Yellow Springs' gays live in tenuous peace

YELLOW SPRINGS (PP) The national gay rights controversy is old hat in Yellow Springs, which incorporated such rights into its existing code two years ago.

Rather than ban discrimination against homosexuals through a separate law, this southwestern Ohio village simply redefined "sex" to mean not only gender, but sexual orientation and manifestations.

According to Marj Rowland, who was member of the village's human rights commission that pushed for the change in 1975, the law is perhaps the most comprehensive in Ohio.

But Ms. Rowland believes an avowed homosexual would have trouble getting a teaching or counselling job in Yellow Springs. And she is unsure what would happen if an anti-gay rights campaign, such as the recent successful one in Dade County, Fla., took place in Yellow Springs.

Although the Yellow Springs amendment passed without many objections, she said, problems have

come up since, including a discrimination complaint lodged against the village newspaper, the Yellow Springs News.

The human relations commission, which handles discrimination complaints, agreed with charges made by the Antioch-Yellow Springs gay center. The paper apologized to the center.

Ms. Rowland said problems also surfaced last year when the commission sponsored a "Gay Awareness Weekend." She said the commission asked the village council to finance the project, but council balked after members received numerous telephone calls from residents opposing such funding.

The commission itself received portests, she said, when it decided to fund the weekend with donations.

While there is opposition to homosexual rights in Yellow Springs, Ms. Rowland said, it is not a burning issue and no job or housing discrimination complaints have been filed.