HIGH GEAR/MAY 1978
COLUMBUS NEWS
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GODMOTHERS
CHALLENGES
DIMENSIONS
In The HOTTEST Baseball Game in Memorial Day History
Monday Memorial Day May 29 2:00
Rocky River Reservation
GODMOTHER'S I 1014 E. 63rd St
Susan M. Holland
L.J. Hershkoff
Attorneys
Legal Services
Suite 610 1001 Euclid Hershkoff & Holland
Call (216) 241-1350 for app't
Over 25 people learned valuable lobbying skills and other important information at a lobbying workshop held April 8, and co-sponsored by Ohio Gay Rights Coalition and Central Ohio Gay Coalition.
Adam DeBaugh of Gay Rights National Lobby was the featured speaker as he shared his experience and knowledge of being a lobbyist in Washington, D.C.; Peg Rosenield of League of Women Voters provided valuable election law information. Columbus City Council member Pam Conrad spoke from the legislator's viewpoint, explaining what legislators typically expect from lobbyists. Bob Mapes of Ohio State Legal Services spoke of his experiences lobbying for that group. DIGNITY
Dignity/Columbus will be hosting a Dignity Region Five conference in Columbus May 27-29. During the conference, a dinner dance will be held at the Sheraton/Columbus to celebrate the second unniversary of Dignity/Columbus. Date is May GAY ALLIANCE NEWS
GAY ALLIANCE NEWS: Gay Alliance will be co-sponsoring a booth with Central Ohio Gay
Coalition at the Spring Community Festival, May 19-21, in Columbus. The purpose of the booth will be educational and consciousness-raising. Volunteers are still needed to fill some of the open hours by staffing the booth, handing out literature, and answering questions. The entire community is invited to attend the 3-day festival, which will feature music and
By Rob Davis
Page 4
ADAM DOBAUGH WITH PLANNING COMMITTEE.
One important point was raised about letter-writing by constituents. One letter from a constituent represents over 200 people with that viewpoint in the
28, and tickets are available by phoning 614-274-1029, or by writing Dignity/Columbus at P.O. Box 02262, Columbus, Ohio 43202.
New Dignity officers are: Feliz Fornino, president; Carol Kollar,
crafts. The location is the 16th Avenue Mall, one block east of 16th and High Streets. Booth volunteers can call Gay Alliance at 614-422-9212 or 614-299-2428 or COGC at 614-291-9114...
Gay Alliance is sponsoring a group trip to Cedar Point on June 3. To reserve your place, call 614-422-9212, or 614-2620322. Space is limited, so please call now to assure a place.
Do you have items that could be contributed to a garage sale? Help fill Larry's apartment to the
congressional district. "Lobbying is easy and can be fun," said one of the people who attended the workshop. "All it takes is DOING it!"
secretary; Jackson Weaver, treasurer; Fr. John Collins and Marge Hauver.
Meetings are held the first and third Saturdays of each month at 8:00 PM at the Newman Center, 64 West Lane Avenue, Columbus.
brim, so we'll have a lot to sell. Proceeds will go to the Gay Alliance and will help support future activities. Your contribution is most needed. Call Larry at 614-262-0322 with your donations.
Gay Pride Week this year is June 18-25. Plans are just now being made for this annual event. More in the next issue of High Gear.
Ideas or energy to donate? Call Gay Alliance with your contributions or suggestions.
WOMENSPACE ANNUAL MEETING
The Annual Meeting on May 18, 1978, is our special time to gather together, share ideas and look toward the future. Speakers will be Anne Saunier, who chaired a signficant portion of Houston IWYConference and Yvonne Wanrow, a woman who defended herself and her children against attack and was charged with murder.
The Long Range Planning Committee will be seeking input from all present during workshops about strategies for increasing the effectiveness of
the coalition. Some of the topics to be discussed include:
What should be the contract between the coalition and the member organizations?
What should be the contract between the coalition and the individual members?
What is the most effective way to raise money for women's projects?
How can the coalition be more inclusive and increase participation?
How should Women Space influence public policy?
ACTIVIST RE-INSTATED
When women began to perceive themselves the victims of job discrimination and saw the opportunites for advancement
limited because of their gender,
they started to sue their employers. And they started to win!!
Now comes news of a case we hope will be quite commonplace in the years to come...Gaylife, a mid-western gay publication, reports
that Gary Van OOteghem, a Houston gay activist, who was fired from his job as an aide to Harris County, TX Treasurer Harstell Gray almost 3 yeas ago, has won rein-
statement. U.S. District Court Judge Ross Sterling ordered the reinstatement and also ordered Gray to Give Van Ooteghem his
back pay.
Van Ooteghem was originally fired after he refused to obey and order from Gray to stay in his office when he was supposed to be addressing the County Commission on gay rights. Judge Sterling agreed with Van Ooteghem that unreasonable limits stifling his freedom of speech had been applied.
In his decision Judge Sterling
What can we do for the ERA What kind of programs can we sponsor or stimulate to address:
.The economic empowerment of women?
High school women and adults who influence them?
Gathering data on women and using if to bring them into decision making positions?
Support for women in the workplace?
Leadership development for women? ---courtesy of Womenspace, 5178
said, "these time restrictions were obviously aimed at preventing the plaintiff from making his public speech. To contend that the plaintiff was fired solely
because of his refusal to comply with such hours as unrealistic."
Gray has stated that he intends to appeal the judge's decision. Van Ooteghem says he welcomes such an appeal because "the higher it goes, the more impact it will have on other gay people. You have a right to live your private life any way you want, and it has no bearing on your business or professional life. I have a right to speak out."