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NATIONAL NEWS

Squeal Rule Squelched by Courts

On February 14, a federal judge in New York blocked enforcement of the "squeal rule," the Reagan Administration's regulation requiring federally supported family planning clinics to notify parents within ten days after their children receive contraceptives. A Washington, D.C. judge followed suit some days later. Implementation of the regulation was originally scheduled for February 25, but must now await the outcome of two pending suits challenging its constitutionality.

The government will undoubtedly appeal the rulings, but the final resolution is months, perhaps years, away. However, there are clear constitutional questions involved as to the rights of minors and sex discrimination, since in practice the regulation will affect only young girls..

It was clear to both courts that this new attempt to control women's sexuality would be counterproductive. As the New York judge noted, "Common sense dictates but one conclusion: The deterrent effect of the regulations will cause increased adolescent pregnancies... and many maladies, including venereal disease, will not be prevented, detected or treated."

Locally, the Planned Parenthood Association is to be commended for its announced position that it

Back to Bakke?

(HerSay)-The bizarre firing of a campus newspaper editor at Howard University in Washington, D.C. is raising concerns that students' First Amendment freedoms may be under siege. The editor, Janice McKnight, was expelled, and then temporarily reinstated by court order, after a judge ruled she was dismissed for publicizing a sex discrimination case in the student newspaper. Washington, D.C. Superior Court Judge George Goodrich stated, in issuing the reinstatement order, that it was "a mighty strange coincidence" that McKnight was booted out so soon after refusing to submit to news censorship. The Washington Post reports the student editor was asked by University President James Cheek to cease covering the story, and was dismissed shortly after, allegedly on grounds that she had omitted to mention previous college work when she applied for admission to Howard in 1979.

The suit in question was filed by a Howard staff attorney, Michael Harris, in November. Harris charged that the school's general counsel, Dorsey Lane, had discriminated in favor of women in granting pay hikes and promotions. Harris was fired from his university post on January 31. McKnight, who gave the story front page coverage, was expelled the following day.

"Reverse discrimination" suits have been a hot potato for universities since Alan Bakke in the mid-1970's won a Supreme Court appeal which allowed him to enter a California medical school. Bakke had charged that black students whose grades were not as good as his own were being given preferential treatment under an equal opportunity admissions program.

Susan B. Not the First

(HerSay)—Parade Magazine has unearthed a piece of buried women's history: The first real woman to grace a piece of American money was not Susan B. Anthony, but Martha Washington, who appeared on a $1 silver certificate in 1886.

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would continue to issue contraceptives to teens, even if it lost its federal funds. However, as Ruth Finkelstein of Planned Parenthood says, "We are alarmed because many teens believe the squeal rule is currently in effect. We've already had teens calling to ask if their parents must be told. Others just cancel appointments."

Spanish Abortions

(HerSay)—An 18-year-old Spanish rape victim is facing criminal charges after she obtained an illegal abortion to avoid bearing her rapist's child. The case of Maria Carmen Olmo Martinez is polarizing Spain as the country's parliament prepares to take up in June a measure which would legalize the ending of some unwanted pregnancies. Over 300,000 Spanish women annually receive abortions illegally, while another 18,947 women in 1981 obtained the operation in England as part of a charter abortion package trip.

Back of the Class

(HerSay)-A decade has passed since sexual equality became law, but women are still at the back of the class when it comes to teaching tenure and wages, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The Center reports that the average male college teacher in 1980-81 received $4,300 more in wages than the average female instructor. Seventy percent of the male teachers were tenured, while fewer than half of the women were.

In the meantime, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reports that over 30,000 complaints have been filed of sex discrimination in higher education.

Nurses Organize

(HerSay)-A group of nurses in Los Altos, California have set up their own cooperative nurses' registry, after the agency they worked for closed its doors. May Hull, President of the new non-profit registry, says the agency is able to cut costs to patients while still providing nurses on call to area hospitals. Says Hull, "Commercial registries are in business to make money and they're making a lot of The Community Professional Nurses money." Registry, however, passes all earnings on to the nurses, after deducting the costs of staffing their office. Savings to the patients, according to Hull, amount to $45 to $55 per eight-hour shift.

The cooperative registry is believed to be the first of its kind in the country.

Foat Hearing Sought

(HerSay)—The Ginny Foat Defense Fund is calling on supporters of the jailed feminist leader to send cards and letters to California Governor George Deukmejian urging him to hold an extradition hearing before turning Foat over to Louisiana authorities.

Foat, the President of the California State Chapter of the National Organization for Women, has been in jail since January pending extradition to Louisiana, where she is wanted in connection with a killing that took place 17 years ago. The sole testimony linking Foat to that murder comes from her exhusband, who is currently serving a long prison sentence for other convictions.

Louisiana's governor has formally asked Deukmejian to extradite Foat. Jan Holden of the defense fund says that Foat could be shipped off to Louisiana without further proceedings unless Deukmejian agrees to hold a hearing. Two previous efforts to extradite Foat were dropped for lack of evidence.

The Ginny Foat Defense Fund is at 543 N. Fairfax, Los Angeles, CA 90036. California extradition secretary Joanne Richardson can be reached at (916) 445-2841 for an update on the request for a hearing.

New Letter Service for Gay Teenagers

Many gay and lesbian teenagers report that one of the biggest hurdles they faced in coming out was to overcome the sense of isolation they felt-the feeling that "I'm the only one in the world like this." As a service for these teenagers, Alyson Publications of Boston, which has published several books by and about gay youth, is starting a new correspondence service for them.

The following procedure is suggested for gay

GOP Group Dawns

(HerSay)-Women who feel too conservative for most feminists but too feminist for most Republicans now have a place where they can be themselves. Feminist GOP members have launched their own political education group, which they call "Aurora," after the Roman goddess of the dawn. The organization will teach feminists how to raise funds, make effective speeches and take political conventions by

storm.

The non-partisan group is open to members of all parties, although co-founder Barbara Kee does say she hopes Aurora will provide the GOP with "more qualified candidates who might be more acceptable to the general public." Says Kee, "We hope to broaden the base of feminists and of the Republican Party."

teenagers who would like to correspond with one another:

1) Get an address where you can receive mail. If your home address is no good, ask the Post Office about General Delivery or renting a Post Office box. Or find a friend who will let you use her address.

2) Write a letter introducing yourself, and be sure your address is on the letter. Put it in an envelope with a stamp but no address. Then put that letter and envelope, along with a cover letter, into another envelope and mail it to: Alyson Publications (letter exchange), P.O. Box 2783, Boston, Mass. 02208. Alyson will forward this letter to someone who has expressed interest in exchanging correspondence.

In the cover letter, which will be for Alyson's confidential files, you should a) give your name, address, age and sex, b) state that you are under 21; c) give them permission to have mail sent to you; and d) sign your name at the bottom.

Alyson is only an initial contact; once you establish contact with someone, you should mail letters direct ly to that person.

Be patient. It may take a while to get a first response. If no one replies after six weeks, it could be that someone has received your letter but is having problems at home or for some other reason isn't able to write back; in that case, try again.

There is no charge for this service, but it is only for those under 21 years of age.