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Cranston introduces

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Bill for immigration change in Senate

U.S. Senator Alan Cranston (D-CA) has introduced legisla tion to change language in the immigration law which has been interpreted to mean homosexual aliens can be barred from the United States on because sexual preference

"The law rewards dishonesty. lying, and hypocritical subterfuge." Cranston said, "and it punishes honesty and openness "

"Simple fairness demands that we put an end to a form of discrimination that not only is intellectually unsound and medically unjustifiable, but which also violates traditional respect for the right of privacy and the dignity of the individual."

excluded phrase "aliens afflicted with psychopathic personalities or a mental defect."

The phrase "sexual deviation" was added in a 1965 amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act

The National Gay Task Force said it is trying to get an opinion troversy from Senator Edward M on the current immigration conKengedy. Chairman of the

Senate Judiciary Committee and member of the United States Select Committee on Immigration and Refugee Policy.

The Select Committee has responsibility for recommending revision of the basic 1952 Immigration Act, as amended Kennedy was the Senate floor mananger for the 1965 amendment

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WASHINGTON, DC Massa chusetts Rep. Margaret Heckler explained to ga y lobbyists in Cranston said that ironically, Washington on Oct. 15, that she ine situation has worsened lately voted for an anti-gay amend because of the decision by thement on legal service: 1977 Public Health Service to refuse to participate in the barring of those suspected of being homosexual.

Now inexpert immigration officers acting alone" make the determination of whether homosexuality constitutes a disease or mental defect. Cranston said.

The resolution that Cranston has introduced in the Senate. S 2210 would repeal section 212(a) . of The Immigration and Naturalization Act, which provides for the exclusion from the United States of "aliens afflicted with psychopathic personality, sexual deviation, or mental defect" The bill would insert in place of the

because she receives anti-gay letters from her district, but not pro-Gay letters.

Rep. Lionel Van Beerlin (DCalif.) was lobbied by a former staff aide who has since "come out" Thought to be a good pros. pect for co-sponsorship of a Gay rights bill, he told lobbyists he's

had only one letter on gay rights in two years. He doesn't see it as a crucial issue in his district.

Sympathetic lawmakers repeatedly urged the gay lobbyists to "get organzied" if they hope to someday see civil rights legislation enacted.

Even though many legislators seemed to be unaware of the gay movement, three new cosponsors for House Bill HR 2074 "came out" during the Oct. 15th lobbying, bringing the total number to fifty.

Senate gets gay bill

by Michael D. Green WASHINGTON (Blade) The first gay civil rights bill ever filed in the U.S. Senate was formally Introduced December 5 by Senator Paul Tsongas (D-Mass.) with two co-sponsors, GOP Sen. Lowell Weicker of Connecticut and New York Democratic Sen. Daniel P. Moynihan.

The long-awaited introduction came after months of preparatory work and close consultation with the Gay Rights National Lobby (GRNL).

It did not have the total of five co-sponsors from both parties Tsongas had initialy hoped for when he first announced that he had agreed to sponsor the measure, which deals with the single issue of ending employment discrimination against gays.

Tsongas decided to go ahead with the introduction anyway, he told The Blade. rather than wait longer for two additional senators to join.

"There comes a point where it's obvious, you know, that the phone isn't ringing off the hook," he said, though he termed the need for such legislation "obvious."

GRNL Executive Director Steve Endean declared, "I'm absolutely delighted with the introduction in the Senate of the bill. We've been working very closely with Tsongas's office, and it is the fact that bills have now been introduced in both the House and Senate that it is the critical thing in my mind."

The Tsongas bill also comes at a time when anti-Gay legislation has come to light after being quietly introduced in the Senate last September by Sen. Paul Laxalt (R-Nev.) at the urging of fundamentalist TV preacher Rev. Jerry Falwell. Endean noted.

The Laxalt measure has already generated a large volume of mail in support of the so-called

Anti-gay bill introduced in Senate

An anti-progressive bill with provisions against homosexuals has been introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Paul Laxalt (RNevada) in sharp contrast to the

How many excluded?

In a press release dated December 28, 1979 The National Gay Task Force warned the public "not to be mislead by the disingenuous comments of Acting Immigration and Naturalization Service Commissioner David

Crossland" who says that only 31 persons have been excluded

from the United States for medical and psychiatric reasons from 1971 to 1978.

