MARCH 1981 HIGH GEAR Page 3

Gay civil rights bill reintroduced

WASHINGTON, D.C. -With ar more co-sponsors than at any comparable point in a Congresional session, Representatives Ted Weiss (D-NY) and Henry Waxman (D-CA) have rentroduced the national lesbian and gay civil rights legislation in he House of Representatives. According to the Gay Rights National Lobby, which remains the only full-time lobby for lesbian/gay civil rights on Capitol Hill, his Session's bill, H.R. 1454, has a total of 34 initial sponsors. H.R. 1454 is virtually identical to the ast Congress' H.R. 2074.

Although last Session's bill had 55 sponsors at one point, only 49 returned to Congress this year. And the general disorganization accompanying the begin-; ning of a Congressional Session probably accounts for the fact that some of the former co-

sponsors have not yet signed on

HR 1454.

While the current 34 sponsors is a high mark for this early in the Congressional session, Steve Endean, Executive Director of the Gay Rights National Lobby, warned that we could lose some of the former co-sponsors from the 96th Congress.

Both the general apprehension about the apparent rightward shift politically and the unique factor of extra cautions Congresspeople who are uncertain what reapportionment will do to the shape of their districts could contribute to reluctance to again co-sponsor gay civil rights legislation. Endean also pointed out that several former co-sponsors took a lot of "political heat" for their co-sponsorship without offsetting positive feedback from gay constituents. Among those who have not yet signed on the bill is long-time sponsor Rep. Norman Mineta (D-CA). Mi neta's district includes San Jose, which recently repealed its local gay rights ordinance by a margin of 2 to 1.

GRNL praised chief sponsors Weiss and Waxman for their continued leadership and explained the importance of continuing to press on the bill, "We certainly understand that the bill won't pass this session, but we feel it is very important to continue to press for it, gain additional cosponsors, hold Congressional Hearings, etc. To step back from this badly needed legislation and strictly maintain a defensive pos-

Eckart's sponsorship solicited by GRNL

By Rick Berg

Gay Rights National Lobby has asked Cleveland area lesbians and gay men to urge Congressman Dennis Eckart (D-22) to cosponsor the gay civil rights bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Steve Endean, director of GRNL, will meet with Eckart in early March to persuade Eckart to add his name to the list of cosponsors of H.R. 1454, the gay civil rights bill in the House of Representatives. Endean said that evidence of support for the bill from Cleveland area constituents is a vital part of GRNL's effort. GRNL is currently soliciting support for the bill among first-term Congresspeople.

Anyone wishing to contact Congressman Eckart may use the following message:

"Please become a co-sponsor of H.R. 1454, the gay civil rights bill."

The message should be addressed to: The Hon. Dennis Eckart, 1222 Longworth Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515. Support for the gay civil rights bill may also be expressed by telephoning the Congressman's local office at 522-2158 and relaying the above message.

The gay civil rights bill, if enacted, would prohibit discrimination on the basis of affectional or sexual orientation. It would add "affectional or sexual orientation" to the list of criteria set forth in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 upon which discrimination may not be based. This bill would prohibit discrimination against gays in public facilities, housing, federal programs, employment, and legal procedures.

Gay mountainclimbers

LONDON (IGNA) An expedition to the foothills of Mount Everest is being planned by a team of British homosexuals.

Philip Judson, a research scientist, says he hopes to take a party of 12 gays -not necessarily all men -to the Himalayas in November.

The goal of the climb, which should last four weeks, is to reach the base camp 18,000 feet above sea level on the 29,028foot peak.

to the base camp.

Judson is chairman of the Gay Outdoor Club, established for homosexuals who are interested in outdoor activities and who also object to unfair stereotypes about gay men.

"Gay men are supposed to be delicate flowers sitting amongst potted palms, imbibing pink gins and talking about opera and ballet," said Judson.

Judson intends to show that gays can be mountain-climbers too. But he added that "if any of the Sherpa group (who handle the climbs) were offended by msummitbey jotend only to take Anything we did, then we would ua somewhat more difficult routeStop it.

Judson said the gay climbers :donasigtend to attempt the

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ture against Moral Majority's certain-to-come anti-gay initiatives would be a serious mistake," Endean said. He went on to say, "By maintaining and increasing the visibility of the gay civil rights issue of Capitol Hill

and building grass-roots support, we can move more swiftly when the political climate improves."

Gay Rights National Lobby urges those committed to civil rights for gay people to write the

chief sponsors to express appreciation: Cong. Ted Weiss, 132 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515, and Cong. Henry Waxman, 2418 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515.

