Page 18 HIGH GEAR-August 1980

GAY HOTLINE

216-621-3380

•

Aid for gay Cuban refugees

(Continued from Page 2)

"We found out about that and we

weren't able to do anything about it because they were afraid to come out and talk to the press. They were terrified because the rest of the Cubans are straight and are still harassing them the way they did in Cuba... We're going to be in that camp today and we're taking a Spanish speaking lesbian."

After refugees are located, the next step will be to find sponsors. which will be done through local groups.

The informational packet being prepared includes a list of questions MCC suggests. for screening prospective sponsors. Donnelly explained to Gay Community News, "We specify that we don't want them to be looking for a sexual encounter or a house boy type situation. If that's what they're looking for they're not going to get a refugee."

One of the questions suggested is would the prospective sponsor accept an effeminate man. DeBaugh told Gay Community News, "Many o! the Cubans, having lived a life of total repression of their homosexuality. come to the United States, where things are a little freer and will do what many of us

did when we first came out as kids, be very flamboyant and effeminate. There's nothing wrong with that, that's ok if that's where people really are. It doesn't bother us. But we need to know if someone is living in a situation where that will be a

problem, either for the sponsor himself or for his apartment house, his town, whatever."

Another suggested question asks about the acceptability of black refugees. DeBaugh told Gay Community News that MCC wants to avoid the problems that have occurred when straight sponsors have changed their minds when they learned that the refugee they accepted was black Other questions have to do with the sponsor's ability to provide free room and board until the refugee has found a job.

Since federal immigration laws still prohibit foreign homosexuals from entering the United States, the legal status of the gay refugees is uncertain. DeBaugh told Gay Community News, "The State Department has been very clear on its position of late that it's not going to muddy the water. But they are bound by law and if someone in Congress. for instance, decides to try to make an issue of it or if someone goes to court to make an issue of it they're vulnerable.

Gay ads on DC buses

THE ADVOCATE)-After a two year legal battle between public transit officials and the Gay Activists Alliance of Washington, D.C.. the gay group's educa tional posters are now riding on more than 1,750 D.C. area buses

The posters, which feature photographs of white and black, male and female gay individuals and couples of various ages under the headline "Someone in Your Life Is Gay," have been in place for more than a month now. GAA leaders report they have although their phone number and address are printed clearly on the posters. And National Transit Advertising, the agency

received no complaints.

that placed the posters on the buses, said it has received "only a couple of complaints, far fewer than we expected." As of the end of June, only about a dozen of the posters had been vandalized.

DeBaugh explained that all the refugees will initially be on a probationary status and that straight. refugees, if found acceptable, will they begin the process leading to citizenship. Lesbian and gay refugees, on the other hand, will be "in a perpetual state of being on parole in this country."

DeBaugh said that in addition to sponsors the refugees need medical care, legal services, clothing, jobs and English lessons.

For information or for offering aid to the refugees contact: Adam DeBaugh, MCC, Wash-

ington (202) 543-2260,

Bob Arthur, MCC, Los Angeles, (213) 464-5100.

Armando Galtan, Comite de Lesblanas y Homosexuales de Boston (617) 354-1755/

MCC, Boston (617)/523-7664.. Dignity, Boston (617) 536-6518. Intégrity, Boston (617) 825-3368.

Donations, which are tax deductible, can be sent to: Cuban Refugee Fund c/o. UFMCC, Suite 304, 5300 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90029.

No anti-gay amendment to legal services bill yet

WASHINGTON. D.C. We are greatly relieved that no antigay prohibitions were offered to the Legal Services bill in the Senate," said Steve Endean, Exeuctive Director of the Gay Rights National Lobby. "However. it is still possible that, like the 1977 McDonald Amendment, we will see an anti-gay amendment on the floor of the House of Representatives."

The Gay Rights National Lobby had speculated that an amendment (prohibiting the Legal Services Corporation from handling gay-related cases) could be offered. To help build constituent pressure against, such a possible amendment, GRNL had notified lesbian/gay media of that possibility and had issued a "Congressional Action Alert" to several thousand persons on the GRNL Constituent Network,

It is not clear whether constituent pressure was the reason that an anti-gay amendment was not offered to the Legal Services bill. A number of other restrictive amendments were offered to the

The Gay Activists Alliance had spent much of the last two years in litigation after officials of Washington's Metro Transit Authority had rejected the posters as unfit. Last summer, a D.C. District Court ordered Metro to food stamps.

put up the posters, but the bus.

ρι

company stalled, arguing that

the GAA did not qualify for the

public-service advertising rates it was seeking to pay. This past May. Metro relented and the posters went up June 1

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bill, ranging from abortion to

Was the alert really necessary?

Yes. says the Gay Rights

National Lobby. "We had a cho-

ice. We could put out an "Action Alert" and take a chance that the amendment would not be offered. Or we could sit back and just hope that an amendment wasn't offered." Endean said. "If we had followed the later course of action, we could have faced an amendment without the benefit of constituent pressure on the Members of Congress. Given a choice, Gay Rights National Lobby will always opt to be overprepared rather than unprepared."

The Lobby cited a number of factors leading them to believe

that an anti-gay amendment to Legal Services was probable.: (1) the McDonald Amendment of 1977, (2) the fact that the anti-gay Family Protection Act includes a section prohibiting legal services for gay-related cases, (3) Christian Voice's assertion that they were likely to propose anti-gay amendments to otherwise unrelated bills and that such an amendment to Legal Services. was probable, (4) New Right leader Howard Phillips' lobbying. for such an amendment, and (5) the fact that Moral Majority recently described the Legal Services Corporation as a major center of "anti-family" activity and called for action to reverse this trend.

Floor action on the Legal Services Corporation Act (H.R. 6386) has apparently been delayed because of a backlog in the Rules Committee. Endean stressed that an amendment was still possible in the House and that constituent pressure was still critical

Updated guide for parents,

friends of gays

The National Federation of Parents and Friends of Gays says that it now has available an updated guide to parent groups and people to get in touch with for gays their families, and their friends.

The International Directory lists organized groups as well as more than 300 contact persons throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe specializing in dealing with gays and their families.

It is available for $3.00 from PFOG DG, 5715 16th Street. N.W.. Washington, DC, 20011.

Provides spiritual,

Hours: 10-2 pm

Open Saturday

4-9 pm

No overtime rate

ignity-

leveland

educational, and social programs for

Catholic and non

Call for appointment

631-3371

ask for Wally

Catholic gay men, Lesbians & their friends. For more information: PO Box 18479, Cleveland, OH 44118 ・(216) 791-0942 + 321-9456