page 2

Gay Peoples Chronicle

NATIONAL NEWS

Coors Boycott Spreads

A boycott started in Chicago after Coors offered its beer there this past spring.

Gaylife survey of 55 gay and lesbian bars found 35 observing the boycott and another 10 not carrying Coors for other reas-ons.

A boycott also began in Boston after Coors came into that area. An informal Gay Community News survey found only three area bars selling Coors. In August a statwide coalition of unions, community groups, and gay organizations was formed to "boycott Coors throughout Massachusetts.

Controversy over sales of Coors beer continues within the gay community as the company moves into eastern U.S. markets to make up for

losses in California, where a coalition of gay, minority, and union groups is boycotting it.

The Coors family has long subsidized right-wing groups allied with the so-called moral majority and often very homophobic: the John Birch Society, the Heritage Foundation (which it creat-

Terrigno Indicted

A federal grand jury has indicted Valerie Terrigno, former mayor of West Holywood, on 14 counts of embezsling money while executive director of Crossroads Counseling.

ed), the National Conservative Political Action Committee, and Campus Crusade for Christ.

Bitterly anti-union, the company is often accused of racist and anti-gay hiring policies. Until 1975, prospective employees were given lie-detector tests that included questions about sexu-

al_orientation.

Early in 1985 the Rocky Mountain News reported that William Coors, Chairman of the board, said one of the best things that ever happened to black Americans was the slave trade. Coors has denied this statement.

Since the boycott started, the Coors company has tried to change its image. It depies that family members who bankrolled anti-gay group

are now active

ferred grants to gay groups in San Francisco and Minneàpolis which, with one exception, refused these. Chicago Gaylife reported that a gay man Coors hired to help end the boycott quit charging the company is still homophobic.

14 Panic

San Antonio

The San Antonio health department hand-delivered letters to 14 AIDS victims, warning that any sexual activity will draw felony charges. Health Department Director Conrad Reuthe said, "I think most people are reasonable and that they will accept this letter in the spirit in which it was intended and help me in my effort to protect the public health." Mayor Henry Cisneros urged urged the victims to "transcend their individual rights.

Jeff Levi, NGTF political director, objected that the letters stigmatize all people with AIDS and suggest they would behave irresponsibly, when 99.9% of them are doing so."

Fabian Bridges, representing the .01%, who hustled for sex on Prospect Avenue after Indianapolis shipped him to Cleveland, was at last report confined to Houston mental institution.

We Have

Some Friends

Gladys Knight and Dionne Warwick have paired up with Elton John and Stevie Wonder to tape a recording of a song called "That's What Friends Are For," which premiered October 25th at 12:30 am. All proceeds of the song will benefit AIDS research.

November 1985

BY: Casmir Kuczynski

McGrath Takes

the Lowest Road

Diane McGrath, RepublicanConservative candidate for mayor of New York, whose chances of election are fortunately minimal, has been trying hard to cash in on the current AIDS hysteria. Demanding that the city close gay bars, bathhouses bookstores,

Republican-Conservative candidate for City Counil President, has repudiated her running mate and endorsed Mayor Koch for reelection. She accused McGrath of "appealing to the worst instincts...fear, hysteria, and gross insensitiv-

ity. theaters, and the Harvey Milk School, Mc-

Grath also urges compulsory testing of all physicians, nurses, teachers, food hand lers and prostitutes for what she calls "AIDS." Those who test positive for the HTLV-3 virus would be banned from their professions "as a clear and evident menace to

the health of their pat-

rons."

When the New York Times, pointing out McGrath's 1gnorance called her bigotry

greater threat than AIDS she accused the paper of

gutter politics.

Evelyn Guardarramas, the

Even McGrath's claim to KB been dimmed by Rabbi Yerepresent "family values" huda Levin, mayoral candidate for the Right To Life Party, who opposes contraception as well as abortion. Levin has been leading a small group of Christian and Jewish clergymen who defend the family by demonstrating outside gay bathhouses, passing out literature extolling the joys of breeding. The Native reports that the Right to Life Committee refused to explain the relation of abortion rights to gay bathhouses.

Justice Denied in Mass -Again

Gay rights suffered a major defeat September 23 when the Massachusetts House of Representatives voted down a lesbian/gay rights bill. The measure was essentially similar to a bill narrowly passed in 1983 but killed in the Senate. This time it was rejected, 88 to 65.

The Catholic Bishops of Massachusetts warned legislators that civil rights for gay people marked a step toward legally approving a homosexual lifestyle. Christian Scientists also opposed the bill.

The measure lost in spite of unexpectedly strong support from Governor Dukakis, The four-hour debate pre-

NGTF, GRNL Plan Merger

Merger of the Gay Rights National Lobby and the "National Gay Task Force moved closer in September, when the GRNL board of directors empowered a special committee to negotiate this. NGTF made a similar move in June. officials of both organizations expect merger will take place this year.

ceding the vote indicated that the main factor in the bill's defeat was hysterical fear of AIDS, with opponents charging that passage would spread AIDS and destroy the American family. One representative who had voted for the earlier bill now called for seeking a cure for homosexuality.

Anne Maguire, the Boston mayor's liaison to the lesbian and gay community, told the Gay Community News that the debate emphasized the need for AIDS education. She also pointed out that some legislators who raised the health issue had voted against funding for AIDS.

Atlas Shrugs

According to Ray O'Loughlin the Bay Area Reporter, Atlas Savings & Loan, a gay financial institution in San Francisco, is reporting a loss of at least $1 million for the first half of 1985. NGTF was founded in 1973 James Its new president as a national gay rights orBowersox, describes the loss ganization. Three years latas a short term problem that er GRNL was established to will be resolved without drastic measures,, and sees lobby Congress for legislation important to gay peoAtlas as in good shape. Bowple. By tacit agreement, ersox attributed the loss to NGTF confined itself to civ made by previous managers of a number of unsound loans il rights issues and the executive branch of the U.S. Atlas. Emphasizing that government, while GRNL had a these loans were not extendfree hand with Congress, Ined to gay people, he defined recent years, both organiza Atlas basic mistake as movtions have faced declining ing outside the profitable membership and growing debt.

gay market.