NOVEMBER 1300 HIGH QUAR

Anti-gay Congressman arrested for sex with 16 year old

On Friday, October 3. in Washington, D.C. U.S. Repre-

sentative Robert E. Bauman,' a leading conservative, anti-gay; Republican, pleaded innocent to a charge of soliciting sex for

from the 16 year old in the CheDC bar, frequented by male prossapeake House, a Washington, titutes, loated at 746 Ninth Street, NW.

According to sources, Bauman money from a 16 year old male. performed feiatio on the teenager in a nearby apartment and paid him $50.

Bauman's Innocent plea was the result of an arrangement worked out during the previous two weeks by Bauman, his lawyer, and the U.S. Attorney's

office.

The U.S. Attorney's office agreed to not press charges. against Bauman on the condition that he complete a court supervised diversionary program" for alcoholic first offenders.

Washington, DC Superior Court Judge David L. Norman, who heard Bauman's plea. accepted a recommendation from Bruce Beudin of DC's Pretrial Service Agency that Bauman be released on his own rec-

The FBI learned of the incident several weeks later during an unrelated investigation of child pornography. Informants told agents that Bauman frequented the area and had become involved sexually with the 16 year old.

When questioned by investigators, the young man confirmed the allegations.

decided to prosecute after the page comprehensive report FBI Investigation produced a 23 which concluded that Bauman had "established a reputation over the past several years" among bar patrons for his cruising activities.

The report said that a number of young men claimed to have had sexual relations with Bauman. Besides the young man who figured in the criminal charge, agents were able to confirm the claims of two of them.

According to an article by Ron Shaffer on the front page of the October 10 issue of the Washington Post, law enforcement offiIcials say that the solitication charge against Bauman would probably never have been made, if left in the hands of the DC police alone.

A story appearing on the front page of the October 4 issue of the Washington Star under the head line "Past Bauman Encounters Cited by FBI" reports that the The Prostitution and PerverJustice Department needed evision squad of the Washington, dence of other encounters DC police force was disbanded before charging Bauman. in 1976, largely as a result of According to Justice Depart-pressure onthe police department sources, the 16 year old ment and city council from was regarded as having conWashington's large gay compur-sented to the relationship, and he munity.

ognizance. Norman set a status hearing for the case for April 3. 1981. If Bauman completes the program by then, the misdemea-

nor charge against him, of solicit ing for lewd and immoral poses, will be dropped.

Bauman's appearance in court resulted from an incident which took place on March 2.

A story appearing on the front page of the October 4 issue of the Washington Post reports that "according to law enforcement sources" Bauman solicited sex

was originally reluctant to testify.

During their summer-long investigation, FBI agents were told by many different sources in the gay community that Bauman had been frequenting gay clubs along Ninth Street, NW, making little effort to conceal his identity. The Justice Department

male

cases. We don't go into the bars, was politically motivated to have no interest in that can who is a strong supporter of we don't patrol Ninth Street--we embarass a prominent Republi whatever." Ronald Reagan and a candidate for reelection in the 1st Congressional district.

Shaffer says that federal officials also insist that they have no intention of starting any widespread enforcement efforts in the gay community. The half dozen solicitation cases involving males that the FBI made last year involved interstate conwere made only because they

nections."

Law officials who talked to Shaffer told him that they had no choice but to seek prosecution against Bauman because the case against him was so strong that it could not be ignored.

have been started last February The investigation is said to when a District of Columbia police office reported to the FBI a tip that Bauman had been soliciting sex from teen agers in local gay bars, driving from bar to bar

gressional license plates. in his own personal car with con-

The FBI became interested in the case because some of the people named in early allega-

Shaffer in his article points out that Bauman, mérely by being a Congressman, did receive more attention than would have been given to an average person simadmitting that he does not usuilarly accused, with Ruff himself ally get involved with solicitation cases.

Shaffer points out that most first offenders charged with the same crime simply enter a special offender's program that calls for them to observe six hours of 1000 word essay on what they court proceedings and write. a have learned. Usually the accused never meet a prosecutor, and deals instead with a low level clerk.

According to court sources Shaffer talked to, the accused can usually complete his first offender program in one or two days.

According to Sgt. Allan tions about Bauman's conduct Gay business

Simmers, who is assigned to what is left of the old "P and P" unit, there has been a unwritten understanding among police officers for the past five years to not go after gays.

Simmers said to Shaffer, "There are no attempts to make

Who Bauman is

group invited

seemed to be related to an FBI investigation, involving the commercialization of child pornography and because one of the allegations was that Bauman had to was that Bauman had

to White House

solicited sex from a minor and then had him taken from the DisWASHINGTON, D.C. (GCN) -trict of Columbia into Maryland-a possible interstate violation. The National Association of BusCharles F.C. Ruff, U.S. Attoriness Councils, an organization ney for the District of Columbia, of lesbian and gay business said that it was he who decided to groups, was among the dozen trade associations invited by after reviewing the FBI's investiPresident Jimmy Carter's admin-.. gation, and he denied charges istration to a consultation in the made by shocked Bauman supWhite House in August. porters as news of the case was breaking that the investigation

43 year old Representative light from receiving any federal are "twin compulsions" that he bring formal against Bauman,

Robert E. Bauman, who is elected by voters in District 1 in Maryland, is a leading conservative, anti-gay Republican in the House of Represenatives.

funds.

