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Page 4, High Gear
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NATION & WORLD
Courageous Acts will arrange for evaluation and
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WASHINGTON, DC Gay Rights National Lobby (GRNL) reports that despite a swing to the right in the U.S. Senate, Senate Bill 1708, which would prohibit discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation, has three new sponsors this year.
Introduced again this session by Senator Paul Tsongas (D-MA), the bill has gained the sponsorship of Senators Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Alan Cranston (D-CA), and Daniel Inouye (D-HI). In previous sessions, S. 1708 had been co-sponsored by Tsongas and Senators Lowell Weicker (R-CT), Robert Packwood (R-OR), and Daniel. Patrick Moynihan (D-NY).
GRNL Regional Field Director Kerry Woodward points out that Weicker, Kennedy and Moyhihan could face difficult re-election campaigns and their sponsorship of S. 1708 could be used against them. Woodward urges lesbians and gay men to remember the "political courageous acts" of the cosponsors at election time.
GRNL Director Steve Endean expects no hearings on the bill because hostile committee chairs could be expected to stack the hearings with negative testimony.
Gay lobby seeks interns
WASHINGTON, D.C. The Gay Rights National Lobby has announced they now offer college and law school students from around the country an opportunity to serve as interns for the Lobby, either in the National Office in Washington, D.C., or. in the West Coast Regional Office in San 'rancisco.
GRNL remains the only ull-time national lobby at. Congress for civil rights for esbian and gay men. In addition to the positive goal of ederal gay civil rights egislation, GRNL also works to defeat anti-gay bills and amendments as they arise.
The GRNL internship program is open to college students able to devote the equivalent in time of an academic semester to the program on two to five day a week basis. Students may be able to receive academic credit for their work, and the Lobby
supervision in a way to meet the individual needs of each student.
Interns are assigned to specific programs and/or staff members, depending on their interests, experience, and mutually agreed priorities.
GRNL Executive Director Steve Endean noted that the Lobby has already utilized interns, both during the summer and this fall.
Kent Kruheoffer, a junior at Clarion State College in Pennsylvania, said "Working for GRNL over the summer gave me a unique opportunity to see how the political process really works. Attending hearings, working on constituent pressure, etc., all had a direct bearing on what I had studied in college...courses which I had taken in college didn't give me this kind of practical knowledge."
Kate McQueen, co-chair of the GRNL Board, noted the internship program served two criticl functions, "Not only can we help train tomorrow's leaders on the political and legislative process, but the internship program, of course, assists our chronically underfinanced operation."
Those interested in participating in the GRNL Internship Program or wishing additional information, should contact Alan Fox, GRNL, P.O.. Box, 1892, Washington, D.C., 20013, or call (202) 546-1801. Those who would prefer to work in GRNL's West Coast Office, should contact Kerry Woodward, 1080 Haight Street, San Francisco, California, 94117. or call (415) 864-6481.
Census Bureau will list us
WASHINGTON, DC The U.S. Census Bureau apparently will tabulate figures on samesex households despite earlier reports that officials had cancelled plans to do so because the results might prove embarrassing to the government.
The 1980 census was the first to permit "partner" and "roommate". to be used to describe the relation between unmarried, unrelated persons living together. The only categories available to such persons on previous census forms were "landlord" and "border."
The "partner" count could be used to estimate the number of lesbians and gay men living in the country. VAN(GCN):
Delaying the inevitable
WASHINGTON, DC-The nomination of anti-abortion homophobe C. Everett Koop as U.S. Surgeon General has been delayed because of a "hold" placed on his nomination by a senator.
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The New York Times reports that Senator Charles Mathias (R-MD) asked for the delay because he wantd to learn more about Koop's record and policies, "especially on the wider issues of public health."
Koop's opponents have pointed out that in addition to his stands against lesbian and gay rights and abortion, the doctor has no experience in public health and is over the legal age limit for the position. The Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee has nevertheless approved his nomination by a vote of 11 to five.
Koop told senators at committee hearings he would not use his office to promote his views on abortion.
Florida's gays sharpen teeth
(G.C.N.)
A stiff challenge to the Bush-Trask amendment (which orders Florida officials not to recognize any campus group that advocates pre-marital sex and was drafted to bar Gay groups from existing on Florida's college campuses) has risen from the Student Senate at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
The Student Senate's resolution could, according to The Weekly News, force University of Florida officials. to. void the Student Senate charter (which traces its history back to 1906 when the Gainesville campus was first opened).
"Be it resolved that the Student Senate recognizes, respects and advocates the. right of students, faculty, staff and all citizens of Floriday to freely use their right of privacy by choosing to engage in premarital sexual relations," voted the Senate.
The Bush-Trask amendment calls for the cancellation of financial aid to students attending a university which recognizes Gay groups and speakers. The governor is considering joining the education commissioner's lawsuit challenging the amendment: Pre-marital sex
has long been popular on the Gainesville campus and is expected to be unaffected, no matter-which-way-the-court
rules.
Florida's Governor Bill Graham, who allowed the amendment to remain in the state budget bill (which he signed on June 30) stated, "Although I have serious concerns about the constitutionality of certain proviso language in the appropriations bill, it is not within my constitutional power to veto those provisions."
Government recognizes gays
(B.A.R.)
SEATTLE, WA The mayor of this city has appointed a liaison to the lesbian and gay community, reports Seattle Gay News.
As special assistant to Mayor Charles Royer, liaison Joann Harris will coordinate policy between the mayor's office and the Departments of Human Rights and Administrative Services and the Office of Women's Rights (OWR). According to Harris, the OWR, under whose mandate the city's law banning discrimination ont the basis of sexual orientation is included, will continue to provide "direct services" to the lesbian and gay community. She sees her position as an additional resource. (G.C.N.). Sacramento's gay
paper enters third year
Mom...Guess What! newspaper, the monthly newspaper for the women and men of the Gay Sacramento and Northern community and their friends in California,. will celebrate its third year of publication
The paper first appeared in November, 1978, just before the crucial election in which antiGay Proposition 6 was defeated. It was an immediate popular success, soon growing from 16 to 24 pages and carrying advertising. and news from across the nation and Northern California. B.A.R.
. Reprinted with permission of Gay Community News, 22 Bromfield Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02108, and the following publications as coded: G.P.Gay Paper, Baltimore G.C.N.-Gay Community News, Boston B.A.R.Bay Area Reporter, San Francisco M.G.W.-Mom Guess What, North California