Page 2 HIGH GEAR-August 1980

Dem

NEWS

Aid for gay Cuban refugees

By David Morris

BOSTON (GCN) Serious national and local organizing efforts are underway to find homes and jobs for the thousands of gay and lesbian Cuban refugees still living in U.S. government camps.

At a July 7 meeting in Washington, D.C. called jointly by the National Gay Task Force and the United Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC), a relief fund was established and plans were laid

platform gets gay plank

For the first time in U.S. history a major party platform is giving gay rights official recognition. On June 24 in Washington, D.C. a gay rights plank was adopted for the Democratic Party's 1980 platform.

Adopted unanimously by the platform committee, it cannot be challenged at the convention.

It says, "We must affirm the dignity of all people and the right of each individual to have equal access and participation in the institutions and services of our society, including actions to protect all groups from discrimina-

tion based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, or sexual orientation.

"This includes specifically the right of foreign citizens to enter into this country. Appropriate legislative and administrative actions to achieve these goals should be undertaken."

⚫Inclusion of the phrase "sexual orientation" was proposed two weeks earlier by President Carter's domestic affairs advisor Stuart Eizenstadt.

Carter opposed such a platform for the 1976 Democratic Platform.

Committee of the Democratic This year's National Platform Party includes three openly gay members, Sheldon Andelson of Los Angeles, Ginny Apuzzo of New York, and Bill Kraus of San Francisco.

Said Kraus, head of San Francisco's Harvey Milk Democratic Club, about Carter's change of position. "Carter sees the gay vote as critical in California and New York. Jimmy Carter can't lose both states and win the election. It's a political reality that we are important."

Platform Committee hearings was Lucia Valeska, co-director of the National Gay Task Force. She stressed the size of the gay vote and said that gay voters turn out at the polls at twice the rate of non-gay voters.

Openly gay delegates to this year's conventions include about 40 delegates and alternates Republican Convention). In 1976 (including two who attended the only two openly gay delegates attended the Democratic Convention and none the Republican Convention.

The National Convention ProTestifying at Democratic Party ject, a group of activists in Washington, D.C. headed by Tom Bastow and Mary Spottswood Pou, has acted as a clearinghouse for coordinating and electing gay and pro-gay delegates across the country.

Carter supports repeal of immigration law

anti-gay

WASHINGTON, DC.--The White House announced on June 18 that President Carter had decided to suport legislation to repeal sections of the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act seen as prohibiting those suspected of being homosexual from entering the United States.

White House aide Robert Molson telephoned gay leaders to announce the decision and Assistant Attorney General Alan A. Parker wrote the news to Senator Alan A. Cranston.

.Cranston, a Democrat from California, is the sponsor of legislation in the Senate to repeal sections of th Immigration and Nationality Act banning gay immigrants.

The letter to Cranston said that the Justice Department supported the objective of his bill.

Last December Justice Department attorneys concluded that the Immigration and Naturalization Service is "statutorily required to enforce the exclusion of homosexual aliens" with the immigration law as it is now, despite a decision by Dr. Julius Richmond, head of the Public Health Service.

In August of 1979 Richmond announced that doctors working for his agency would no longer help the Immigration and Naturalization Service by certifying any individuals as being homosexual. Richmond argued that the jurisdiction of his department extended only to medical cases.. He pointed out that current opin-

ion among leading medical authorities holds that homosex uality is no illness, and said that whether or not an individual is homosexual is no medical ques-

tion at all.

Since an individual is not officially determined to be homosexual without a public health service decision, Leonel Castillo. head of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, issued a memo to all customs officials, instructing them to stop excluding those suspected of being homosexual.

Late in 1979, however, the State Department told its officers to stop issuing visas to those suspected of being homosexual, It cited the 1952 act and a 1967 Supreme Court decision upholding interpretations of the act as banning lesbians and homosexuals.

