(Continued from Page B2)

ETC.

success in crippling it through grants of "use immunity." The last, in the April 19 issue, returns to an account of the two women's imprisonment and eventual release.

Besides being a superb analysis of an important constitutional issue, and a well-crafted piece of contemporary history, the Harris piece represents a breakthrough for The New Yorker, which has scarcely ever had even a passing reference to homosexuality in its pages, let alone a sympathetic discussion.

When is a pat an assault?

ANNAPOLIS, Md. During committee debate in the Maryland House of Delegates over a proposed law that would strengthen sanctions against all kinds of rape and also legalize homosexual acts between consenting adults, Del. Andrew J. Burns (D-Baltimore) questioned whether a football player giving a teammate a pat on the rear could not be charged with "sexual assault" under the new code if the recipient resented it. "It may not be just a friendly gesture," Burns said, noting that "We've been hearing about some athletes that are a little unusual."

Sen. John C. Coolahan (D-Baltimore County), explained that for the contact to count as an "assault," it would have to be done with the intent of sexual "arousement." A football patter might find himself in trouble, he said, "But then maybe some delegates are in trouble in Fran O'Brien's on Monday nights" (referring to a local bar popular with legislators). Coolahan gave a smiliar answer to Del. Arthur G. Murphy, Jr. (D-Baltimore), who asked, "How about the crowded elevator situation?"

In line with the high intellectual and moral tone of the debate, the Judiciary Committee members voted to strip from the bill, which passed the Maryland Senate on March 11 by 43-0, the sodomy law repeal. Committee chairman Joseph E. Owens (D-Montgomery), said, "There will be no legalization of homosexuality, definitely. . . . We're not going to authorize queers around here."

We've-got-enough-problems dept.

NEW YORK On April 5, Dr. Bruce Voeller, executive director of the National Gay Task Force, issued the following statement on behalf of the gay rights organization:

"We wish to state categorically that to the best of our knowledge and information neither Pope Paul VI, Richard M. Nixon, Bebe Rebozo, Henry Kissinger, Scoop Jackson, nor J. Edgar Hoover are or were at any time practicing homosexuals. It is our fervent hope that our information is correct."

GAU gearing up for next convention

NEW YORK-The conference planning committee of the Gay Academic Union (GAU) has announced that it is soliciting input from all segments of the lesbian and gay male community for the next annual conference, to be held here during Thanksgiving weekend in November. Both feedback about last year's meeting as well as proposals for new workshops, panels, and papers are welcomed.

The conference, which has regularly been the largest openly gay event of its kind in the country, is open to activities dealing with the gay experience personally, politically, or academically. Persons or groups with a particular area of concern they wish to see represented should send a letter to this effect, even if they have no concrete proposals for a presentation already in mind. Individuals wishing to present original research papers should send two copies of an abstract (300 words maximum).

The deadline for preliminary suggestions is May 15. All suggestions, comments, topic ideas, abstracts, etc. should be sent to: Conference Planning Committee, Gay Academic Union, Box 480, Lenox Hill Station, New York, N.Y. 10021. The telephone contact person is Harvey Rosenberg, at (212) 753-1377.

Another dubious blow against linguistic sexism

DETROIT Some Michigan lawmakers were disconcerted recently to find before them a bill dealing with aid to school districts that offer what was described as "an alternative educational program for pregnant persons." That's nothing; wait until they see the new Wild West storybook that describes Jesse James as a "gunperson."

On the other hand, there's definitely something to be said for a recent revision of "Yankee Doodle" that has the chorus run: ".... Yankee Doodle keep it up/and with the folks be handy." Think about it.

Lesbians let British know, 'We exist'

BRISTOL, England-The last weekend in February saw more than 500 women converge here for the Third National Lesbian Conference. Registration on Friday night was followed by films, songs, and a disco, for an evening the London Gay News reporters called "crowded, sisterly, sweaty, cruisy, boozy." Saturday began with a mass march to Queen Victoria's statue on College Green, the theme of which was "We exist." (When Britain's anti-homosexual laws, since repealed, were first proposed in the 19th century, explicit sanctions against lesbian sexual relations were omitted, reputedly because Queen Victoria could not believe that there were such people as lesbians.) The local police allowed the march to proceed that far, then insisted that the women go on to the conference hall in small groups with banners held down.

The rest of the day was devoted to workshops and one plenary session where a "Working Women's Charter" was debated. An evening of dancing, music, and drama was rudely brought to a close by an incident in which several women attending the Conference were assaulted (not sexually) by a group of men unexpectedly permitted entrance into a disco club that had been reserved by the group. Some of women sustained serious injuries-including one broken jaw-and the activities planned for Sunday were largely scrapped so that the incident could be discussed and responded to.

The Conference ended by passing two resolutions on abortion rights and (Continued on Page B6)

'I love a parade'

LA will have gay 4th; NYC gays will march June 27but in which direction?

by M. David Stein

While Los Angeles activists succeeded in appropriating July 4 for a gay pride parade down Hollywood Boulevard that is intended to be an occasion for both social and political display, New York City traditionalists have beat back an attempt to shift their commemoration of the "Stonewall" riots seven years ago to a date coinciding with the start of the Democratic National Convention at Madison Square Garden. However, at this point all that is settled in New York is that there I will be some sort of gay parade (or perhaps march) on the old June 27 date. Two different groups are squabbling over who is to organize it, what the ground rules will be, and even what route it will take.

