Anti-gay, basically disho
tatives."
By R. Woodward to fight against the Gay Rights The idea that holding and Bill in the House of Represenpromoting anti-gay notions usually involve á certain basic dishonesty and lack of integrity was given a great deal of support last month by various items in the
news.
·
Dishonesty and lack of integrity in the religious sphere were ably represented by Rev. Jerry Falwell, the well known anti-gay fundamentalist from Lynchburg, Virginia.
An article in the September 15 issue of Newsweek entitled "A Tide of Born Again Politics" describes Falwell telling a Moral Majority rally in Alaska a fabri-
cated story about a meeting. between Jimmy Carter and him-
self in the White House.
According to Falwell's first version of the story, he boldly and bravely confronted the Pres-
ident by asking him why he had "known practicing homosexuals" on his staff. Carter supposedly replied that it was because he considered himself to be the "President of all the American people."
According to Falwell's fund raising letter of August 14, he is fighting because of recent
increased efforts to pass the les-
bian and gay rights bill." The letter mentions the sponsorship of the bill by John Anderson.
Aiso dealt with in the Jetter is a
recent wreath laying ceremony by members of the Gay Activist Alliance at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery honoring lesbians and gay men who died unacknowiedged while serving their country in the military..
practicing homosexuals will be engaged in planning school cur-
ricula. Our children will be left at the mercy of homosexual doctrine!" The Military
rity in the military were ably represented this month by the
Dishonesty and lack of integ-
United States Air Force.
On September 10 Federal Judge Gerhard A. Gesell ordered the Air Force to reinstate and give full back pay to Leonard Matlovich. Matlovich, formerly an Air Force sergeant employed as a human reiations instructor, was ousted from the service five years ago after openly declaring his homosexuality.
"That's right," says the letter, "the gays were allowed to turn for ordering Matlovich reinstated Judge Gesell's basic reason our Tomb of the Unknown Sold-was that the Air Force had been ier into: THE TOMB OF THE lying about the case for five UNKNOWN SODOMITE!"
Falwell's letter also mentions
the bill recently proposed to lift gay men and women and the immigration restrictions against recent order by the Carter Administration forbidding -government officials and agencies from "inquiring into the sexAfter Carter aides released a ual habits of employees or people seeking federal jobs."
transcript of the meeting showing that no such exchange had taken place, Falwell conceded (several months later).*"'!
shouldn't have said it. It was obviously a reckless statement." The Newsweek story reports
that such a gaffe does not worry Falwell and quotes him as saying
that sexual impropriety and messing around with Church funds are "the only two things a preacher can't afford to be accused of."
A further example of Falwell's regard for truth is to be found on page two of the September 13 issue of Gay Community News.
Falwell was quoted by the Washington Post as saying, "I think we can certainly be for civil rights of homosexuals without condoning their life style...I have no objection to a homosexual teaching in the public classroom as long as that homosexual is not flaunting his lifestyle or soliciting students. I would say the same about a promiscious heterosexual."
The Gay Community News points out that while Falwell was making this statement the Mora' Majority (which Falwell heads) was sending out direct mail solicitation letters asking for money to "launch a full scale campaign
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The letter also claims that "a new directive has been made that says that homosexuals cannot be
operated classrooms any longer barred from teaching in federally and will be welcomed as employees of the Department of
Education. This means known
years.
Force regulations that prohibit Matlovich challenged Air vice unless "the most unusual the retaining of gays in the sercircumstances exist."
Challenged by Matlovich who won several medals, was wounded in Viet Nam, and received many reports filled with praise for his work, the Air Force refused to show any of the "unusual circumstances" they claimed existed for retaining
gays..
Originally, in July of 1976, Gesell upheld the Air Force's ouster, urging it to reexamine its
homosexual policies.
Quote from Plato
(Cont'd from previous page]
the sixth century B.C. Athenian tyrant Hippias when he attempted to come between them. Their plot was betrayed, and Hippias escaped, but he fell from power later. According to Greek popular belief, the two were classic examples of martyrs for liberty: Many Greeks (mistakenly) attributed to them the founding of Athenian democracy.
Boswell points out that the phrase he gives in translation for the sake of clarity as "involved in homosexual relations" translates literally from the original Greek as "to gratify lovers." (The Symposium deals primarily with lovers of the same sex.)
October 1980HIGH GEAR Page 7
During the past year the Air Force filed several conflicting statements regarding its policy. towards those who are homosexual.
Translations of the complete Symposium are easy to get ahold of. but steer clear of older, "victorian" translations. Until very recently translators of Plato paraphrased the language instead of translating it literally to hide the fact that gay love is being referred to--yet another example of dishonesty from anti-gay types.
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Scoring the Air Force for "perverse behavior," Gesell said that
it had "not only misrepresented
the standards applied in the past, but is totally unable to clarify its position generally, or to Matlovich."
Immigration
A big boost to dishonesty and hypocrisy in dealings by the government with gay men and women was given on September 9 by the U.S. Justice Department. According to the Justice Department's announcement only if they admit to being gay. gay aliens will face deportation
immigration agents will no Under the new guidelines.
longer be able to question those ual about their sexual preferenthey suspect of being homosexces unless a visitor first volun-
teers the information or is accused of being homosexual by a fellow visitor arriving at the same time.
detain suspected aliens if, under Even then agents may not subsequent questioning, they deny being homosexual.
Unable to achieve honesty and integrity themselves in handling
the issues, Immigration and the Justice Department are poised and ready to punish honesty and
integrity in whatever gay visitors
what she wants
they arbitrarily single out.
Uriable to locate most gay men and women, much less eliminate them from American society. anti-gay forces are trying to control gay men and women by tempting them to compromise
themselves. If you can't force
people to conform you can at least entice them to lower themselves to your level.
Dishonesty, like misery, loves company.
The only thing that keeps most anti-gay types from being liars is being too lazy or too stupid to distinguish any truths.
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