NEWS BRIEFS

will provide members of Congress and officials at the Pentagon with a rational discussion of the issues from some very articulate and well-informed soldiers, sailors and fliers. These are outstanding persons with brilliant records."

To obtain a copy of the video, contact HRCF at 202-628-4160.

Meanwhile, Celestial Arts-Ten Speed Press has sent a copy of its new edition, Positively Gay, edited by Dr. Betty Berzon, to every member of the U.S. Congress, the Joint Chiefs, and Secretary of Defense Les Aspin "in an effort to provide them with accurate information as to who the gay and lesbian citizens of this country are." Berzon has urged Congressional members to approach the gays in the military discussions "prepared to represent the lives of their gay and lesbian constituents knowledgeably."

The book, a 1993 finalist for the American Library Association gay and lesbian non-fiction award, offers information on varied aspects of gay life.

Gay synagogue allowed to march

New York-Members of a gay and lesFa bian synagogue were allowed to march in a May 9 Salute to Israel Parade under a compromise reached in April. The agreement permits members of the Congregation Beth Simchat Torah of Manhattan to march under the banner of the Association of Reform Zionists of America in the parade up Fifth Avenue.

"Hopefully, the issue is settled," said Sharon Kleinbaum, the synagogue's rabbi. The compromise helps the parade's sponsors avoid the controversy that has surrounded the St. Patrick's Day parade since a gay Irish group was banned from the

event.

"Some members of Orthodox yeshivas

and Orthodox communities weren't too happy with a gay synagogue marching," said Richard Cohen, a spokesman for the Reform Zionists.

Penna. MCC runs into bigots

Lancaster, Pa.-An MCC congregation will likely be greeted with anger and distrust when it moves as scheduled this summer from Lancaster to nearby Mountville, in eastern Pennsylvania.

Some two dozen Mountville residents and property owners voiced their concerns about the Vision of Hope Metropolitan Community Church at a borough council meeting Monday. They appeared unwilling to put out the welcome mat.

Vision of Hope has rented space from other churches since its founding 13 years ago. The church in 1991 was ejected from its home in the Lancaster Metaphysical Chapel. Chapel leaders claimed the church was using the site for political purposes.

Mountville city officials made it clear that they would try anything within legal bounds to halt the move.

Alaska court puts repeal on hold

Anchorage-The Alaska Supreme Court postponed a vote to repeal Anchorage's four-month-old ordinance protecting gay city workers, ruling that the petition that was used to get the measure on the ballot was probably biased in its wording. It was titled, "Referendum Petition to Repeal A Special Homosexual Ordinance."" The election was scheduled for April 20.

Citizens to Repeal the Homosexual Ordinance collected 20,000 petition signatures, well beyond the 5,700 required.

Allison Mendel, lawyer for Alaskans for Civil Rights, said in a television interview "the court agreed with us that people who signed the petition were swayed and couldn't tell what it was all about, There has been a great deal of confusion." Rochester must grant exemption

Rochester, N.Y.-The city of Rochester will appeal a state Supreme Court ruling that it discriminated against a gay group by denying them tax exemption status, city

Officials said

State Supreme Court Justice Andrew Siracuse in April ordered Rochester to give the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley Inc. property tax exemption status.

The city had argued that the Gay Alliance was an advocacy group for homosexuals and didn't meet state requirements that an organization be educational or charitable to qualify for the exemption. But Siracuse said the group served an educational function for the city's gay community.

Florida to spend $3 million to fight anti-gay initiatives

Tallahassee, Fla.-Gay rights activists will spend at least $3 million to defeat antigay constitutional amendments, a leader said.

"We will have the best pollsters, the best media, the best phone banks, the best of what we need to fight them every step of the way," Jeff Peters, a founder of Floridians Respect Everyone's Equality, said. "And we will beat them."

The Florida chapter of the American Family Association needs some 439,000 signatures to put its anti-gay amendment before voters in November 1994.

Gay rights ordinances in Miami Beach and Key West, and in Palm Beach County, Hillsborough and Alachua counties would be repealed by the amendment.

Dignity to protest pope

The Denver chapter of Dignity, a lesbian-gay Catholic group, plans to stage low-key protests during Pope John Paul II's visit next summer.

The pope plans to visit Denver Aug. 1215 as part of the weeklong World Youth Day conference, which is expected to draw about 200,000 people to Denver.

Dignity members plan to hold a prayer service Aug. 8 on the steps of the state Capitol to make a special appeal to gay teen-agers participating in the conference.

Polish AIDS center trashed

Warsaw, Poland-A center to train therapists to work with AIDS patients and drug addicts was vandalized after angry villagers threatened to destroy the house, a newspaper reported.

Gazeta Wyborcza said vandals ripped off roofing and destroyed chimneys, doors and windows at the house in Mogielnica, in southeastern Poland. A Roman Catholic charity planned to operate the center.

Efforts to provide help for the small but growing number of AIDS patients in Poland have often met with hostility. Two homes for HIV-infected children were burned and vandalized in a Warsaw suburb last year.

Maryland police won't ask

Baltimore-State police say they will quit asking job applicants about their sexual orientation after a woman filed a lawsuit claiming she was turned down because she's a lesbian.

A 25-year-old woman sued the state police in November. Her lawsuit said she received a letter saying she was not hired as a trooper because "homosexual or other socially unacceptable conduct will undoubtedly foment controversy and conflict within the department."

A state police spokesman said there had been no policy either for against gays and lesbians. The new policy clears up any confusion. ✓

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