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Show NEWS FOR a CHANGE OCTOBER, 1977 VOICE OF THE SALT LAKE CITY GAY COMMUNITY DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE WESTERN STATES Rev.Troy Perry vows fast till death;Raises $140,000 n a vow to fast till death if necessary the Rev. Troy Perry, founder of the Metropolitan Community Church, raised $140,000 in eighteen days to combat the Briggs Initiative, a proposed law in California which would deprive people of their jobs because of the sexual orientation. Neither federal nor state governments nor school boards have any business in the bedrooms of school teachers or any other citizen, Perry said. Bigots like Senator Briggs and Anita Bryant make homosexuals scapegoats for what they perceive as the ills of society. This time it's the gays who face the danger. Next time it could be the Blacks, Jews, Catholics or any minority. With a copy of the Jerusalem Bible and atop a sleeping bag. Rev. Perry was in familiar surroundings. This was the third time he has fasted and prayed in just this early California missionaries. His first vigil which spot, under a mosiac of heroic-sizelaws and lasted ten days was some eight years ago, protesting Only one politician came to talk to me. That was the late Councilman Bob Stevenson. He was the only one who had the guts." A good looking man, tall with a slight scholarly stoop and clear compassionate eyes, Perry is down twenty pounds from his usual 210. He drank nothing but water but under a doctor's advice later added vitamin supplementd daily. This charismatic leader of warmth and intelligence is highly regarded by members of the demonination he founded in Los Angeles on October 6, 1968. He is also the general moderator of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, which now total 1 10 in d anti-homosexu- Los Angeles Clergyman of MCC On Steps of Federal Building 18 Days ord-iance- al s. (continued on page five) Time running out for purchase of MCC church buiiding Members in last ditch appeal for funds to buy facility POLLS SEEN TURNING FOR GAY RIGHTS ing studies indicated that her anti-ga- y stand hadn't hurt her effectiveness as the advertising symbol for the industry. It has, however, been reported that in renewing her contract, the florida Citrus Commission has extracted a promise from Ms. Bryant that she will soft-ped- al her anti-ga- y crusade. In an editorial, Gay Community of Anita the a widely respected gay weekly, News, Bryant Repercussions anti-ga- y attendant and the stated that her reported agreement crusade, ups urge in gay activism, continue not to lead a national crusade may well throughout the United States. While emerge as the best of all possible contestants for a national teenage worlds. Bryant may therefore withbeauty contest voted Bryant Amer- draw from the field of battle without icas greatest American," the Nation- being able to utter the cry of martyral Coalition of American Nuns, an or- dom that gay pressure deprived her ganization of 1800 Roman Catholic of her civil right to employment. One major effect of the struggle Sisters, came out strongly in favour Denanti-ga- y In forced of civil rights for gay people. between the pro-an- d has been the significantly increased ver, a National Gay Leadership was held, sponsored by some media coverage of gay civil rights of the largest U.S. Gay organizations issues. For example, Bostons affiliate presented a week-lon- g (notably, the National Gay Task Force and MCC). In San Francisco, series of special programming on which witnessed a gay pride parade the subject of Gay Rights- - Who's of 250,000 people, a gay activist group Right?", and both the Gallup and has asked the Federal Communica- Harris polling organizations did some tions Commission to extend the extensive interviewing on public rebroadcast fairness doctrine to let gays action to the gay issue. The results, appear on television to counter criti- which will probably influence the concisms of their lifestyles. tent of future public education actiMs. Bryant, meanwhile, has been vities, were in many ways quite fasdropped by her talent agency because cinating. Those polled by Gallup of the agent's opposition to her new approved of equal rights in terms of book, Save Our Children: One Wo- job opportunities, in general," by a man's Crusade Against the Sin of margin of 56 percent to 33 percent, Homosexuality. The book has not as and in the Harris poll, 54 percent yet been released, and the response favored a law that "outlawed discrimof the organized gay community to its ination against homosexuals in any appearance and sale cannot yet be job for which they are qualified." On the