HIGH GEAR/DECEMBER 1977

MALONEY'S BALONEY

By TERRENCE EDWARDS

Wichita, Kansas, is the 37th American city to enact an ordinance protecting lesbians and gay men from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. Not everyone in Wichita applauds this just and equitable addition to the local civil liberties law. Catholic bishop David Maloney of the Diocese of Wichita announced that his diocese will not obey the ordinance. "We shall not hire, and we shall readily discharge, any person in our employ who practices or advocates sexual contact contrary to clearly established teaching of the Roman Catholic Church.' So said the bishop who further urged all citizens of Wichita to revoke the ordinance which he said "violates our people's deepest religious convictions and sensibilities and is in conflict with our moral principles."

It is shocking to witness any American suggesting outrightdefiance to properly constituted law. Our democratic system provides for modification of laws felt to be unjust, unnecessary or unwise. In the meantime even Jesus Christ exhorts us to "render to Ceasar the things that are his." Bishop Maloney's position is clearly scandalous.

The homophobic reactions of such churchmen must however be put in perspective. The media, experts of reporting (frequently inaccurately) the views of "newsmakers" are unquestionably deficient in analyzing their importance. Bishop Maloney's extreme statements could command media attention only because of

the media's antediluvian perception that the views of America's Catholic clergymen are somewhat consequential. While the Gay Educational and Awareness Resources Foundation, of which High Gear is the official publication, hardly considers sacerdotal education a prime objective, we feel it is well within the scope of our paper as it relates to the gay issue.

We would hope that no gay person is still intimidated by the drivel these parsons peddle. One would expect that they would have lost all credibility as moral leaders when one objectively surveys the utter wreckage of their attempts to regulate Catholic heterosex.

For centuries their diatribes against sex for any purpose other than procreation has had the amused endorsement of most of the 35 million Catholic adults who spawn this country. Within the past ten to fifteen years, the laity's passive support for this insanity has turned to outraged revolt and the consequences SO unerringly forecast a decade ago are today a fait accompli. A study recently published in Family Planning Perspective on the "Secularization of U.S. Catholic Birth Control Practices" concludes: "It appears that the convergence of Catholic and nonCatholic contraceptive practice is on course, as predicted, and that by 1980 there will be little to differentiate them. By the end of the decade, the rhythm method is destined to be of historical interest only. Even sterilization, which presents particular difficulties in light of Catholic doctrine, will probably be adopted in several years by the same

C

proportion of Catholics as noncatholics, judging from recent trends."

The authors of the report previously observed that "the wide gulf between behavior and official teaching would provide a crisis of authority within the church which would ultimately lead to a change in the official position." Recent studies detailing the decline in religious practice that has occurred. .among U.S. Catholics in the last decade (a decline of 54% in proportion going to monthly confession, and of 30% in the proportion attending Mass weekly), found that the decline is almost entirely attributable to "a negative response to the birth control encyclical Humanae Vitae." Just recently, the U.S. conference of Catholic bishops reaffirmed the traditional position on birth control.

The vast majority of married Catholics have now joined most other Americans in devaluing the use of sex primarily as a procreative tool. Some innovative research now hypothesizes the necessity of satisfying sexual relations as indispensible to mature and health emotional functioning..

Undeniably defeated in containing the sexual impulse within its narrow dictates, the bishops have cast an opportunistic eye to the remaining 10% of us gays, confidently expecting to play on our guilt, our fear and our incredibly distorted perception of ourselves as sexual beings. But while the "boys" were busy drafting world-shaking statements on the new Church at Vatican II, most gays, and many straight Catholics too, took the op-

portunity to absent themselves from the Church's official proceeding preferring instead to skip the M in the Sunday morning Mass. In deed, the majority of gays from all mainline religions have repudiated the anachronistic anti-gay bias so adequately demonstrated by the other religions and have refused allegiance and financial support to their endeavors.

For those gay Catholics who prefer the "stability" and "security" organized religions pretend to offer, we can extend some hope. Thousands of Catholic now disenchanted with their mates can easily secure an "annulment" to their marriage. This device reconciles the Church's prohibition against divorce and remarriage with its widespread practice. The an-

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nuiment invalidates the marriage as never having existed and frees the parties to remarry. The purpose is not altogether an attempt to reconcile errant Catholics with their God. If one has been excommunicated from the Church formarrying another, the priests and bishops have noticed that s/he doesn't put the envelope in the Sunday collection basket. When the priest welcomes you and your new spouse, he expects to be paid for his understanding. Get it!!!

The majority of gays have left organized religion. This important loss of income will sooner or later be recognized and the persecuting tone of the Church towards gays will mellow as churchmen talk about Christ's love for the sinner as they snuggle close to once again fleece gay pockets.

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BENEFIT CONCERT

Listener-supported WAIF FM and the greater Cincinnati Gay coalition will hold a special concert Saturday, Dec. 17 to raise money for their continued operation and development.

County singer Jim Labig, an Ohio native now living on the East Coast returns home to boost community-access radio. His album "Come On Friends" has been released by Chelsea House Records.

Cincinnatian Therese Edell will perform what she calls "feminist women's music." She has recorded her own songs on an album called "From Women's Face" on Sea Friends label.

The benefit concert will be held at the intimate Sublette winery, 2260 Central Parkway in Cincinnati. Showtime is 8 pm. Admission is $2 in advance; $2.50 at the door. Tickets are available at the Winery and at WAIF studios, 2525 Victory Parkway in Walnut Hills.

WAIF just celebrated its

second birthday of service to the Greater Cincinnati area. It's non-commercial stereo signal at 88.3 FM can be heard in a 20mile radius from its Walnut Hills transmitter. WAIF is owned and operated by Stepchild Radio of Cincinnati, Inc., a non-profit, independent group formed five years ago to get the last FM frequency in town.

The station survives on contributions from listeners, program underwriting by groups and businesses, and grants. It broadcasts full-time on weekends, but shares its frequency during morning and afternoon hours with a school that applied for the license the same time Stepchild did.

The Dec. 17 benefit concert is one in a monthly series of fundraisers and special events planned to help WAIF keep growing as it completes is third year of broadcasting diverse music and public affairs programs.

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