OCR Text |
Show 3 VOLUME ONE NOVEMBER 1977 QUOTES Dear Editor: I recently moved here from San Francisco and I am surprised to see such a large and gay community here. How can a dominant religion such as Latter Day Saints tolerate so much homosexuality in their very midst? I am excommunicated from this church and while I still cling to some of the basic tenents of Mormonism, Ive learned not to let it bother me that I am a sinner in their eyes. Ive really no question nor comment for you, but I do enjoy your paper, and just wondered how It gays and LDSers really amazes me, but thanks. . TJB Dear TJB:' You didnt exactly say but I assume you are gay, else you would not have been excommunicated and interested in gays. Thanks for your kind words about our paper. We are trying very hard to make the OPEN DOOR a publication which can be read by straight or gay and not be offended. We want to present a positive image of the Gay Community and do what we can, in our feeble way to show that the average gay person is sensitive and intelligent and a normal and respectable citizens. As for well I dont think that is quite the right word. There are variances of attitudes and we feel that the vast majority of straight people do not quite approach the attitudes the dominant church would We grow have them take. impatient that we gays are not as accepted as we might like, but we do believe there is an increased tolerance and air of casualness. We would like to hope that each succeeding generation will be less set in their ways and be less to judgmental. It is a will which ever expect legislation force the straight community to accept gays. Im sure the average gay person never would want to shout from the house-top- s they are gay, as the average straight person never would want to proclaim in public they are ' straight. All the gays ask is that they be allowed to live their own lives and have whatever affec-tionpreferences they may like without disdain from the population who do not feel as the gay person does. Those few gay people who loudly proclaim they are gay speak for themselves, and I say bless them for doing so. However I strongly feel that a person's sexuality is a very private matter, straight or gay and it is no business of another what goes on behind closed doors. I think the majority of all people feel the same, and I think g the LDS church is somewhen they one from their church for not conaccording to ducting their sex-lif- e their concept of good or evil.. Homosexual teachers should be removed from the classroom only If they are found proselytizing Instead of teaching. I feel very strongly that a homosexual teacher doesnt harm children since their sexuality Is formed at the age of two or three. Studies have shown there are no specific emotional problems associated with homosexuals. Im very concerned about the removal of the rights of people. The majority cant take away the rights of the minority. 55 well-organiz- ed . CONTENTS Utah Supreme Court calls "Kings" it Queens?" Payne Papers Third of a-Fo- Part Series ur p 2 New! Calendar Section -- GillHuff n for Ne York 22,23,24,25 Really foul weather for 1977-78?.- ... JS The Corner On The Left Roll Me Over, Lay Me Down, Do It Again by Clarence W. Young labor; when they cannot do this the poor men are turned out to perish. The American people are living on a power magazine comparatively; one friction match might blow the whole fabric to pieces, and yet the capitalist goes blindly on, grinding the face of the poor and laying up riches against the day of burning, trusting in police and soldiers Sounds like something out of Peoples Daily? Not so, friend. Its law-abidi- keep their people down because down is where they want them. Good liitle sheep dont make waves. Good little sheep dont complain. