NEWS

Jobs and Sex Rights Win First-Round Victory

by George Mendenhall

SACRAMENTO, CA-The California Assembly's Labor Committee passed Assem-blyman John Foran's gay employment rights bill (AB-633) Apr. 7 by a 6 to 2 vote. The bill, which would extend Fair Employment Practice Commission concerns to include "sexual orientation," must now be cleared by Foran's Ways and Means Committee, where it seems assured of passage.

The Foran (D-San Francisco) bill passed after a 45-minute hearing punctuated by the Assembly's Speaker, Leo McCarthy, who dramatically rushed committee member Louis Papan (D-Daly City) to the hearing from another meeting for his affirmative

vote.

The six "do pass" votes were all Democratic: Committee Chairman Jack Fenton (Montebello), Howard Berman (Sherman Oaks), Richard Alatorre (Los Angeles), Ken Meade (Oakland), Alfred Siegler (Santa Rosa) and Papan.

Expected "no" votes were registered from John Briggs (R-Fullerton) and Mike Antonovich (D-Glendale). Absent from voting were William Cravan (R-LaJolla), V. Thomas (D-San Pedro) and Floyd Mori (DHayward). Mori attended the debate but slipped out a side door just before the vote was taken.

Attorney Earl Stokes of San Francisco was chosen by the 30 gay people present at the hearing to represent them and present arguments in favor of the bill.

The California Peace Officers Association, which has consistently opposed victimless crime legislation, sent its executive director, Rodney Blonien, and the Deputy Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, Robert Vernon, to oppose the bill. They argued that a gay officer would not arrest other homosexuals who violated the law "because of a special affinity they have for each other."

"Would this reasoning also apply to black and Chicano officers?" Assemblyman Berman asked. The police representatives responded that it wouldn't, because "homosexuals are felons."

Berman and Assemblymen Alatorre and Meade then challenged the officers' contention that the mere status of being a homosexual was uniquely different than being a heterosexual when it comes to a person's potential to violate the law.

The officers were apparently dumbfounded by this challenge and made no response. Blonien then tried another argumentthat the community would no longer respect the police if gay officers were hired, which would negatively affect law and order.

From left: George Moscone, state senator and candidate for mayor of San Francisco: lobbyist George Raya; Rev. James Sandmire: Rev. Freda Smith: Gary Hess: Assemblyman Willie Brown.

"I must protect the community. That is my role," he concluded.

Assemblymen were quick to pounce on this piece of official fibrillation, responding that some heterosexual officers have promiscuous sex lives, but that does not necessarily affect their work performance.

Meade, driven to outrage over the officers' testimony, finally had to be calmed down by the committee chairman. Calling the policemen "self-righteous," he urged them to "join with us who wish to raise the morality of the community by opposing these ridiculous sex laws."

Michael Arnold, representing the League of California Cities, also spoke against the bill, supporting the police contention that gay policemen cause difficulties.

Later, however, pressured by gay activists, the League lobbyist said that the League now had "no position" on AB-633. Arnold admitted that the League had not sought any input from community groups or agencies other than police and fire departments before presenting testimony.

"We are all innocent of any crime until we are convicted," Foran said in his concluding remarks. "Should we refuse to hire people who drink for fear that they may not enforce the alcoholic beverage control laws? We should not discriminate against

Photo: Barton

people because of their status." Chairman Fenton chided the three testifying against the bill because they had not submitted any written testimony or documentation before the committee hearing. There had been no opposition to the Foran Bill "whatsoever" before the hearing, Fenton said, although committee members received documented fact sheets, telegrams and letters in support of the measure prior to the hearing.

AB-633, according to gay lobbyist George Raya, could pass through the Assembly before readers receive this issue of the ADVOCATE. If it does, there will be an early consideration of the legislation in the Sen-

ate.

Letters and telegrams supporting the Foran bill should be sent to individual senators at their local offices and/or the State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814. Fifteenword public service messages may be sent through Western Union (toll free, 800-6484100) for $.95. All communications should mention the number of the bill, AB-633.-

Those wishing to assist George Raya, the volunteer gay legislative lobbyist in Sacramento, may do so by sending donations to the Human Rights Fund, c/o Friends Committee on Legislation, 2160 Lake St., San Francisco, CA 94121.

by George Mendenhall

SACRAMENTO, CA-Assemblyman Willie Brown's controversial bill which would legalize private consensual sex between adults (AB-489) has moved out of committee for its crucial vote in the Senate.

