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In a Father's Day interview with the Associated Press, President Jimmy Carter said, "1 know that there are homosexuals who teach and the children don't suffer... But this is a subject I don't particularly want to involve myself in. I've got enough problems without taking on another." Carter's continuing ambivalent remarks about gay people also included the following: "I don't see the need to change laws to permit homosexuals to marry... (but) I don't see homosexuality as a threat to the family...."

Added the President: "What has caused the highly publicized confrontations on homosexuality is the desire of homosexuals for the rest of the society to approve and to add its acceptance of homosexuality as a normal sexual relationship. I don't feel that it's a normal inter relationship. But at the same time, I don't feel that society through its laws ought to abuse or harass the homosexual... In my mind, it's certainly not a substitute for the family life that I described to you."

The Gay Rights National Lobby reports that Sister Judith Schloegel, president of the National Coalition of American Nuns, has offered her support of the gay rights bill before the House (HR 2998). She has urged all members of her coalition, an organization of 1800 Roman Catholic nuns throughout the U.S., to write to their congresspersons in support of the proposed bill....

Gay Community News reports an hour long documentary about lesbian mothers and child custody has been released by Iris films. Called "In the Best Interests of the Children," the film is a presentation of eight lesbian mothers talking about their experiences as lesbians and mothers. The children are seen interacting with their mothers and in a rap group with each other. Also presented are an attorney and a clinical social worker, both who have had extensive experience with lesbian mothers.

A discussion ensues about custody fights as well. The film is available for rental at $60 (non-commercial one showing) and for sale for $550. For information, write Iris Films/Iris Feminist Collective Inc., 2130 1/2 Elsinore St., Los Angeles, CA. 90026....

Also from GCN: Delegates at a Southern Baptist Convention in Kansas City have reaffirmed that denomination's view of homosexuality as a sin. They also adopted a resolution praising singer Anita Bryant for her "courageous stand against the evils inherent in homosexuality. 16,000 delegates re-

chur-

presented nearly 35,000 ches and 13 million members including Anita Bryant and President Jimmy Carter... Evangelist Billy Graham addressed the convention and said that he admired Bryant for her anti-gay crusade....

Bruce Voeller, co-director of the National Gay Task Force, recently said Anita Bryant's antigay campaign, the anti-abortionand anti-Equal Rights Amendment forces and the Ku Klux Klan may be forming a three part right-wing coalition that threatens civil rights on several fronts. Voeller noted that Bry-

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ant's group, "Save Our Children" has received support from Phyllis Schafly, a long time opponent of abortion and rights for women. The KKK also endorsed the Florida referendum on gay rights. In response to these threats, Voeller said NGTF is calling a New York conference of the nation's major civil rights groups in mid-July to discuss the dangers in the rightwing coalition....

GCN reports the Carter Administration has confirmed that gay people who were discharged from the Armed Services during the Vietnam War period because of their homosexuality may qualify for an upgrade in those discharges. The Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army said that the cases of gay service people would be reviewed and a change in status would be made "providing the circumstances of their service and separation meet the criteria

of the program and do not constitute a bar for upgrading." At this time, it appears unlikely that Congress will extend veterans' benefits to persons whose discharges have been upgraded through the President's Special Discharge Review Program.... The toll free number for further information available to gay (and other) Vietnam-era veterans is 1-800-325-4040....

Controversy erupted in the Boston gay community during the city's Gay Pride March when Charles Shivley of the Fag Rag collective gave his keynote address. Having marched with the

right. What we have to fear from Dade County is not the fact that a civil rights bill was defeated, but the fact that Christianity is marshalling its forces against us again." Other letter writers to GCN, however, attacked Shivley's action as "counterproductive," "ill-conceived" and "not within the realm of reason. One GCN staffer observed the Bible burning played into the hands of the Bryant forces, for it showed gays at least by the straight media as "godless, potentially menacing 'sinners'."

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collective under a banner that read Christianity Is the Enemy, Shivley took to the podium where he proceeded to burn his Harvard diploma, a committee report from Boston College which forbade them to teach gay history, an insurance policy and a dollar bill. Shivley explained how each was oppressive. He then began to read the Old Testament prohibitions against homosexuality in Leviticus and subsequently burned the Bible. Abruptly, some of the same people who had cheered him on before were now yelling, "Go to Hell" and "Off the Stage" as a half dozen others rushed to pull the Bible out of the fire....

...A defender of Shivley's wrote in the Boston paper, Gay Community News (GCN) that Shivley's gesture was a symbolic one. "When Anita Bryant won her crusade in Florida she proclaimed a moral victory, not a legal one: 'The laws of God

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A $5 million civil rights suit was filed in federal court on June 30 against singer Anita Bryant, charging that her antigay crusade lead to the slaying of a 33 year-old San Francisco gay man, Robert Hillsborough. The man, a city gardener, was beaten and fatally stabbed as he returned home on June 23. Four young men, including a 16 year old, were arrested within a few days, and booked for the murder. Witnesses said the youths shouted, "faggot, faggot" and here's one for Anita" during the attack. The suit was filed by Helen Hillsborough, 73, of San Diego, who said she had known about her son's homosexuality for six years and still loved him.....

Those of us boycotting orange juice will be pleased to learn that new scientific findings show that grape juice has a specific anti-virus composition to it. As reported in The Sent-

inel, two Canadian scientists found that grape juice inactivated herpes simplex and other human viruses including the common cold. Red wines also are effective to a lesser degree; white wines much less. Test results were published in "Applied And Environmental Microbiology, 1976," and notes The Sentinel, since the California grape boycott is over, gays can lead the nation to a national, healthier switch to Grape....

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The dramatization of Leonard Matlovich's Army discharge for homosexuality has been completed and was to have been aired in early spring. But it's now July and speculation is growing that NBC is having second thoughts about the Tomorrow Inc. production. According to the North West Gay Review, NBC has received 542 prebroadcast objections to the drama and 90 letters of support. There's no telling to what extent the letter writing campaign has affected NBC executive thinking, but those who wish to see the program televised are asked to write letters to NBC Television, 30 Rockefeller Center, N.Y., N.Y. 10019.....

The governing body of the 1.5 million-member United Church of Christ has overwhelmingly adopted a resolution to reaffirm the civil rights of homosexuals. Fewer than 10 per cent of the 703 delegates to the church's 11th General Synod meeting voted against the proposal. The resolution deplored the use of Scripture to generate hatred,. and characterized the Anita Bryant campaign and referendum in Florida as a "new" reactionary movement which may eventually erode the civil liberties of all."

Nebraska has become the 19th state in the union to abolish criminal penalties on gay sex. The state legislature voted to override Gov. James Exon's veto of a criminal code package that decriminalized all consenting sexual acts between adults. The reform takes effect on July 1, 1978. As in Wyoming, where sodomy laws were also repealed this year, the Nebraska action occurred without gay lobbying efforts....

A research project on gay men over 65 is being undertaken by Dr. C.E. Moritz of Denver, Colorado. A 34 page questionnaire has been prepared to survey among other things sexual beliefs and experiences, social accomplishments and contentment, family and religious backgrounds, and advice to younger gay men and other segments of society. All information will be held in strict confidence and anonymity is assured. Those interested in participating may write, Dr. C.E.