HIGH GEAR/DECEMBER 1977
PRESIDENT CARTER:
HUMAN RIGHTS
You have made human rights the touchstone of America's foreign policy. You have openly criticized oppressive governments in Africa, South America, and the Soviet Union for their violations of human rights. You have called upon the leaders of other governments to end such unjust practices as torture, political executions, and imprisonment without trial.
You have, however, remained conspicuously inactive on the issue of the infringement on human rights-here at homeof at least 20 million Americans of every race, creed, and national origin who are discriminated against on the basis of their sexual orientation.
BEGIN
How can our government argue for the human dignity of foreigners when 20 million Americans are still being denied the simple dignities of living where they
AT HOME!
In a letter reprinted in the San Francisco Sentinel you wrote: "I oppose all forms of discrimination against individuals. including discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. As President. I can assure you that all policies of the federal government would reflect this commitment."
We the undersigned call upon you to fulfill that pledge. We call upon you to issue an Executive Order providing for an end to discrimination in all agencies and under all programs subject to your authority. We call upon you to support the extension of full civil rights to gay people. We call upon you in situations where gay people are being unjustly vilified to speak out against hate, ignorance and prejudice, as you have done when the rights of others have been at issue.
wish. doing the work for which they are intellectually best suited. and enjoying all the other rights that most of our people take for granted.
Mr. President. we call you to remind our citizenry that all are entitled to Life. Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Mr. President, we await vour moral leadership.
With your help. we can run this important message in the national media. We hope it will oblige President Carter to take action. Under the ad will be listed the names of prominent people in a variety of fields who will add their moral support and personal endorsements in asking President Carter to act.
But to do this, we need your tax deductible contributions. And we're asking you to send it right now. so this ad will appear before the next hate campaign is launched. What we ask today is a small price when you consider what it may cost us all later.
When you send us your contribution, we will. if you so authorize us, add your name to the list of people
in the ad.
• LAMBDA LEGAL DEFENSE & EDUCATION FUND.
P.O. Box 5448 Grand Central Station New York, N. Y. 10017
Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. is a tax-exempt. charitable corporation organized in 1973 under the laws of the State of New York to help secure the civil rights of gay people.
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STEP FORWARD
It is a nice variation to the one step forward, two steps back that we frequently find associated with the gay rights movement, that is, two small but significant wins for gays. First, the House Senate Conference Committee last week killed an amendment to the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) bill which would have prohibited the use of Legal Service funds in gay rights cases. The amendment had been approved in June by a vote of 230 to 133. Since the Senate version of the bill contained no similar amendment, the difference had to be worked out in conference.
The Legal Services Corporation is a quasi-public agency that channels federal funds to lawyers who represent indigent persons in civil legal actions.
The amendment which was sponsored by Rep. Larry McDonald (D. Ga.) would have prohibited the use of funds "legal assistance for any proceeding or litigation in any dispute or controversy arising out of homosexuality or socalled gay rights." The Senate conferees were against the restrictive provision of the amendment, thus it found no support.
The LSC bill was returned to the House last week where the conference committee's version will have to be approved. Rep. McDonald does have the option to recommit the bill to con-
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ference but he cannot offer an amendment.
The second victory at first sounds a bit implausible. The Rochester City Council has voted 8 to 1 to approve a grant of $35,406 in federal CETA funds to the Gay Alliance of Genesee Valley. CETA is the abbreviation for Comprehensive Education and Training. The funds will pay for salaries and fringe benefits for three people working for the Gay Alliance's Project Equality. Its goals are public education, upgrading mental health services for the gay community and identification of discrimination in housing and employment.
The lone dissenter was Republican Charles A. Schiano who warned that approval meant "the orange juice war starts again." The eight other councillors were not intimidated by his threats.
Last year the Los Angeles Gay Community Center received a large grant from CETA but Rochester's is the first on the East Coast.
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