Bad call by top Ohio court

The Ohio Supreme Court has given extraordinary and dangerous power to the secretary of state in upholding his refusal to issue articles of incorporation to the Greater Cincinnati Gay Society. Inc.

We understand that the court's 43 decision will be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. and it certainly should be. The secretary of state, whether it be Ted W. Brown or someone else, has no business determining what is or is not a life-style or a point of view consonant with the public policy of the state.

In dissenting opinion. Jusice Leonard Stern argued that there is no basis in law for the exercise of such discretion by the secretary of state. Furthermore, Stern pointed out. the Ohio Legislature's decriminalization of homosexual acts between consenting aduits expresses an official toierance of different sexual life-styles.

Therefore. Brown is not correct in denying incorporation on the ground that the viewpoint of the applicants is generally unpopular and distasteful to the majority of persons. It may be that, but it is in fact officially permitted.

!