COLUMBUS NEWS

by Bob Roehm

Metropolitan Community Church

MCC/Columbus will celebrate Founding Sunday March 2, to commemorate its two-year history. On March 5, 1978, a small group of people met for worship at the Twylight Lounge, and MCC/Columbus was formed. MCC now meets in a church building at the northeast corner of Twelfth and indianola Avenues, and serves over fifty people.

to Marilyn and Del". Woman's Services provides womancentered programs and services to OSU women, and Women's Studies coordinates research and courses at OSU and other schools. These offices serve different functions, and High Gear regrets the error.

Gay Alliance

The March 4 meeting will be Skin Hunger. The Touch That Heals. G.A. meets weekly at 9:00 in the Ohio Union Memoria! Room, 1739 N. High St.

Fete des Beaux Arts, the Gay arts festival, scheduled for April 20-26, is still in the planning stage. Volunteers are needed to coordinate various aspects of the festival. People interested in exhibiting their work are especially invited to contact the festicommittees. Festival meetings are held Tuesdays at 7:00 in

The Founding Sunday celebration begins with a worship service at 2:00, and will conclude with a potluck dinner. Members and friends of MCC/Columbus, and the entire community are invited to share in this most joy-val ous occasion. Special guests will include those involved with MCC/Columbus during the early days of its history.

For information about MCC, telephone (614) 294-3026.

Three Decades of Crazy Women, a variety show with comedy, skits, and music, will be presented March 1, 8:00, at Apple Studio, 689 N. High St. This Women's Music Union production is an annual event, and will feature the talent of local women. For ticket and child care information for either of these events, call Women's Music Union at (614) 267-1270.

Alternatives

Alternatives meets second and fourth Sundays at 7:30 at the Newman Center, 64 W. Lane Ave. The Febru-

ary 24 topic will be Sexual

the Ohio Union, before the regular G.A. meeting held the same evening. For festival information, telephone Jay at (614) 262-7547. or Gay Alliance at (614) 422-9212.

Lesbian Peer Support

Lesbian Peer Support continues its active service to Lesbian women in the central Ohio area. Coming-out workshops are

. On February 24, Patricia Nell Warren's book, The Front Runner, will be discussed. A joint Ash Wednesday service with MCC/Columbus is planned, phone for location. Special Lenten programs are also planned. For information, phone Dignity/Central Ohio at (614) 276-7615.

held Thursdays 8-10. A Lesbian D.C.gay

D.C. gay police

mothers support group meets Mondays 7:30-9:00. Ideology Lesblan Caucus is writing a position paper on Lesbian politics for the Women's Action Collective. For information on LPS, tele-

phone (614) 291-7756.

Dignity/Central Ohlo

Dignity/Central Ohio has liturgy every Sunday at 7:30, at St. Augustine's Church, 1550 E. Hudson St.

Police Chief Burtell M. Jefferson Washington, DC--Washington has announced the appointment of First District Police Capt. Gary L. Albrecht as police liaison to the gay community. The decision was reached after Jefferson held a series of meetings with representatives of the Gay Activists Alliance.

Police attack bar owner

San Francisco Two police officers have been disciplined by the city's Police commission following a trial in which they were found guilty of attacking the owner of Peg's Place, a local lesbian bar.

The officers, Daniel Marr. 30. and Michael Kellon, 25. were suspended without pay for 90 days, the most severe punishment available to the commis sion short of dismissal. One commissioner. Jane Murphy. voted to fire the officers.

Marr had been convicted ear-

lier by a civil court and sentenced to three years supervised probation, a $1000 fine, and 200 hours of community service.

a

The incident took place on March 31, 1979 when guests at Harassment: How Do You Deal With It? For information about police bachelor party wandered Alternatives, telephone Al at 221-Into Peg's Place and became vio7870, or 252-2426.

A Correction

The Women's Calendar (begun by Central Ohio Lesbians) is.now published by the Office of Women's Services, not by Women's Studies, as stated in last month's editorial, "A Tribute

lent after making a number of inflammatory statements

NGTF has money woes

New York, N.Y. The National Gay Task Force announced last month (NGTF) that it is in a financial crisis which may threaten its existence.

Co-Executive Directors Charies Brydon and Lucia Valeska said that if it continues its current rate of spending the NGTF will be insolvent early in 1980.

They announced cutbacks on spending, and said the budget for the 1980 fiscal year had been rewritten to reduce expenses by 20 percent. Those cutbacks include dismissing the media director, the director of administration and finance, and several parttime workers.

According to a press release from the National Gay Task Force, the present financial difficulty arose from an overly optimistic estimate of 1979 income. A

surplus had been generated in 1977 when membership income soared. in response to the Anita Bryant/Dade County campaign.

The surplus has been spent, and that period of growth was unusual and gaye a false impression of how much income could be expected.