other hand, in the Gallup gauged. One reason for the publication delay has been the suit filed by a Poll, 65 percent were against allowing group called Save the Children, a gay people into the clergy (86 percent group which thought it okay for gay people to besolicits money for underprivileged come artists!). The upsurge in gay children. It is attempting to prevent visibility has resulted in 68 percent the Bryant forces from using the of the public feeling that homosexname Save Our Children." uality is more widespread than it was Despite some earlier press reports 25 years ago, and 55 percent of those suggesting that Ms. Bryant was going surveyed said that gays are the most to be dropped as spokesperson for the discriminated group in American Florida citrus industry, such has not society (followed by Blacks and Puerto been the case. It seems that market Ricans). Cort-feren- Rev. Bob Waldrop, minister of the Metropolitan Community Church of Salt Lake was told Thursday the proposed bid for the purchase of the church building at 870 West 400 South was 'rejected by bank officials. The sale was to be consumated by October 1st and the offer of $45,000 has been extended to October 6th by the Methodist Church, the present owners. In a last ditch effort to buy the building and convert a portion of it to house a badly needed community and social center, the MCC announced a public offer of 9 percent for a $35,000 first trust deed with a ten to twenty year note. The organization has the building which also includes a parsonage, and is prepared to use the $10,000 on hand as a down three solid payment. co-sign- ers for In the next few days, a mass gay community effort is being rapidly organized to raise money for the project. "The name of our Church is the Metropolitan Community Church, Rev. Waldrop says. It is our aim to live up to that name, to be of service to the whole community. Rev. Waldrop, who will be officially ordained this Sunday, also stated there is a need for the Church in the community as it assists many various problems which afflict many men and women and serves as a place of worship for people of all faiths. He stated it is perhaps the only truly ecumenical Church in existence today. The minister asks anyone wanting to truly help in the drive for funds or to donate a tax deductible donation to this cause to contact him immediately. NBC-televisi- ld non-prof- it SUPREME COURT SAYS GAYS IMMORAL The Supreme WASHINGTON Court, in a busy first day of its fall term, let stand Monday the ruling of a state court in Washington that homosexuals are immoral and may be fired from their jobs. The court refused to hear the appeal of lames Gaylord, fired in 1972 when his homosexuality has discovered by officials at the Tacoma high school where he had taught for 13 years. Gaylord contended that his constitutional rights were violated when his status as a homosexual was used to dismiss him. The Washington Supreme Court ruled that homosexuality is immoral and Gaylord could be fired even though he was accused of no homosexual act. Civil liberties attorneys, who had hoped to use the case to have the Supreme Court review the rights of homosexuals, predictably were outraged by the court's action. Gross Insensitivity ' "The case presented the with an Supreme to Court discrimina- opportunity say that tion against people by government because of their status as" homosexuals is impermissible the American Civil Liberties Union said. "This Supreme Court maintains its record of gross insensitivity to individual rights," the organization said in a statement from its New York headquarters. anti-gabacklash The been has not without its victims. In y post-Mia- Miami, a ld man was shot and wounded as he was leaving a gay street dance. Witnesses reported that the attackers.as yet still at large, had been seen throwing eggs and shouting obscenities at persons attending the dance. And in San Francisco, Robert Hillsborough, a gay man, was savagely beaten to death outside his home. Witnesses claim the attackers shouted faggot, faggot" and that one of them also shouted Here's one for Anita!" ld Hillsborough's family, has launched a five million dollar damage suit against Anita Bryant and Save Our Children, Inc., charging that there had been a conspiracy between Bryant and other homophobes in order to "deprive Hillsborough and his friends of the right to travel safely on city streets, to be secure in their homes and vehicles, and to hold jobs and practice religion, all without discrimination." The San Francisco Human Rights Commission sent a protest telegram to Anita Bryant which said. "This man's blood is on your hands." by Harve Hamburg Bodv Politic |