Out of closet, out of job

Methodists fire lesbian staff member

One week after rejecting a April 18, the Women's Division personnel committee's recomcommittee on personnel, the six mendation to accept the top officers of the division, asked resignation of lesbian staff for her resignation and received member Joan L. Clark, the Women's Division of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries reversed itself and fired her by a vote of 40 to 30, with one abstention. The vote. took place in Cincinnati on April 27. Her employment as an executive member of the regional staff in Dallas ended May 1

Two directors of the Women's Division, Richard Cash of New York City, and Susan Wager of Galeburg, Michigan, resigned as directors to protest the vote.

it. In a two and a half hour closed session on April 23, the 75 member division voted not to accept the resignation, and on April 24 the directors of the full Board of Global Ministries voted to refrain from asking the Women's Division to take any further action. Clark withdrew her resignation on April 26.

not

Bishop W. McFerrin Stowe, the Methodist Bishop of Dallas.. protested the decision to retain Clark, saying that he would not reappoint her deaconess. There During a four-month leave of were also protests from the absence for professional Central Texas Conference of the development, from November church which asked that Clark be 1978 to March 1979, Clark had assigned to work elsewhere, if documented ill effects of fear of her resignation was homosexuality within the reconsidered. Methodist Church and within On April 27 the personnel society in general. Returning committee asked Clark to from this leave she submitted to resubmit her resignation and she the Women's Division's refused. The committee .personnel committee a report in recommended to the Women's which she discussed her Division that she be fired and the research and mentioned publicly division reversed itself. for the first time her own sexual orientation as a lesbian. After meeting with Clark on said that some directors of the

Theresa Hoover, chief staff person for the Women's Division.

MOHR resignation

Horts of the

Those interested in fuither

The Administrative Board of tale the the Michigan Organization for Administrative Board and varvolunteers to keep the Human Rights (MOHR) has lous regretfully accepted the organization moving forward in resignation of their Executive its current educational, legislaDirector. Donaid Mager effective tive and communication June 9. 1979. The MOHR projects Executive Director is responsible for coordinating the volunteer efforts of MOHR members and represents MOHR to the media and other organizations as an advocate for Gay and Human Rights in the state of Michigan Mr Mager has served as MOHRS Executive Director since the position was established in June

information about the position should contact the Selection Committee. Michigan Organiza tion for Human Rights 940 Wes! McNiches Detroit Michigan 45203 (313) 863-7255

division felt that the issue had been put before them too hurriedly on April 23.

A press release dated May 10 from Affirmation, United Methodists for Lesbian/Gay Concerns contained the following comment)

The decision to fire Ms. Clark because she is a lesbian is a story that in itself documents the use of homophobia to deny persons

their civil rights. This decision was not made on the basis of competency, expertise, or job performance (which were never in question) but exclusively on the fear of the consequences if she was retained. Mai Gray, Women's Division president. stated. With the vicious attacks and publicity the Division and the Board have received we did not feel that we could withstand this

New legal strategy for gays

HIGH GEAR Paga

action with the constituency

The press release asked that thoughtful letters of concern analysis/protest" be sent to Mrs. C. Jarret Gray President. Women's Division, Board of Global Ministries, 475 Riverside Drive, 15th floor, New York City 10027, and that copies of these letters be sent to Michael Collins, coordinator of Affirmation, PO. Box 775, New York City, 10011.

U.S.Gays get closer

to Constitutional clout

A decision by the California Supreme Court on May 31 seems to have brought the rights of American gays as close as they have ever been to constitutional recognition:

Calfor has a law to protect the fundamental right of employees in general to engage in political activity without interference by employers." Accordind to the California Supreme Court's 4-3 majority opinion. coming cut as a homosexual's a political act

The case that prompted the Court's decision is entitled Gay Law Students' Association v. Pacific Telephone and Telegraph and was filed in behalf of a former employee of the com. pany who was fired because he

was openly gay and in behalf of a job,appa ant who was rejected because he was openly gay. A state regulated utility and one of California's largest employers. Pacific Telephone and telegraph had a forma: policy against employing gays

Assisted by Gay Rights Advo-

cates, a public interest law firm based on Castro Street in San Francisco. the gay students' association charged Pacific Telephone and Telegraph with violating the equal protection clause of the United States Constitution, the equal protection clause of California's constitution, and California's state labor code which bars discrimination because of political activity.

What is particularly significant about the case is the strategy used by the plaintiffs...