Bauman is also a sponsor of legislation to deny veteran's benefits to those discharged from the military due to homosexuality.

He is the president of the American Conservative Union, the Bauman not only sponsored largest conservative organizabut wrote the "Hyde Amendment" which now forbids the tion in the United States. It has about 300,000 members and a federal government to fund most yearly budget of about $3,000,-abortions for indigent women. COO.

In the past few years, Bauman has been widely sought as a spokesman for conservative views. According to the grading system of Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority, Bauman's House voting record is perfect.

In July of this year Bauman voted-for that McDonald Amendment which would have prevented the federally funded Legal Services Corporation from representing any gay related cases in court. He voted for the same amendment in 1977.

"We have been very well aware of him as one of the constellation of ardent and articulate opponents," said Dr. Franklin E. Kameny, 20 year vetera of the gay rights movement, who is now a member of the District of Columbus Human Rights Commission. "He is one of the people singled out as being especially hostile all along. "Kameny said.

Commenting on the question of hypocrisy to reporter C. Fraser Smith for an article which appeared in the October 12 issue of the Baltimore Sun, Kameny said that it is not uncommon for persons with homosexual tendencies--especially those who have not come to terms with

them--to exhibit "a protective need to overreact."

At a press conference on

now has "under control."

Bauman said that he. now understands "humans weaknesses better than ever," but insisted that he would not change his views.

His past conduct and tendencies, he said, "in nc way invalidate the standards" he has "always believed in" even though he "could not live up to them."

"I happen to believe that not all maters are gray" he said, "There are things that are right and wrong but standards have to be upheld. I never made any statements that I don't stand by now."

Several organizations and well known conservative spokesmen. including Barry Goldwater and William F. Buckley have called for Bauman to resign his House position.

The Maryland chapter of Moral Majority, while stopping short of his resignation or suggesting that he abandon his reelection campaign, completely disowned him as a leader and as a spokesman for their "pro morality" movement in a declaration issued on October, 10.

He is a leading sponsor in the House of Senator Laxalt's "Family Protection Act" which would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to allow employers to discrimiAs evidence of Moral Majority nate against "individuals who are homosexual or proclaim homoOctober 8, during which Bauman experiencing repercussions sexual tendencies" without federal interference. The same mea-reaffirmed his intention to seek a from. Bauman publicity, Jim fourth term in Congress, he Wright, head of the Maryland admitted to having "homosexual chapter, tells of the defacement tendencies," adding, "I do not of the sign on the moral majoriconsider myself a homosexual." ty's Washington headquarters.

sure would prevent the federal government from enforcing any anti-discrimination statute when gays are involved and would keep any organization that depicts gays living in a positive

He said that his homosexuai Front the word "Moral Spmetendenciesand -his-alcoholism .body scratched off the M

Gay jurors

NEW YORK (The Advocate) A New York City judge has ruled that homosexuality alone does not make a person unfit to serve on a jury.

Manhattan Judge S. Herman Klarsfeld, in a case involving assaults on gays, wrote, "To say that this entire group of citizens (homosexuals) who may be otherwise qualified would be unable to sit as impartial jurors in this case, merely because of their homosexuality, is tantamount to a denial of equal protection

under the United States Oonstitution.

Klarsfeld mae the ruling in the. case of Frank Viggiano, an 18accused of assaults on gays. year-old New Jerscy man Viggiano's attorney, had sought to exclude & prospective juror:

who acknowledged his own

homosexual experiences. The juror was finally excluded by means of a peremptory challenge, prompting the judge's

statement.

The consultation, one of a series planned by Carter aides to obtain input on the administraton's "economic renewal pian," included representatives of corporations, and minorities, according to the newsletter of the Greater Gotham Business Council, a lesbian and gay business council in New York City.

The newsletter reports that the. occasion was the first time a lesbian or gay organization had been included in such proceedings, either as representing a minority or as representing an economic group.

NABC President H. Gerald Schiff, who is also a director of GGBC, represented the association. According to the newsletter, in his presentation at the consultation, Schiff stressed the importance to small business people of tax credits to offset the upcoming jump in social security taxes.

In Schiff's letter of thanks to Anne Wexler, Carter's special assistant and host for the meeting, he suggested that lesbians and gay males be designated a

minority in the programs of the Office of Economic Develop ment and the Small Business Administration, "in recognition of the significant role gay people are playing in the revitalization of American cilles." (not the newsletters salto bro