More than three months ago, members of LA's Christopher Street West Association (CSW) held a vigil outside the city clerk's office to be the first in line to apply for the choice Independence Day parade date (see story in the March Gay News). Their foresight and persistence was rewarded March 25 when the Los Angeles Police Commission, which has final authority over parade permits, unanimously voted to grant the request. There was no debate, and the expected opposition from Police Chief Ed Davis. failed to materialize.

Now that the permit has been approved, planning for the parade is beginning. CSW member Morris Kight has said that the Stonewall commemoration combined with the Bicentennial should have "an enormous political consciousness-raising potential." At the very least, the gay 4th should succeed this time in upstaging whatever is organized in San Francisco, LA's long-time rival as a West Coast magnet city for gays.

In New York, politicallyminded gay leaders including Jim Owles, head of the Gay Political Union there suggested moving the date of the Christopher Street Liberation Day parade from June 27 to July 11. The former date is the actual anniversary of the rioting in front of the Stonewall bar in Greenwich Village that is widely taken to be the start of the militant gay liberation movement in this country. July 11, on the other hand, is the first day of the Democratic National Convention, when the city will be playing host to a swarm of powerful politicos from all over America.

Early reports that the date would be changed provoked enough controversy in the community that Christopher Street Liberation Day committee called a "town meeting" in the Church of the Beloved Disciple to debate and decide the matter. It was decided that a twothirds vote would be required to. make the change, and as it turned out somewhat more than half of those attending (around 150 people) voted to retain the traditional date."

Unfortunately, that was the last show of unanimity, for the group then split into two factions, each of which has since been charging the other with "illegitimacy." One faction is

dominated by movement activists and is planning a parade along the traditional route from the Village up to Central Park. The other group, headed by "Mama" Jean DiVente, GAY NEWS UPDATE

who has been the grand marshall and main organizing force behind several past parades, is planning a largely socially-oriented parade, with floats and other such "festive" paraphernalia, starting in mid-town and moving down Seventh Avenue to culminate with a "street fair" in the Village.

Neither group has as yet secured an official parade permit, but both profess confidence that only one will be issued for the day and that their rival will not be the one to get it. DiVente's group claims to have a copyright on the "Christopher Street Liberation Day March" title, but this has been disputed. Her critics claim that her Christopher Street Liberation Day Committee is funded and dominated

by the bar owners, including reputed "mob front man" Michael Umbers, who publishes the bar guide Where It's At and the irregularly-appearing newspaper Maverick. The activist-dominated group has adopted for itself the name Christopher Street Liberation Day '76 in order to be distinguished from DiVente's Committee.

According to Morty Manford, president of the National Coalition of Gay Activists, "there will be a parade, and it will be run by the Movement. The only question is whether there will be this other, diversionary function, which I doubt."

Perhaps; but as of this writing it remains to be seen who will win. out in this latest round of New York gay in-fighting.

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Lesbian-feminist O'Leary elected as Udall delegate

NEW YORK-One happy result of the primary election here in late March was the choice of the first openly gay delegate to the Democratic National Convention. Winning a seat on a slate pledged to Arizona Rep. Morris Udall was lesbian-feminist Jean O'Leary, legislative director of the National Gay Task Force. Originally a supporter of Sen. Birch Bayh (D-Ind.), switching to Udall after Bayh's campaign folded, O'Leary called her election "a tremendous victory here for gay people, since we ran a very open campaign with more than 100 gay workers." At present the only other gays likely to be delegates to the Democratic Convention are Jim Foster and Jo Daly, both running on Gov. Brown's slate in California.

Listed fifth on the ballot in the 20th Congressional District on the West Side of Manhattan, O'Leary finished fourth in the race with 15,908 votes, only a handful behind third place winner David Dinkins, a black leader, who got 15, 977. The slate was led by Rep. Bella Abzug, who introduced the federal gay rights bill in the House of Representatives; she received 18,857 votes, while state Sen. Manfred Ohrenstein had 16,642.

"This excellent showing," O'Leary said, "not only proves that my candidacy as an avowed lesbianfeminist did not hurt the slate, as some political observers had predicted, but that a significant gay vote was cast which helped to assure victory for all the Udall delegates and alternates in the district."

Her campaign was not only open, but very public and active. Volunteers supporting her put out a major effort in leafleting, posterhanging, staffing information tables, and getting out the vote, concentrating on gay and feminist bars, restaurants, meeting places, etc. O'Leary herself was interviewed at

Photo by John Gamble Jean O'Leary

length in the Village Voice and the New York Post. Instead of being a liability for the ticket, she noted, she "demonstated an ability to raise funds and bring out the volunteers," two essential prerequisites for any successful political effort.

O'Leary's concern now is how best to bring the issue of gay rights before the Convention. "I'm going to try to get (it) on the platform, obviously; hopefully on the majority plank, but if we don't get that, at least on the minority plank," she told Boston's Gay Community News. "Our priorities and national gay rights legislation and repeal of the sodomy laws," she went on, saying "I'll try to work with the Women's Agenda, I think...that's our best way of getting things done (since it) already includes our two main points."

In her present position with the Task Force since last October, O'Leary is also a doctoral student at Yeshiva University in New York and a member of the Advisory Committee for the New York Human Rights Division.

Page BA-GAY NEWS May 1976.