"Private conversations with INS officials." the release says, "have indicated a figure close to 2,000 per year.".

for entrance. The victim of this unlawful practice never surfaced in the numbers compiled of aliens who are denied entrance."

The release suggests that les.. bian women and gay men write feelings on the matter and President Carter expressing their reminding him of his May, 1976

campaign pledge in which he said. "I do not think that the government at the local, state, or federal level should single out homosexuals for abuse or harassment or prosecution under the existing laws. As Pres"Beyond the numbers, INS has ident, I can assure you that all a well-known practice of intimi-policies of the federal govern dating and harassing people into ment will reflect this commitwithdrawing their applications ment">

Tsongas anti-discrimination bill. Named the Family Protection Act of 1979 (S1808), the bill contains 38 provisions, espousing popular right-wing issues such as prayer in school and 'sex intermingling' in school sports. Laxalt is national co-chair of the Reagan for President campaign. Three specifically anti-gay provisions, which are essentially restatements of earlier congres-

sional bills, are:

No federal funds for legal services for gays (the 1977 McDonald Amendment).

But Endean does fear that conservative senators might select various provisions of the bill to use as floor amendments to other

measures.

GRNL urges that people write their senators and circulate petitions expressing opposition to Laxalt's bill. Petitions and copies of letters should be sent to GRNL. 1606 17th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009

Gay basher

No "special" civil rights for gets prison

gays (the 1979 "sense of Con. gress" resolution introduced by McDonald).

No federal funds for any organization that presents homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle.

omnibus Family Protection Act. Endean said; which among its 38 sections included three specifically directed against gays.

Endean said his concern is that even though the Laxalt bill in its entirety, which also takes an aim at the women's and children's. rights movement, among other groups, may not be likely to succeed, parts of it might be offered 'next spring as separate amendments to various bills.

If this happens, Endean worries, congressional offices "are going to remember they got 500 letters in favor of Laxalt (generated by Christian fundamentalist groups) and none in favor of Tsongas."

He urges gays to immediately begin lobbying Congress in favor of the Tsongas bill and begin petitioning in their own neighborhoods, gay bars, churches, and elsewhere.

"I wish it were not necessary. but it is," he declare. "Unfortunately... the gay campaign to live openly and freely is still far from won. Gay people still encounter suspicion and hostility, and occasionally violence.

"Over 20 million gays in this country still encounter discrimination, and are, therefore; denied the opportunity to make their contribution to society, due to the insensitivity and prejudicial attitudes of many persons who have the responsibility for employment decisions."

Weicker declared, "I feel very strongly about this subject."

Tsongas himself called the bill "a matter of simple justice" and said he recognized "that the legislation introduced today will be denounced and distorted" because it involves an emotional

issue.

But the 38-year-old freshman senator insisted the bill "is consistent with strong public'disapproval of government intrusion in the private lives of Americans."

Tsongas said he plans to debate the issue on the Senate floor when Congress resumes next year.

Declining to co-sponsor the bill at this stage is Senate Majority Whip Alan Cranston (DCalif.), whose office, was engaged in elaborate negotiations with Tsongas's staff for months as to whether, what kind, and when any such bill should be introduced.

Roy Greenaway, Cranston's administrative assistant, told reporters who inquired about Cranston's position, that "I wouldn't attach any great significance to the fact, he is not a cosponsor. He may very well end up being a co-sponsor of the bill. He certainly supports the bill, and the intent of the bill," Greenaway said, but Cranston "didn't rush in" because he wanted to build a coalition of broader support behind such a move before a bill was introduced.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. Five to fifteen years was the sentence given to Jesse James Phillips, convicted of assaulting a gay man in Onondaga Park last year Said County Judge William J. he observed: "Surely the institu Of the Family Protection Bill, Burke in passing sentence. "you. tion of the family is not so weak have designated certain people that we must deny justice and in this community as targets and that's not right. I'm going to take basic civil rights to groups in our you off the streets for as long as I society in order to insure its

"It's essentially an omnibus right-wing bill," says Steve Endean, executive director of the Washington-based Gay Rights National Lobby (GRNL). "I don't see the bill moving anywhere, can.",

survival.,

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