The plaintiffs avoided right to privacy arguments and based their challenge on the premise that acknowledging one's homosexuality is a political act

(Right to privacy arguments were all but ignored by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1976 when it refused to review the case of Doe v. Attorney for the City of Richmond, thus upholding a Virginia anti-sodomy statute which denies that consenting adults have any particular right to engage in any particulai betavion)

Valeska new NGTF head

of 1978. Prior to that time Mr. Mager served as MOHR's Lucia Valeska. 39, a sociologist Financial Officer and on the and a leader of the lesbianSteering Committee that feminist and gav movements in coordinated the founding of the Albuquerque New Mexico, was Michigan Organization for named to the position of CoHuman Rights in October. 1977. Executive Director of the MCHR Communication National Gay Task Force by the Officer Sal Connor of Grand NGT! Board of Directors, meetRapids stated. "We are all saddened and we will have a harding in-New-York last week. She time finding someone to fill his joins Charles F Brydon in the top shoes. Don has made tremendous contributions to MOHR, the

state of Michigan, and to Gay Women's Nite

People everywhere. We owe him a lot." MOHR Policy Council Chairperson Robert Lundy said. "This positionis extremely important to the organization and will be difficult to fill in the manner to which we are accustomed. I hope that all our members and friends will help us in filling this vacancy by insuring that good candidates are recruited for the position."

administrative position of the nation's largest and most influential gay-rights organization.

According to Richard Cash and Kay Whitlock. NGTF Board

leadership qualities. her many years of experience in the move ment and her respect for the diversity of the lesbian and gay community

Co-Chairs Vair-ska was selected Planners need

atter an extensive search and a review of 34 applicants for the position from all over the coun-

support for

try. She assumes her post on July D.C. march

9 replacing Jean O'leary, who resigned effective June 22. for personal reasons

Upon being notified of her...

appointment, Ms. Vaieska said, "I

am honored to join in the work of the Natinal Gay Task Force. It has long been my belief that women and gay people should travei a common road to liberation, NGTF will continue to play a crucial role in this effort, and I am very giad to be a part of it."

On Friday, August 3. women of the northeast Ohio area will convene at 7:30 PM on the northwest quadrant of Cleveland's Public Square (by the Illuminating Building) for this year's Take Back the Night" March. Tentative speakers at the rally on the Square will be Kathy Cowles and Kathy Thomas Alterwards, the march through downtown Cleveland via an extended route will end at Cleveland, State University where a benefit for the Rape, it is a distinct pleasure to wei-

Cuse will be heid A:: women are invited to atten

The MOHR Administrative Board has appointed & Selection Committee which is actively soliciting applicants for the pusition of Executive Director In the interim MOHR Legislation. Mach organizers, suggest fungtramal clothing and shpes Officer. Phii Greene will serve as Don't for at your fashaghts an Acting executive Directo: and,

In announcing the apointment, Mr Cash and Ms. Vaieska said.

come Lucia Valeska to the Task. Force. As our movement enters its second decade. we are contident that NGTF will be wellserved by her outstanding

•

Says legal writer James B. Stewart, Jr. in the June 25 issue of The Village Voice, since the facts were never at qustion (PT&T readily admitted to the firing and job refusal on the ground of the applicants' sexuality) the court's recognition of coming out as politics radically altered the strategies of the gay legal struggle.".

The court's majority opinion, written by Justice Mathew Tobriner, says that "the struggle of the homosexual community. for equal rights, particularly in the field of employment, must be recognized as a political activity...

"A principal barrier to homosexual equality is the common feeling that homosexuality is an

ich then.exual Worker is conced, from his employer and his fellow workers.

Consequently, one important aspect of the struggle for equal rights is to enduce homosexual individuals to come out of the closet." acknowledge their sexual preferences, and to associate with others in working for equal / rights."

ז'

Tobriner noted that the court in an earlier case had ruled that against because of political an employee discriminated activity "may maintain a cause of action against his employer to recover damages sustained as a resuit of the employer's unlawful conduct."

Said Donald C. Knutson, the lawyer in charge of the case during its last two months. "What is especially remarkable about the T-briner open is that it compistely contradicts a lot of other cases in other jurisdictions which characterize coming out of the closet as. flaunting While the final conference homosexuality, and say it is a

By ROB DAVIS

before the March on Washington was held in Holiston on July 6-8. money is still needed to pay for the delegates' expenses, which will be over $1300 for the four delegates, according to Mike Isbell, state facilitator for the

justifiable reason to fire

Honardu Muskowitz in an arti le on the front page of the June 2 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the earliruling "had suggested that the est interpretations of the court decision applied only to publice utilities because of their status as regulated and public service

March. Donations may be sent to 53 East Sycamore Street. Columbus, OH 43206. Checks may be made payable to Mike Isbeli or Houston Fund. Volunteers are also needed to sell buttons, discompanies" but that California Supreme Court sources were tribute iterature, make teles indicating that the decision phone calls. and provides. would have får broader implica transportation or housing. To,

Volunteer 2420

tions for other businesses and telephone 614-443-industries."