HIGH GEAR/JULY 1977
GAY RIGHTS LEGISLATION IN BARBERTON
SPECIAL CLEVELAND GAY PRIDE THANKS
PAGE 10
BARBERTON-AKRON A newly formed organization, the Akron Coalition for Human Rights, presented preliminary discussions for gay rights legislation in Barberton city council on Monday July 11. Introduced by council president Mihocka, representatives of the coalition explained to council members why there is a need for gay rights legislation protecting gay people against housing and employment disrimination.
Prior to the presentation, Ed Benson, a coalition member asked Barberton Mayor Lawrence Maurer whether he would support a gay rights law. Said Maurer, "I would veto such an ordinance so long as psychiatric help for homosexuals is available." In response to Maurer's comments. Benson later read resolutions to council
from both the
American
Psychiatric and Psychological homosexuality in itself is not a mental disorder.
The Akron Coalition for Human Rights plans to formally introduce a gay rights ordinance based on the Yellow Springs legislative model July 18. The organization anticipates that council will refer the proposal to committee, but emphatically states it will not let the legislation die in committee. Said Frank Petrekovich, "No matter how many times they try to kill the bill, we'!! keep reintroducing it until a floor vote is taken, and then we pledge to battle the re-elections of those who voted against us."
The Akron Coalition for Human Rights is not affiliated with the Dade County Coalition of the same name. other than
that they are fighting for local gay rights legislation. The Coalition which serves Akron, Barberton, Kent and Wadsworth plans eventually to provide other services to the local community including a speaker's bureau, counseling services and a rap group.
Coalition representatives will soon be heard on WHLO Radio (640 on the AM dial). WHLO host Nick Anthony will feature Mike Anderson, Ed Benson, Frank Tetrekovich and Delores Noll of KGLF on his open forum show held from 9-11 A.M.
Those interested in joining the Akron Coalition for Human Rights are urged to call either Frank Petrekovich at 745-7009 or Ed Benson at 848-1183 or write the Coalition at 38 Elmwood, Barberton, Ohio 44203.
YELLOW SPRINGS NEWS APOLOGIZES
YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio (June 4). Ending a long confrontation, the Yellow Springs NEWS recently published an apology to the Yellow SpringsAntioch Gay Center for past anti-gay discrimination in its news and advertising policies.
The apology was published as part of a report on the Yellow Springs Human Relations Commission's resolution of a complaint field by the Gay Center against the NEWS. Yellow Springs has a civil rights code which includes protection for gay citizens.
In the report, parts of a January letter from the NEWS' editor to the Gay Center was quoted. The letter said, "It is the policy of the NEWS to cover your organization exactly as we would any other." The editor then went on to apologize to the Gay Center: "The NEWS in the past has discriminated against the Gay Center in both its news columns and its advertising policies. I want to thank you for
helping me see the error of this, and also to assure you that those policies are now changed."
As a result of the NEWS' apology and the Human Relations Commission's report, the Gay Center withdrew its complaint against the town's only newspaper.
The controversy began in the summer of 1975 when the NEWS published a vehemently anti-gay ad paid for by a fundamentalist minister. There was a letter of protest from the Gay Center. The following week the NEWS published a long editorial which further offended the Gay Center and members of the community. Several letters of protest were received including many from heterosexual citizens, but the NEWS refused to change its policies or to retract its anti-gay statements.
Accordingly. in November, 1975, the Gay Center sent a formal complaint to the Human. Relations Commission charging
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the Yellow Springs NEWS with violation of the community's civil rights code.
The Human Relations Commission investigated the charges in the Gay Center's complaint and, several months later, found the NEWS guilty of discrimination. But because of the First Amendment rights granted a newspaper, the Commission did not pursue legal action against the NEWS.
Instead, the Commission sponsored a Gay Awareness Weekend. The event included a speech by Father Paul Shanley, a Catholic priest and advocate of equal rights for gays, a threehour discussion with 60 of the town's "professionals," and an open house at the gay Center for all members of the community.
The NEWS began changing its policies regarding gay news a few months later. Its letter of apology to the Center brought an end to the twenty-month-old controversy.
JANE SCOTT, Cleveland PLAIN DEALER reporter gathering information for a series about gay lifestyles during a Cleveland Gay Pride March.
In
the aftermath of Cleveland's Gay Pride festivities,
it seems
appropriate that recognition and gratitude be extended to those who made Gay Pride especially significant this year. Special thanks go to:
The Cleveland Press for its editorial expressing support for the constitutional rights of gays....
Jane Scott and The Plain Dealer for the lengthy series of articles on gay life styles....
WGAR Radio for its Stonewall Commemoration weekend of hourly vignettes on the issues concerning gay people...
WEWS-TV (Channel 5) for making the June 25 Gay Pride March its lead story on the 6
o'clock evening news (and for its consistent support and oppenness to Cleveland's Gay community)...
Traxx for its Gay Community Center Benfit on July 21... After Midnight for its behindthe-scenes support of High Gear...
Ozzie Hagopian of the West Ninth Street Baths for organizing the New Dimension rally in response to the Dade County gay rights ordinance repeal and for weathering the storm....
And last, and certainly the most, special thanks to all of Cleveland's and Ohio's gay and lesbian activists. Without you, none of the above would have been possible.....
O.G.R.C.
The Ohio Gay Rights Coalition Needs Your Help Now!
Send What you can to
OGRC, 354 Bratenahl Rd.
Bratenahl, Ohio 44108
Please make all checks payable
to either OGRC OR The Ohio Gay Rights Coalition
Confidentiality is Assured
Name
Address
Telephone (optional).....
HELP US MAKE OHIO A BETTER PLACE FOR ALL GAY PEOPLE!