With those who are homosexual banned from the United

States and the Immigration and Naturalization Service supposedly obliged to enforce the ban even though no official way now exists to tell if any individual is homosexual or not, those "suspected" of being homosexual are now being "paroled" into the United States. They are temporarily being allowed into the United States with an uncertain status.

Anne Wexler, an assistant to President Carter, sent a letter to several individuals involved with gay rights saying that the Administration's position was "premised upon the President's human rights policies and the nation's responsibility to be consistent with our immigration expectation of other countries."

She said that the United States. as one of the 35 countries that had signed the Helsinki agree(Continued on Page 5)

GEAR activities

by Pat Baskin

The Hotline is continuing to grow but they still need more volunteers. You must take 3 training sessions and monitor the phone with supervision. Anyone interested should call the Hotline 621-3380 and leave your name and number for Kirk. The next training session starts on August 17, at 5:00 p.m.

Lesbians in GEAR hanging

together (LIGHT) is moving along. A mailing will be going to many of the women in the community soon which includes a brochure, letter, and activities survey. Any women interested in. receiving this should call the hotline and leave their name and number for Win.

The Friday night raps are con-

tinuing with good attendance. If you are looking for good fellow

Scott Anderson in an article Says Advocate news editor headlined, "Stalking the Plank," in the June 24 issue of the Advocate, "This year's gains are even more impressive given the fact that the National Convention Project raised only $40,000 of a proposal budget of $100,000."

Anderson says that money difficulties forced the National Convention Project to abandon efforts to appeal to the Republicans "which might have been futile anyway, at least this year,"

Anderson says that during several weeks of testimony on a pro-gay plank heard by Democratic Party regulars across the country there was no testimony against such a plank that he heard of.

(The National Convention Project is speking contributions. Those interested can send donations to NCP. 1469 Church Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 J.

ship and want to meet people come on down. There is always a social afterwards. Topies vary and always prove to be interest ing. On August 22, 1980 there will be a combined rap with the women. Topic has yet to be chosen.

On August 28, 1980, in collabo raion with Dignity, there will be a showing of "Word is Out" at the

for coordianting the efforts of local groups in finding sponsors. According to Vance Hines of the Natonal Gay Task Force the meeting was attended by representatives of UFMCC, Gay Rights Advocates, Parents and Friends of Gays, Integrity. Dignity and the National Organization for Women.

Adam DeBaugh of MCC in Washington says the national meeting was called because the nine resettlement agencies licensed by the government were unable or unwilling to find homes for gay refugees.

He told Gay Community News) a national gay effort is needed to expand on the work of local groups like the MCC of San Francisco, and the Dade County Coalition for Human Rights, and the Latins for Human Rights of Miami, Florida.

The Miami organizations have. found placements for over 800 refugees so far.

DeBaugh told Gay Community News the State Department knows of about 2,000 lesbians and that representatives of gay and gay men among the refugees. organizations who have visited the camps estimate there are at least 10.000. He said that gay and straight populations are alike about 90% men.

DeBaugh told Gay Community News after the July 7 meeting, "We are getting in touch with as many Latino and black organizations as possible and seeking support of many different kinds. not only providing sponsorship and jobs when they can but cultural and language assistance"

Thirty to forty percent of the lesbian and gay Cuban refugees are black and all are Latinos.

the national organization Include Steps already being taken by preparation of an informational packet to be distributed among local groups and visits to camps to locate and interview lesbian and gay refugees.

DeBaugh told Gay Community News that representatives of MCC have been working through cooperating licensed resettlement agencies, like World Church Services and the U.S. Catholic Conference in offices. the agencies have established in the camps.

John Donnelly of MCC in Los Angeles told Gay Community News there has been some diffi' culty in contacting lesbian refugees. He told of a barrack of lesbians at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas.

(Continued on Page 18)

Hallinan Center located on Euc lid Ave., in University Circle. Time will be around 8:45 p.m. All are welcome to attend. This Documentary is one of the finest and sensitive programs out on the topic of gays and lesbians. It deals with 26 different people's information call, the Hotline or lives and lifestyles. For more 321-9456.112