NOVEMBER 1980-HIGH GEAR P7
Ed Asner gives support to gays
HOLLYWOOD (THE ADVOCATE)Television and motion picture actor Ed Asner, best known for his title role in the Emmy award-winning series Lou Grant, recently appeared before an enthusiastic crowd of gay rights activists at Circus Disco, a popular Hollywood dance bar, in an effort to help raise funds for the Gay Rights Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. The event was also organized to help support the Norton Sound Eight, the women sailors accused of lesbian activity aboard the U.S.S. Norton Sound. Nearly $5,000 was raised during the evening.
In a brief prepared a d dress. Asner, admonishd the Navy for trying to sever its ties with the women accused of homosexual activity. "The Navy should have its head severed from its body for pursuing this case in these times and in this age," he said. He complimented the accused women seven of the eight were
·
for
present at the gathering their "courage and strength."* Asner urged continued support for the ACLU, an organization which he contended "has brought more cases on behalf of gay rights and women's rights than any other organization in the country."
Two days before his scheduled appearance at the Hollywood benefit, Asner spoke of his active backing of the gay rights movement. It all began during the campaign over the referendum in Dade country. "I made some
innocuous public service commercials about the Importance of getting out and voting. Although I was a supporter of gay rights, and that was an issue in the election, nothing was overtly said to that effect in the commercial spots. But I started receiving hate mail at that time from those who opposed granting rights to gay
people."..
cratic Club in Los Angeles. At a furthest thing from that. In fact, convention four years ago, Asher I'm the antithesis. I guess it called Anita Bryant a "loony" and serves the public as a reminder immediately began receiving let-that gays come in all shapes and ters condemning him as a forms." homosexual. Asner underscored the Impor
"I'm delighted by the possibiltance of maintaining an active ity of, guilt by association," he ole in the political arena, and now says. "At present ! don't warned of the danger of becom consider myself as homosexual, Ing apathetic, which, he but you never know about the observed, usually happens with future, do you? the attainment of some rights. Said the actor: "Gays must turn around and fight for others who are disadvantaged. Even before gays reach the promised land, they must help others who are fighting to throw off the shackles of tyranny.
Asner later came out publicly against Proposition 6, the anti"I'm amused by being comgay teacher initiative in Califorpared to the stereotypic image of nia, and began contributing a gay man. Slim, somewhat funds to the Stonewall Demograceful, and lots of hair. I'm the
Spanish crackdowns
TORREMOLINOS, SPAIN (IGNA)-There have been recent examples of police brutality toward gays, both citizens and tourists alike, in this famous resort city.
The police have raided some bars and clubs, forcing patrons to march to the local police sta-
tion, to undergo rigorous examiwent to the police and demanded nations, and to suffer the jibes of an explanation, but they received police officers. none. In fact all records of the incident were suppressed and the police claim no knowledge of any such incidents. When the bar owners approached the press, they were told that the police had promised to come down heavily on them should they report on any such police harassment.
The Bronx Disco has been one! of the main targets, where two policemen used truncheons to beat the customers and herd them to the exit.
The owners of the bar later
Norwegian gays fight discrimination
NORWAY (IGNA)-The Lambda Group, an Oslo-based gay rights organization, has set up a Documentation Group on Violence and Discrimination Against Gays in Norway.
The main purpose of this group, according to The Stamp,
A major problem in Norway is that fewer than 2000 homosexuals are members of gay organizations. Most are closeted. They cruise lavatories and parks, ⚫ remain anonymous, and are not part of the gay movement.
These people are most often
subject to queer-bashing, abuse, and discrimination. They are also the least likely to report their difficulties to the police, and thus the official number of incidents involving violence is underestimated.
On another occasion police arrived at the Bronx Disco and selected 20 people at random, marched them to the police station and made them produce passports or identity papers. Inside the bar itself, National Policemen in plain clothes as well as uniformed policemen demanded to see the owners' papers and permits, most specifically the "permit to own a meeting place for homosexuals." There is no such permit available.
is to collect evidence showing Gay book buyers buy more books Later the police "discovered"
that gays are not satisfactorily protected by the present laws. Such evidence is needed because the Norwegian Pariia'ment is to consider the issue of
CHICAGO (IGNA) Gay books must be achieving some acknowledgement in the book
an anti-discrimination amend-ally sent a reporter to cover the trade. Publishers Weekly actument to the penal code.
The Ministry of Justice's Standing Advisory Committee has been studying anti-gay discrimination, and has finally issued a report after five years. The two permanent members of the committee rejected the plea for legal protection of homosex uals, whereas the other two came out in favor of such an addition to . the law.
Rolf Ryssdal, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and Johs. Andenaes, a law professor at the University of Oslo, argued conservatively that an amendment would infringe on the freedom of speech. They said that homosexuals should "fight with words" and work to enlighten people rather than to suppress prejudice. Homosexuals, they argued, are already protected the same way other citizens are protected.
The other two members, sexologist Berthold Grunfeld and lawyer Else B. Fougner (who were appointed to serve on the committee for this specific issue) said that they regard homosexuals as a very vulnerable group still subject to social discrimina⚫tion and abuse. They argued that
although a change in the law might not ela préjudice, it might give some individuals protection and contribute to an increased social recognition of gays.
panel on selling gay books that was held at the convention of the American Booksellers Association in Chicago.
Some of the panelists included Joseph DiSabato, founder of Rivendell Marketing Co in New York, who said that average gay reader buys up to 70 books a year, or 9 times as many as straight readers. And he said that they do not buy only gay books.
Morrow said the most persuasive things--that gay books are not necessarily of interest only to
things to say about our life and gay readers. "They havé important times." he said. He urged booksellers to follow such books carefully, to get galleys when they can, and to read reviews in the gay press. He suggested that bookstores should maintain a . gay section so that readers can find the books easily.
Some lesbians on the floor complained that not a sufficient effort had been made to identify a specifically lesbian readership.
DiSabato said that as far as he could judge lesbians lived quieter, more domestic lives. were not as overt as gay men, and had less money to spend on
The sales director of St. Martin's Press. Charles Hayward, said that his press, in marketing its gay titles, does everything it does for a regular book, but then gives some special attention in books. the "intense media network."
He defined three types of books that seem to appeal to a gay readership: books with gay themes but with a broader market, such as, the books of Patricia Nell Warren; and books that appeal to the "trend-setting" nature of gays: on fashion, film, design, and lifestyles.
A representative of Bantam Books, Barbara Marcus, said that mass market publishers are beginning to do gay books. Avon has already done some. Bantam is bringing out some as well. She admitted that some sales repre-
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