CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY

SOCIAL SCIENCES DEPT.

JUL 1 3 1984

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GAL CROPLE'S CHRONICLE

An Independent Chronicle of the Ohio Lesbian and Gay Community

Veluma

Issue 3 trial wraps up

Cincinnati case is the most likely one to go to Supreme Court

by Lisa Keen

While pro-gay attorneys successfully knocked down an anti-gay initiative last December in Colorado, they have been forced, just six months later, to mount another cumbersome court challenge against an initiative in Cincinnati. Testimony in the trial on the constitutionality of Issue 3 ended June 24.

"While the rest of the world is celebrating lesbian and gay pride and liberation, this is a sobering reminder that we have to fight every step of the way for the most basic rights," said Suzanne Goldberg, an attorney with Lambda Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

The trial in Cincinnati was round two in the legal battle over anti-gay initiatives. Once again, Goldberg— the only attorney to carry over from Colorado to Cincinnati-and others challenging the anti-gay ballot measure pressed witnesses to convey to the public record how much money gays make, how little influence they have, and just how badly most Americans dislike gay people.

Either case the one challenging Amendment 2 in Colorado or Issue 3 in Cincinnati-could go to the U.S. Supreme Court and play a critical role in the gay movement's struggle for equal rights. But because Cincinnati's Issue 3 is being tested in a federal court, many legal Continued on page 2

Anti-gay initiative to be on Idaho ballot

But Nevada's falls short

Boise, Idaho--Opponents of Idaho's anti-gay initiative conceded the opening round in their battle with the Idaho Citizens Alliance July 1.

Brian Bergquist of the "Don't Sign On" campaign said a survey of all 44 county clerks showed that the alliance and founder Kelly Walton have already certified more than the 32,061 voter signatures needed to put the proposition on the November ballot--but not by much.

"Obviously we're disappointed that Idaho is going to have to fight about this," Bergquist said. “But Don't Sign On has always said we thought it would get on the ballot. Frankly, we're surprised it took this long."

"We've always been geared longterm working toward November," and he said opponents, working under a new but still undetermined name, hope to raise $500,000 to defeat the initiative at the polls.

Walton has indicated he wants to spend at least that much and possibly more to win adoption of the proposition that bans state and local laws prohibiting discrimination against lesbians and gays.

Although failing to stop the issue short of the ballot, Bergquist said opponents took heart in the fact that Walton and his cadre of paid signature collectors certified only 32,733 signatures through June 30 and would likely submit only about 35,000-well below Walton's target.

Last December during a swing through Idaho Falls, one of the initiative's relative strongholds, Walton said he wanted to gather 100,000 signatures to build up a mailing list and demoralize the opponents.

At the same time, however, he admitted that financial support for the campaign was flagging and he was having to pump $2,000 a month from the family business in Heyburn into the operation to keep it afloat. Since then, financial disclosure statements have showed the Walton company providing nearly $62,000 of the $93,000 spent on the drive through March.

Opponents spent less than $13.000 during the same period.

"If I were Kelly Walton. I'd be a little nervous." Bergquist said. "What is significant is the hundreds of thousands of Idahoans who didn't sign on. The residents of Idaho have simply said to Kelly Walton and the out-of-staters who initiated this effort that Idaho values tolerance more than discrimination."

Bergquist acknowledged opponents remained concerned that because the initiative has run into trouble in a number of other statesincluding neighboring Oregon and Washington where its prospects were dim--that its supporters in those states would dedicate their efforts to Idaho.

But he said he believed Idahoans will provide the financial support to

:Ο o Affirm

A time of pride and promise

A personal perspective of Stonewall 25

by Jeff Hirst

On the Friday before the Stonewall 25 march, Glen Pyle of Solon and his friend John of Berea spotted two New York City policeman standing in a crowd on a sidewalk near the West Village gay bar that gave the event its name. The cops were in a jovial mood, as if caught up in the festivities around them.

JOE TRESH

led Nation

Lesbian and G:

"You guys were bastards back then," Glen joked, getting an easy chuckle out of the cops. He was alluding to the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, when New York City cops and Alcohol Beverage Control Board agents launched a raid on the Stonewall, allegedly to investigate violations of alcohol control laws. Patrons of the bar, knowing that this Continued on page 6

Federal job bias bill introduced

Washington--The late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. would have supported legislation prohibiting workplace discrimination because of sexual orientation, his widow says.

"Like Martin, I don't believe you can stand for freedom for one group of people and deny it to others," Coretta Scott King said at a June 23 news conference held for the introduction of a bill banning sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace.

The bill, introduced by Sens. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., John H. Chafee, R-R.I., and 28 co-sponsors, would ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in hiring, firing, promotion and pay. Both Ohio senators, John Glenn and Howard Metzenbaum, are cosponsors.

It would not apply to the military, religious organizations or schools affiliated with religious organizations. Businesses with fewer than 15 employees also would be exempt, but profit-making affiliates of religious organizations would be covered.

INSIDE

It also would specifically prohibit preferential treatment, including quotas, based on sexual orientation, and would not require employers to provide benefits to their

"This bill is not about granting special rights. It is about righting senseless wrongs.

-Sen. Edward Kennedy

workers' same-sex partners.

"This bill is not about granting special rights. It is about righting senseless wrongs," Kennedy said.

The bill was intentionally limited to job discrimination issues. Polls have repeatedly shown that most Americans agree that all people are entitled to the right to work. Activists say the narrow focus will help restrict the attacks from the far

right that a larger, more inclusive bill might attract.

In the House, it is sponsored by Reps. Barney Frank and Gerry E. Studds, both D-Mass., the openly gay House members. One hundred and ten other representatives, including Reps. Eric Fingerhut and Louis Stokes of Ohio, joined them to introduce the bill.

The 142 co-sponsors in both houses are the highest number to back a lesbian-gay rights bill. Previous comprehensive bills, which have been introduced since 1976, have never gotten many more than 100 co-sponsors.

Groups endorsing the measure include the AFL-CIO, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Women's Legal Defense Fund, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Japanese American Citizens League, American Civil Liberties Union, American Jewish Committee and other religious groups and the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities.

Kennedy, chairman of the Labor and Human Resources Committee. said he planned to report the bill out of his committee this month.

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