NEWS HIGH
CEAR
1976 GEAR
Vol.3 A Publication of the GEAR Foundation Issue:8
HIGH GEAR journal is a publication of the Gay Educational and Awareness Resources (G.E.A.R.) Foundation of Cleveland, Ohio. It is distributed free of charge in any establishment and with any organization that will permit distribution. We are a non-profit publication, and all proceeds not used to pay printing costs and service fees are set aside for the Gay Hotline-Switchboard, (216) 3216632 and the G.E.A.R. Foundation which sponsors rap groups, a Speaker's Bureau, and other services to the Northeastern Ohio gay community.
The presence of the name or picture or other representation of an organization, place of business or person(s) in HIGH GEAR is not necessarily indicative of the soxual orientation of such organizations, businesses or persons, and may not be used as evidence of the sexual orientation of any contributors.
We welcome all contributions of written materials, art work, or photography by members of the gay community. All materials submitted for publication are subject to editorialization. We cannot guarantee the return of materials submitted for publication, whether used by HIGH GEAR or not, unless it is accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
All HIGH GEAR staff are volunteers. Anyone interested in working on the staff of HIGH GEAR should inquire by calling (216) 321-6632 or write to HIGH GEAR STAFF, P.O. Box 6177, Cleveland, Ohio 44101.
Businesses or organizations wishing to advertise in HIGH GEAR may obtain advertising rate sheets and other information by writing to the above address.
The deadline for HIGH GEAR publication dates is as follows: Advertising by the 30th of every month, camera ready and composition ads. Written material by the 5th of every month. News items until publication.
HIGH GEAR is printed the second Thursday of every month and available at bars, baths, universities, businesses and elsewhere thereafter.
HIGH GEAR is copyrighted under federal law. Reproduction is granted to all other gay publications so long as credit is given to HIGH GEAR. All others must obtain written permission.
Coordinating Editors ....
Business Manager
John Nosek, Leon Stevens Dan McGuire Al Morrill
Photography; Distribution Manager...
•
Advertising Collective Neil Caldwell, Tom Crouch, Michael. Dubieki, John Kelsey, Danny Mack, Matt Phillips, John Wagenhals
Art Director
News
Rudi Haaken Neil Caldwell,
David Holleb, Jerry Juszczyk, Dan McGuire, Matt Phillips, Marthe Watson
Features and Reviews.
David Akers, Van Ault, George Brown, Marc Lewis, Mitchell Menigue, Donna Minkler, Aaron Ross, Eva. Szabo and others Circulation
Distribution
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HIGH GEAR/APRIL 1977
PAGE 2
THE WHITE HOUSE MEETING WITH GAYS
Jean O'Leary and Bruce Voeller, Co-Executive Directors of the National Gay Task Force, disclosed, March 31, that subsequent to their March 26 meeting at the White House, appointments are being scheduled with all but two of the agencies involved with the issues of Federal discrimination outlined to Presidential Assistant Margaret Costanza and other Administration officials.
In addition, Ms. O'Leary and Dr. Voeller disclosed that arrangements have been made for a second White House meeting in September, 1977 to assess the progress made in resolving the issues during the previous six months. Ms. Costanza has stated, the NGTF officers report, that after the September meeting she will "welcome a request for a meeting between the National Gay Task Force and President Jimmy Carter, and will recommend such a request to the President."
O'Leary and Voeller also disclosed that their request to Ms. Constanza to arrange a meeting on the subject of the gay-rights bill in Congress has been honored, and that Frank Moore and other members of the President's Congressional liaison staff will meet shortly with Virginia Apuzzo and Ray Hartman, co-chairpeople of the Gay Rights National Lobby.
Patricia Wald, Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs, will chair a meeting at the Justice Department to discuss discrimination in the Federal prisons and in immigration and naturalization policy, O'Leary and Voeller
revealed. Other meetings on these issues will be held directly with the Bureau of Prisons and the immigration and Naturalization Service.
Additional meetings will be held with Dr. Chester McGuire, Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and with officials of the Civil Service Commission, the Commission on Civil Rights, and the Departments of State, Defense and Health Education and Welfare.
The two agencies with which meetings are not set are the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Communications Commission, which are independent agencies not under Administration control. O'Leary and Voeller stated today, however, that they have received a pledge from Ms. Constanza on behalf of the adIministration that "sensitivity to the rights of gay people will be very seriously considered in considering nominees for vacancies on these commissions." It is noted that a new FCC chairperson is scheduled to be named June 30.
Ms. Costanza also promised to relay several specific requests to the President, who was asked to "champion the cause" of human rights for gay Americans in the same way that he has done for oppressed minorities around the world. President Carter was asked to take immediate action in two areas: 1) Order that immigration policy be administered fairly and equitably so that gay women and men who are unknown or of
moderate means are admitted to this country under the same flexible policy that is currently applied to rich or famous gay visitors; and 2)-Immediately upgrade the less-than-honorable discharges of an estimated 75,000 persons discharged from the Armed Services for homosexuality since World War II, so these persons may not be deprived of jobs, unemployment compensation and veterans' benefits.
Administration officials attending the March 26 session included Ms. Costanza's deputy, Marilyn Haft; and Robert Maulsom, a civil-rights specialist with the Office of Domestic Affairs, who told NGTF representatives after the meeting that they had made a "brilliant and very moving" presentation. Also on hand, as an observer, was Ms. Cooki Lutkefedder of the Democratic National Committee, who said that she'd attended many such White House sessions and had found this to be "the most professional job I've seen."
Ms. Costanza conducted the fourteen gay representatives on a White House tour prior to the Roosevelt Room meeting, and made herself available to the press after the three-hour session. "I just wish that the citizens of this nation would have joined me in that room to listen to the examples of oppression I heard today," she told CBS Television. "Perhaps the issue of homosexuality would be better understood and perhaps more widely accepted in this country if they could have heard what I did."
JOB CORPS MANUAL ENDS GAY BIAS
The U.S. Job Corps has recently distributed to all training centers a radically revised meanual on "Sexuality" which eliminates all the antihomosexual elements contained in the previous manual, entitled "Sexual Deviation"; urges respect for differing sexual lifestyles; and instructs Job Corps directors that "Rules concerning sexual behavior must be the same for heterosexual and homosexual activities." The new change in policy it represents are the direct result of a protest from the National Gay Task Force and subsequent meetings between Job Corps Director
manual and the
John H. Stetson and his staff and NGTF officers.
The previous manual was aimed at the "prevention and management" of homosexuality; included such pseudoscientific phrases as "chronic overt homosexuality"; and prescribed "medical discharges" for "sexual deviation" except in cases where the individual seemed "motivated to change" his or her sexual orientation.
The new manual states clearly that "A man or woman may not be excluded from participating in the Job Corps solely on the basis of his/her choice of a sexual partner of the same gen-
der. Therefore, homosexuality will be considered as one part of the total spectrum of sexuality, and should be of concern to center staff only when a particular behavior is not in keeping with the center's regulations...."
The manual also follows NGTF recommendations by suggesting that Job Corps centers use their Intergroup Relations Programs to "include understanding of different sexual preferences and lifestyles"; appending a list of books and articles by and about gay women and men; and training.
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