The do-pass 7-2 vote in the Senate Judiciary committee on Apr. 15 came after an eyeopening, three-hour hearing. The two surprises were an endorsement of the bill by the conservative state Peace Officers Association and the testimony from 17 Fundamentalist Christian Church ministers and members.

Dick Eiglehardt, POA official, endorsed the bill after Brown amended it to define the word "Private."

Three speakers from the gay community spoke concisely and to the point as they explained that the criminalization of the homosexual has resulted in many ruined. lives. Some jeers from the overpacked crowd of 300 greeted their presentation and Chairman Alfred Song warned about demonstrating. The speakers were Rev. James Sandmire, pastor of Metropolitan Community Church, Los Angeles; Rev. Freda Smith, Sacramento MCC pastor; and Gary Hess, Gay People's Union, Santa Barbara. Hess received considerable attention as he identified himself as a single gay person who is raising four children and as an elected trustee of the Santa Barbara School Board.

Support for the bill came from the State Bar Association, the National Organization for Women, the Friends Committee on Legislation, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and the League of Women Voters of San Francisco. Opposition was from the National Association of Evangelical Churches and the Women's Temperance Union.

Bestiality, public sex and mcrality were widely discussed by opponents during the hearing while senators attempted to keep the speakers limited to a discussion of the bill. At one point, Sen. Donald Grunsky (RWatsonville) surprised the crowd by announcing, "You cannot legislate morality." Grunsky's ill-fated 1974 penal reform bill had specifically made homosexuality itself a crime.

Voting in favor of the bill were: Omer Rains (DSanta Barbara), Robert Stevens (D-Los Angeles). Alfred Song (D-Monterey Park), Nicholas Petris (D-Oakland), Alan Robbins (D-No. Hollywood), George Moscone (D-San Francisco). Against the bill were: George Deukmejian (R-Long Beach), Dennis Carpenter (R-Modesto). Donald Grunsky (R-Watsonville) and Robert Presley (D-Riverside) attended the session but left before a vote was tak-

en.

'No Compromise' Gay Coalition May Sink Rights Bill

by Carl Griffin, Jr.

ST. PAUL, MN-A bill which would prohibit discrimination against gay people in housing and employment may be floundering, even though it narrowly squeaked by this state's House Judiciary Committee Apr. 9 by a 12 to 10 vote.

"I would say the likelihood of passage is very dubious at this point," said Steve Endean, full-time lobbyist for the Minnesota. Committee for Gay Rights (MCGR). Endean and other MCGR members cited the vocal protests of another coalition of gay people at the legislative hearings as a factor in turning public opinion against the bill.

The coalition opposing the bill says that it is upset that protection for gay people in the areas of public accommodations and public services was deleted from the original bill which was introduced in March. Among coalition members are Minneapolis attorney

Page 4

THE ADVOCATE

Jack Baker, Tim Campbell, Gary Johnson and Thom Higgins.

Just after the committee's approval of the amended version of the gay rights bill, Campbell attempted to take the podium and denounce the committee for not including public services in the bill. He and some three others were ejected from the commit-

tee room.

Rep. John D. Tomlinson, author of the bill, said that the public services and accommodations clause was dropped from the bill because the bill would fail with its inclusion.

Endean said the deletion was part of a compromise he and other MCGR members approved to get support from some state representatives that had been waivering in their support. He said that some of these legislators were beginning to get pressure from their constituents from some of the rural areas and heavily Catholic districts.

May 7, 1975

Other legislators expressed concern over testimony given in the subcommittee hearings. Higgins told subcommittee members. in testimony not to expect gay people to be passive after the legislation got final approval. He said in an impassioned and sometimes unclear tirade that gay people would continue to press for such things as the right to marry and "compulsory gay sex education."

Another problem with the bill, coalition I members said, was that it did not include provisions to prohibit discrimination against transvestites and transsexuals.

While Endean and State Sen. Allen Spear have charged that the coalition's protests will kill the bill, Jack Baker refuted the charge, saying their arguments are "smokescreens."

Baker said that the coalition's position "is simply a stand on equality.. I agree that

you should take what you can get in chunks," Baker said. "But we are not willing to take a step backwards from what we already have in the Twin Cities." Both Minneapolis and St. Paul already have civil rights ordinances banning discrimination against gay people in all areas including public accommodations and services.

Baker also disagreed with Endean's assessment of the bill's chances of survival in the state House. "I don't think the bill will go down. My own district representative thinks it has a good chance of passage."

As the amended bill now reads, discrimination in the areas of housing, employment, education, the extension of credit or the sale of real estate on the basis of "affectional preference" would be prohibited.

A final vote on the bill has not been scheduled, but it is expected to reach the full house by the end of April, Endean said.