Physicians deny anti-gay charge

SAN FRANCISCO (IGNA) Responding to accusations that the medical community is punitive in its treatment of various parasitic diseases troubling the gay community, Donald Heyneman, Professor of Parasitology at University of California, San Francisco, spoke out, warning against unfair accusations that may be libelous.

Professor Heyneman told IGNA that a pamphlet being circulated by Steve Perkins, former candidate for the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco, suggesting that physicians are taking kickbacks from drug companies in exchange for recommending expensive drugs

is unsubstantiated and misleading.

Heyneman warned that accusations without evidence only "further estrange the gay community from the medical profession and can only result in greater ill will and, most important, further inroads in the proper medical care and understanding treatment of gay patients."

The controversy arose because Perkins accused the staff at University of California Medical Center of using Flagyl to treat amebiasis, when Flagyl is

expensive, a sexual and emotional depressant, and thought to be a cause of cancer.

Heyneman contend's that all drugs used to cure amebiasis are, to some degree, dangerous. Yet medical professionals are forced to choose between "drug toxicity and threat to life or severe illness caused by the parasite."

Flagyl (best called by its generic name, metronidazole) is the most effective drug yet discovered for amebic diseases.

Heyneman grants that metronidazole has bad side-effects, namely, sexual and emotional depression and vomiting when accompanied by alcohol, as well as headache, metallic taste, and vertigo.

However, Heyneman disputes Perkins claim that tetracycline and diiodohydroxyquin (trade name Diiodoquin) are "virtually harmless." Diiodoquin has been implicated (at high doses) in severe retinal damage and has been withdrawn from the American market. Tetracycline is potent and costly and should be used infrequently since it clears the intestinal tract of bacteria and may permit the growth of yeasts or other undesireable

organisms. Heyneman believes it should be reserved for the treatment of emergency diseases, such as typhoid.

Possible substitutes for Flagyl, according to Heyneman, are Furamide (diloxanide furoate),

which is available to doctors from the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, and Humatin (paromomycin), an antibiotic that can be used in place of tetracycline.

Amebiasis takes several forms: (1) An essentially harmless infection of the bowel. (Can be treated with Furamide of Humatin).

(2) Invasion of the intestinal wall, with symptons ranging from diarrhea to violent dysentery, with acute cramping and bloody liquid stools.

(3) Invasion of the liver or other organs.

Heyneman also commented on Perkins' claim that physicians do not regularly use preservatives for stool samples from patients, by saying that he and his colleagues prefer to have all stool samples preserved in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in order to seek out other parasites that might disintegrate if not preserved. A mailing tube with a collecting vial containing PVA is thus used.

U of SF refuses women's group

SAN FRANCISCO-(IGNA) The University of San Francisco, a Jesuit school, is once again caught in a battle with gay rights activists because it has refused to allow a women's association to hold a conference on its campus because the association has a lesbian 'caucus.

Father John LoSchiavo, president of the university, said that he rejected the application because "homosexual activity in the eyes of the Church being objectively wrong, the university doesn't want in any way to approve or endorse it."

Opponents objected to the university denying access to the association even though most of the members are not lesbians.

"Will this mean that the campus will extend its policies to groups which tolerate lesbian and gay participation, such as Unitarians, Espiscopalians, or Democrats?" a spokesperson

said.

because she wanted to be sure there would be no trouble once the conference was scheduled.

The University of San Francisco in 1980 refused to list two gay groups in its official catalogue lest such a listing be interpreted as approval.

The president of the university's faculty association, Michael Lehmann, said that a professor's right to teach or do research because of his views on or alleged preference for homosexuality would impinge on the important issue of academic

freedom. "But this kind of issue has not been raised," Lehmann said.

Jeff Gottesfeld, president of the university student bar association, accused the university of being blind in its policies toward gays on the campus.

He added, "This is not popular and why do we take an unpopular stand? Because it's expected of us. Our students come here with certain expectations, our alumni have certain expectations. They know it's a Catholic university and expect it to be consistent."

Cleveland gay political group meets

CLEVE. O. -The Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club had its third meeting Wednesday, Feb. 25.

Cleveland Hts. for reelection both the first endorsement for her and the first endorsement of the ERDC.

Judge Hunter will speak at the next meeting of the ERDC to be held at 2330 Euclid Hts. Blvd., Apt. #304. This will be March 25 at 8:00. Contact Rick or David at 229-7529 for details.

Debra Rosenfelt, director of This Gay political group was women's studies at another San formed in the wake of the Francisco university, requested November elections to provide the Catholic site for the National input into the mainstream for Women's Studies Association, a feminist organization. She said gays in the Cleveland area: that she mentioned the lesbian sdt was decided at that meeting his meeting is open and all presence in her pication duct endorse Judge Sara Hunter of interested are invited bne Robyns vistremnos sil

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