HIGH GEAR/APRIL 1978

SEEKING GRANT RE-INSTATEMENT

Dr. Alan Rockway and Ms. Melodie Moorehead, repre-

sentatives of American Coalition for Transperience, A.C.T., a national legal fund seeking non-discrimination by sexual preference through Federal Court action, launched a national campaign today to seek re-instatement of a $55,000 grant from C.E.T.A., an agency of the U.S. Dept. of Labor. The grant had been cancelled without cause by a Miami, Fla. C.E.T.A. Consortium which last Aug. '77, had agreed to fund counseling and crisis services to gay, bisexual and alternative lifestyle heterosexual clients at Transperience Center in Miami.

Dr. Rockway and Ms. Moorehead's news conference, prior to the S.E. Gay Conference at the Georgian Hotel was held simultaneously, with one, by ACT representative Robert

Kunst, who kicked off the appeal for funds in the Northern States

at St. Paul, Minnesota, site of an upcoming Gay Rights initiative on April 25, 1978, similar to the one in Dade County, Florida.

Dr. Rockway, a clinical psychologist, charged that cancellation of C.E.T.A. funds

resulted as part of the national witchhunt against gay and sexual citizens led by Anita Bryant. "C.E.T.A. in Miami has engaged in licentious behavior in the truest sense of the word," charged Rockway, "they took their license to discriminate from the repeal of the Human Rights Ordinance here last June 7, 1977. These forces represent a danger to American Freedom equal to that of the KKK and American Nazi Party. It is shameful that President Carter has supported the Nazi's right to march in Skokie, III. while

TRI-CITY DEFENSE

Del Martin of San Francisco and Leonard Matlovich of Washington, D.C. recently announced the formation of the Tri-City National Defense Fund.

The fund was started for the purpose of raising funds on a national level for three cities, Wichita, Kansas, Eugene, Oregon and St. Paul, Minnesota. All three are now fighting human rights ordinance repeal efforts in their communities.

In order to avoid the national publicity which occurred last year in Dade County, Florida, the cities are attempting to keep the issue a local one. This has severely affected their ability to raise funds. Tri-City will afford lesbians and gay men across the county the opportunity to help the people in these three cities.

On announcing Tri-City, Del Martin (founder of the Daughters of Bilitis and coauthor of "Lesbian/Woman") said: "As Jose Serria used to say in the 50's, 'united we stand divided they will pick us off one by one.' That's as true today as it was then. Now we must fight to retain our hard won

gains we've made. What happens in the Tri-Cities effects the civil rights of lesbians and gay men across the country. Give generously. Dig deep into your pockets; it's your own skin at stake."

Further information can be obtained from Tri-City National Defense Fund, P.O. Box 3949, Hollywood, Ca. 90028.

The three cities are currently involved in campaigns to prevent repeal of portions of their human rights ordinances prohibiting discrimination based on affectional or sexual preference. Wichita, Kansas and Eugene, Oregon will be voting on the question during May,

1978.

The ordinance in Wichita, Kansas, was passed and a

petition effort started immed. iately to call for its repeal. The campaign to prevent the repeal is being headed by Tempo-Concerned Citizens for Human Rights. They will vote on May 9,

1978.

The ordinance in Eugene, Oregon, was passed last November by a vote of 5-3 on

VICKI GABRINER WINS

Vicki Gabriner, an Atlanta lesbian-feminist convicted in 1977 on federal charges of passport fraud and conspiracy to commit passport fraud, won her appeal in the Massachusetts federal appellate court on February 15, 1978.

The charges stemmed from her anti-Viet Nam War activity with Weatherman-SDS in 1970. This victory marks the end of a five-year legal battle which began in 1973 when Vickie was arrested at her home in Atlanta by 7 FBI agents. In response to pre-trial motions, the FBI was ordered to turn over several months worth of illegally made tapes made on the telephone of SDS national office from 196970.

The unanimous decision of the appellate court was based on the fact that the government

had not presented adequate evidence during the trial to prove Vicki's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

"I see this as a victory," Vicki said, "in a time when our victories are few and far between. It has been a shot of good energy. And I think it's just great that it came down on Susan B. Anthony's birthday! Of course, the decision did not mention the Viet Nam War, nor did it touch on the issues of the illegal wiretaps or selective prosecution (i.e. being prosecuted for her political activity). This was a disappoint. ment, but not unexpected. It continued the government's desire to portray this case, and related political cases, as criminal offenses without any political content."

The 258 pages of FBI files that

remaining silent on the rights of Gay and Bisexual American taxpaying citizens, both veterans and non-veterans."

