are saying, mavbe the current
situation will abr~ptly awaken
the many somnambulent radicals
of the seventies, who .,., ere lulled
by the seemmg mnocuousness of
Jerry Ford and Jimmy Carter.
'If you have no one to fight
against, it's hard to organize. You
need an ogre," 'a}s Elaine , oble,
ex-state representative from Bo5-
ton. "Richard Nixon did a lot for
the left, just as Anita Bryant
~elped solidif> and organize gays
m this countrv."
IBM
!'hast think ahout 11 !rat t//1... paper 111w11s 111 JO!lr It]<:. / 11 gay s1.1 ter-hrotllcr
liuo,/,
/'Ir( (,av Co111 11111111fl \e11 s B11arcl and Staff
any NEW or USED TYPEWRITER, CALCULATOR,
or DICTATION EOUIPMENTwith this
(ed. note from \ u::.t in Lambda nL' \\skt ter: <,(' 1s one of the strongholds
ot good Lesbian /Gay Journalism m the l S - which will be 111creas111gl; more
important in the yeJrs ahead. \\'e print occassional reprints of their art id ~ s
fo r you. Pkase support them if you arc able, with an) amount. ) 11
coupon & pu,ch•s• of S150. o' mo'•
Limit one per machine
-
AUSTIN LAMBDA CALENDAR FOR DECEMBER 1980
M 12/I Austin Lambda Planning Mtg. 6: 30
p. m. All welcome.
- Le bian Mot hers' ~1tg. (full) 7: 30 p.m.
Gay Men' Awarenc group, 8 p.m.
open to gay men, $1 do11a tion asked.
\\ I '1./3 - Meditat ion at Lambda. 5:30-6:30 p.m.
T l 2/4 - Lesbian Awareness group, 8 p.m.
open to Lesbians. $1 donation asked.
(topic: agci m among lesbians).
F 12/5 - WomenSpace Coffeehouse, "First
Friday," 7:30 p.m. 2330 Guadalupe.
S 12 6 - GERTIE GERTIE GERTIE STEIN IS
BACK BACK BACK - viewing of Pat
Bond's TV portrayal of G. Stein, 7-8
p.m. - everyone welcome.
- Le bian Dance at L1mbda, 8:30 p.m.
S 1 2 7 - Face The Mu ic (Buffy St. Marie)
M 12
\\ I ' I
T 11
<; 1 2 14
KUT-FM 8 p.m.
- SpeJker ' Bureau Mtg. at Lambda. 7 p.m.
- Le bran Motherc;' Mtg. (full) 7:30 p.m.
- C1a} Men's \\\ar ne~s 1roup, 8 p.m.
ope1 to a\ m n $1 donat1 n J ked.
M d't t1 n t LJmhdJ, 5 H).6· 10 p.rr1.
da ( oordmator . h 30 r.m.
l b1 1 \ v.an. ne "roup, h p.m.
op r t le hian • I donation Jsked.
( t >PK n >n-c; xual relatron~h1pc;)
\vomenSpace ( ffechou ... \\ mkr Soltice
Celebration, 7· 30. 2330 (;uadalupe
fai.;e fhe Mu h ... ( Fem111, \c;trol. with
J:at Duff) Kl 1-f \1 8 n m.
- frimming the free at Lambda, 6 p.m.
M I 2 IS - Austin Lambda PJ.111nmg \1tg. 6.30 p.rn.
- Lei>bian Mother' Mtg <full) 7:30 pm
- Gay Men's Awareness Group, 8 pm
open to gay men, $I donation asked.
W 12/17 - Meditation at Lambda, 5:30-6:30 pm
T 12/18 - Lesbian Pot-Luck supper with Women's
Music provided by Little Feather Record
DistribL1tor Jann Hughes (records on sale
for X-Mas). Bring a dish of food to share.
7 p.m.
- Lesbian Awarcne group, 8 p.m.
open to lesbian , $I donation asked
(topic: orgies and other acrcd holiday rites)
F 12/ 19 - Women Space Coffeehouse, Holiday Blues,
7: 30 p.m., 2330 Guadalupe.
S. 12/20 - OPEN HOUSE CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION
at Lambda, 8 p.m.
Meet under the Zilker Tree, 11 p.m.
S 12/21 - Face The Mu ic (Adolescent Sexuality)
KUT-rM 8 p.rn.
M 12/22 - Austin Lambd.i ( oordin.itors. 6:30 pm
- Lesbian Mother' 1t" <full) 7:30 pm
- Gay Men' A.wJrenc s •roup, 8 p.m.
\\ 12 14 -
T 11 "''.>
open to gay rncn $I d >n 1t10n a-;kt:d.
McditJtion at I mb I i; 30- ). ~O pm
( hn trna D } \1ov1 I l rnh IJ _ p.1 1.
'> I 2 'l.8 - f 11.::e The Mu..,11,; ({ >.... I .tylor- "lllL' )
KlT-I·M8prn
M 12 29 - l esh1an Mother' Mt (full I 30 pr11
- C1a} \1en's \ v. ar ·r. .. s 'ro 11 p. 11.
\\ 12 31 - Mcd1t.ition at Larnhd.i, " 10-(l· 30 pm
I I I I - Black E ycd P1.: & f ootb II. l.<trnbda, nooll.
Jan. 2-5 B1: Bend Campmg fnp for <.11} ML:n. (all
L1mbc.la for information.
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