Coming out

SAN FRANCISCO -In a remarkable recorded message predicting that he might be assassinated, Harvey Milk urged his supporters and gay people to channel their anger at his killing into constructive pursuits.

Milk, who was slain along with San Francisco Mayor George Moscone on Monday, Nov. 27, also urged gays to come out. A transcript of the message was released by a friend last week. The tape was made in November, 1977:

"I know that when a person is assassinated after they have achieve victory, there are several tendencies. One is to have some people go crazy in the streets, angry and frustrated, and the other is to have a big show and splash, a great service. Naturally. I want neither.

"I cannot prevent anybody from getting angry or mad or frustrated. I can only hope they'll turn that anger and frustration and madness into something positive, so that hundreds will step forward, so that gay doctors will come out and the gay lawyers, gay judges, gay bankers, gay architects. I hope that every professional gay would say. 'enough,' and come forward and tell everybody, wear a sign, let the world know. Maybe that will help. These are my strong requests, knowing that it doesn't...and if it does, I think I've already achieved something. I think it's been worth it."

Milk Fund formed

The Harvey Milk United Fund was established by friends and colleagues of the late Harvey Milk to help continue the work he began. While Harvey served the entire city of San Francisco, he felt a special responsibility to represent the traditionally disenfranchised: racial and ethnic minorities, gay people, women, the elderly, and the disabled. As Gwenn Craig, United Fund Board Member and former coordinator of San Franciscans Against Proposition 6, put it: "Harvey clearly saw the necessity of building alliances between the different minority communities, it was his top priority, and will be the Fund's priority as well."

A non-profit corporation, the Harvey Milk United Fund will channel money to a wide range

of projects such as Senior Nutrition Programs, the Gay Community Center, state and nationa! legislation supporting gay/lesbian rights, passage of the E.R.A., gay and lesbian cultural projects, and the National March on Washington. The Fund will also seek to establish minority political training programs, continuing Harvey Milk's efforts to encourage minority participation in the political process.

Harvey Milk often spoke of the need for a national charitable foundation focusing on the needs of lesbians and gay men. The Fund intends to set aside a portion of all money raised to help found such an organization. Donations may be sent to the Harvey Milk United Fund

One United Nations PlazaSan Francisco, CA 94102

SB-659 protects gay rights

LANSING, MI. For the first time in its history the Michigan legislature has passed an act which specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual preference.

Senate bill 059 on the licensing of nursing homes, sponsored by Senator Otterbacher of Grand Rapids, was passed by the legislature ⚫ on November 16, 1978. The bill provides that nursing homes must adopt policies regarding the rights of residents. Those policies must state that appropriate care will not be denied on the basis of sexual preference, marital status, sex and other factors. Other

rights include the right to medical record confidentiality, to privacy to the extent feasible, to receive mail unopened, and to associate with persons of one's choice.

The bill now goes to governor Milliken for his approval or veto. The governor's approval is expected in approximately one week af ter it is formally received.

Commenting on the bill's passage, Robert Lundy, policy council chairperson for the Michigan organization for human rights (MOHA) called this bill "the wave of the future. In Michigan successes will probably occur in specialized areas and will apply to receiving public services, before a bill protecting to receiving public services. before a bill protecting employment in the private sector is passed." Don Mager, project facilitator for MOHR, further pointed out that "the rights of gay seniors, especially those on fixed and limited incomes, are often mentioned as areas of serious concern

ANITA

HIGH GEAR Page 5

HARVEY MILK

DIED FOR

YOUR SINS

photo By Rob Davis

Memorial to ignore gays

---Courtesy of Gay Community Nows

West Hartford CT The Humap Rights Commission of this city has voiced its final refusal to recognize the more than 250,000 gay victims slaughterd in Nazi concentration camps. The issue began in 1975, when the Commission established a nonprofit corporation, Mandala, Inc.. for the purpose of raising funds

to erect a monument to the vic-

tims of the Holocaust. The corporation, which will disband when its goal of $100,000 is reached, takes it name from a term for "wholeness and unity"

tee's representatives, F. Jay Deacon, is pastor of the West Hartford Community Church, and petitioned the Human Rights Commission for a hearing on several occasions. The commission has offered representation to constituencies including Catholics. Protestants, and blacks.

At a June 13 meeting of the commission it was resolved that the issue of gay representation in the proposed monument "would be dropped." Rabbi Issac Avigdor, who attended the meeting. In 1975 a local committee of commented: "Homosexuality is a gay persons was organized to sin in the Biblical sense. I am not request consideration from the out to fight homosexuals but commission to permit gay vicwon't insult the Jewish people by time to be represented on the placing them in the same monumonument. One of the commitment as with homosexuals."

In an interview with Boston's

Gay Community News Eric Gordon, another of the gay representatives who have been meeting with the Commission, responded to Avidor's comments: "I think that the attitude of the Human Rights Commission in this matter cheapens the whole issue and

Mandala as well. But, any time hypocrisy is unveiled to the public it is positive. This issue has all

the earmarks to demonstrate the biases of the Human Rights

Commission.

No official date has been set for, the construction of the memorial, and it is not certain whether the gay community in West Hartford will wish to pursue the matter of gay representation

further.

Hershkoff & Holland Attorneys and Counselors at Law

Civil Rights Commercial.Criminal. Discrimination Divorces.Custody.Wills. Talks on Gay & Feminist Issues 'Personal Injury. Employment Consultation and Litigation

to the gay movement, but little concrete is ever done to ensure these Call for appointment:

rights. Michigan has set a model for other states."

(216) 241-1350

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