Melodie Moorehead urged a major national awakening of Gays, Bisexuals and Heterosexuals through a mass education drive, voter registration and activism. "We seek a major, new direction in Community Mental Health," said Ms. Moorehead, a Master's degree level Community Outreach Coordinator at Transperience Center, "through prevention of distress by eliminating emotional

oppression against same-sex relations and by supporting every human beings right to communicate with others based on human values, and not on a person's gender."

Dr. Rockway and Ms. Moorehead, expect the

the City Council. The petition drive there was also launched immediately after the passage of the ordinance.

Wichita will be advertising heavily in an effort to educate the community on the issues. Eugene plans a more personal type of campaign with their focus being on personal contact through telephone calls and then convassing neighbor. hoods.

Both cities are looking to the election in St. Paul to provide a victory they can publicize in their area as an indication of approval from a city where the ordinance has been working for three and one-half years. They hope that a victory here will help alleviate fears of voters in their communities.

St. Paul Citizens for Human

Rights went to court on Monday. March 13, before Judge Schulz, District Court, in their lawsuit for temporary and permanent injunction to prevent the initiative from being placed on April 25 ballot. Judge Schulz took the case under advisement and will issue his ruling in about ten days.

Vicki received in response to her Freedom of Information request, however, clearly belie this a-political stance.

Weatherman and her trip to Cuba in 1970 as part of the second Venceremos Brigade made her suspect before the passport issue ever developed. "Then," Vicki says, "that was just a convenient thing to hang on me."

Transperience Center case, filed in Federal Court on March 3, to reach the U.S. Supreme Ct. in a landmark decision, barring discrimination, by 'affectional and sexual preferences. They are urging donations to A.C.T., a national and international campaign, to P.O. Box 1976, Miami Beach, Fla. 33139, to

raise

the

$500,000

the case is expected to cost. They hope by these actions to overturn the internationally noted June 7, vote in Miami on constitutional grounds as well as overturning state anti-sex laws which affect homosexual and heterosexual relations equally.

Upon questioning, they urged continued support for the "GAYCOTT," against Fla. Orange Juice (down 30%) and Tourism; Coca Cola (owns

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Minute Maid); Coors Beer (supports anti-human rights causes) and Delta Airlines (which doesn't have a nondiscrimination policy with its employees, is a leading carrier to Fla. and is also a leading industry in Fla., Ga., and III.-all three states that haven't passer E.R.A). They added that the "Gaycott" was costing the states and these products millions and growing daily.

Rockway and Moorehead indicated that their efforts were part of a growing national effort for "EMOTIONAL LIBERATION" for all Americans. They are hopeful of opening the doors of federal funding for the kind of specialized, culturally sensitive mental health services Transperience was set up to provide.

Left to right: Melodie Moorehead, and Bob Kunst and Dr. Alan Rockaway, Ph.D. Co-authors of last year's Dade County Ordinance.

BAR BAR BAN VOID

The Florida Supreme Court has ruled an attorney cannot be excluded from the Florida Bar Association just because he is an admitted homosexual. The decision is believed the first in the United States concerning a homosexual's right to practice law. State bars, according to legal sources, do not systematically exclude homosexuals.

The court found that Robert Eimers, 31, could not be rejected by the state bar for failure to meet the "good moral character" qualifications. Eimers stated in his application to the Florida Bar that he was a

homosexual and the court ruled this declaration could not stop his admission if he was otherwise qualified. However, the court indicated its ruling might be against an applicant if evidence showed the applicant engaged in homosexual acts.

Bruce Winick, counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, who represented Eimers, said that decision "stands for a broad antidiscrimination principle... a person's status cannot be considered sufficient reason to disqualify any person from government benefits, privilege, license employment."

I am very aware that my THEY'RE THE PROBLEM

prosecution and conviction and FOIA papers are just one small piece of a much larger program of repression that did not end in 1973 as the government would have us believe," Vickie explained. "So, I do not see my victory as an end. The whole experience has rather deepened my commitment to building a community and a movement that will bring a much larger victory to us all."

NEW YORK, Nearly twice as many complaints of sexual misconduct are reportedly filed against heterosexual teachers as are lodged against homosexual ones according to a poll conducted by McCall's. The women's magazine, which surveyed 1300 elementary and high school principals, found that

most of the complaints came from parents.

When the principals were asked if they would fire a teacher found to be a homosexual, 42 percent said they would but 51 percent said they would not. Only one percent of the principals said they ask teachers directly about their sexual preferences.

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