The chief source of income for the National Gay Task Force continues to be membership fees.

Despite what many feel is a light sentence, Stephen Bley. attorney for the officers said

both have been greatly wronged." He said that the officers committted "no outward discrimination against gavs hut an indiscretion

An indiscretion is not such a big deal Police are people too, anc

they make mistakes."

Testimony at the officers' hearings before the commission made news when a police officer was overheard saying to a witness, "we're going to get you."

Some female witnesses refused to testify in closed hearings when only police officers were present

Carter renigs

WASHINGTON, DC Carter

officials here have quietly sabotaged efforts to include gay families in a planned National Conference on Families. The move by Carter staffers came when the National Advisory Committee. which was established to advise the administration on the conference, voted not to enumerate such diverse family groups as single parent families, poor families and Gay families for special attention at the conference.

Sources close to the conference planning claim that the conference chairperson. Jim Guy Tucker, called some of the fortyone members of the National

gressman from Arkansas whom

Carter personally appointed to head the conference, told many advisory members "How can we tell the governor of Nevada he has to have gays on his delegation to the conference?" One of those whom Tucker did not con'tact was San Franciscan Harold. Yee, a member of the advisory committee with strong political ties in the gay community.

The National Coalition for the White House Conference on Families, an unofficial but highly influential group providing guidelines for the advisory committee, had voted unanimously to

HIGH GEAR PAGE 34

Census jobs

for gays

The Bureau of the Census is seeking to recruit lesbians and gay men for the approximately. 275,000 temporary employment positions required for the census taking which begins April 1.

The results will form the basis for reapportionment of the Congress and state legislatures and will determine allocation formulas for more than 100 federally funded programs.

"At the suggestion of the President I am writing you to ask your sus jobs," wrote Census Bureau help in recruiting people for cenRecruiting Director Mikel Miller in a letter to NGTF Co-Executive Directors Charles F: Brydon and Lucia Valeska.

Miller is seeking the names of individuals who would be interested in this work, as well as contacts from organizations in each state who would recommend additional people.

"In reaching out to the lesbian and gay communities, the Census Bureau appears to be making an effort to see that the personnel recruiting system does not exclude eligible members from our community," commented Brydon and Valeska.

"We only wish the Census Bureau had started this outreach last year when other community groups were first contacted."

"There is not much time for ar effective response. Nonetheless we urge local gay and lesbian organizations to write Mille indicating interest in this pro gram. He will place your group in touch with the nearest census district office." *

Letters should be sent to Mike Miller, Bureau of the Census. U.S. Department of Commerce Washington, DC 20233.

The positions range from Crew Leader (paying $4.50 per hour) to Enumerator ($4.20 per hour) tá Clerks ($4.00 per hour). Detailed job descriptions are available a the nearest Census Distric Office or from Miller.⚫

"With the 1980 Census, I wan to open our recruiting to as many sources as possible in order ensure that this census contain the most accurate count of ou

Advisory Committee and asked include gays. This group population," wrote Preside

them not to approve any resolution which would have included gay families. Tucker told committee members that the Carier administration feared a rightwing attack on the conference if gay families were even discussed. Tucker, a former Con-

includes the U.S. Catholic Conference, American Red Cross and the National Gay Task Force. White House staffers apparently decided that, despite the unanimity of its resolution, to scuttle the

recommendation. ⚫

Xountess GPU News

Carter in a directive to the Secre tary of Commerce last March.

"I am particularly concern that we draw as many qualifie census employees as possi from the neighborhoods in whi the census is being done.

New York sodomy law unconstitutional

The Appellate Division of. The State Supreme Court ruled last month in Rochester that the New York state law prohibiting consensual sodomy, Section 130.8 of the Penal Law, is unconstitutional.

Brydon and Valeska are asking NGTF members to enlist three new $20 members within the next six months. This task, they said, is, an attainable goal and would The court based its decision on have an "incredible impact" on the 1965 Supreme Court declthe group's financial position..sion, Griswold v. Connecticut, Membership information may be obtained by writing to NGTF at 80 Fifth Avenue, New YorkyNY? 10011. Non anduniang

and held in People v. Onofre that the sodomy law violated the fundamental right of privacy related

to sexual acts between consent-

ing individuals.

The court reversed the criminal conviction of Ronald Onofre for violating the consensual sodomy law. Mr. Onofre had engaged in consensual sexual relations with another adult in the privacy of his home.

Margot Karle, counsel for the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, and one of the attorneys in the case, said: "This is the first decision by a New York

Appellate Court recognizing t right of sexual privacy of adult It is an important victory for g men and lesbians everywhere. well as unmarried heterosexu adults."

The District Attorney of Ono daga County has not yet decide to appeal this case to the Supreme Court, New York highest state court. If that coul were to sustain this ruling, so amy would be legalized. It adults in New York Sta