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GAY STUDY

By Dick Pabich

"Prejudice against gay people exists, in large part, because no one really knows how many of us there are and how important we are to society," says Pat Perry. "It's easy to develop at-

titudes against people you don't know or who you can't see as benefiting you."

So Perry and Julie Filios set up the San Francisco Research Organization to find out just how many gay people there are and what their effects are on society and the economy.

It's not an easy job. There is virtually no information on the homosexual population compiled by either government or private groups. The Census Bureau does not do research based on sexual orientation. The only real study on the subject, The Kinsey Report found that about 10% of the total population is predominantly gay. But it was only an estimate and was done nearly twenty years

ago.

Perry and Filios hope to do a detailed population study of the residents of San Francisco over the next year. Then, depending on available funds, she hopes to do a statewide survey, and then

a national one.

HIGH GEAR/FEBRUARY 1978

educational programs in the gay wield considerable economic community.

A 36-year old economist with a strong technical background in research and planning, Perry is convinced the kind of information they will collect is crucial.

"We want to determine what the gay population's purchasing power is, what percentage of the taxes we pay, our participation in the labor force, our pattern of migration and household formations," says Perry.

"This has tremendous potential for affecting politics, government services, advertising, city planning and tax policies, to name a few."

And it's precisely because of this that they have run into problems finding the funds necessary to do the project.

"Many people," Filios feels, "are scared to death to find out how important we are."

They have approached many government agencies and both gay and non-gay organizations for funds and have proposals currently before several foundations. But so far, they have received no commitments.

The question of the size and! power of the gay population is particularly important in San Francisco, where it has caused considerable debate.

The San Francisco Research Estimates of the Organization is affiliated with gay the Pride Foundation, a taxpopulation range from 10-30% exempt, non-profit organization of the adult population of San which conducts legal and Francisco, where gay people

Po o o

and political power.

Perry feels that in a city with a large number of gay people, there's no mechanism to measure population accurately. Traditional census techniques do not take into account homosexual life styles and migration patterns.

Filios explains, "If a family of four with two children were to move out of a house and four gay people were to move in, it would probably be recorded in official statistics as a decline in population of three. The gay household would have no children counted in schools and

would probably have utilities and other things registered in one person's name."

Because of this, Perry feels that, contrary to the census

figures showing San Francisco's population declining, it might actually he increasing due to an

influx of gay people. The effects of such an undetected population increase on tax distribution and government funding are staggering.

The survey will be done by mailing a questionnaire to 34,000 randomly selected adults in San Francisco. It will ask questions about the respondent's age, sex, sexual orientation, income, spending patterns, length of residency and other questions.

The survey will also seek to determine what community needs and government services people feel are not being met. Work is continuing on this important project, but funds are urgently needed to continue. Contributions, which are taxdeductable, should be sent to the San Francisco Research

Organization, 2200 Franklin

Street, San Francisco, CA 94109.

FOR GAY CATHOLICS

... and non catholics too

DIGNITY-CLEVELAND

P.O. BOX 18479 CLEVELAND, OHIO 44118 791-0942

The following quote was transcribed from the Presbyterian Synod of the Covenant: Communication New Service telephone recorded message and gives the United Presbyterian Church's official statement on the Task Force to Study Homosexuality and its recent 15-4 vote in favor of removing barriers to ordaining homosexual persons into the

ministry.

"The news media have carried distorted reports on the Task Force's recommendation. The task force has recommended that the General Assembly should rule that this matter, as with all aspects of ordination is to be decided however, does not recommend that any person be ordination because of a homoautomatically disqualified from

sexual orientation.

"A minority report signed by five members of the 19 person task force proposes an alternative policy and recommends, to the effect, that avowed homosexuals not be ordained to any church office under any circumstances. The minority reports have no status at this time. They are reports only, and their recommendations are recommendations only. The General Assembly may choose to accept, change or reject any or all recommendations, or take action different from any of them."

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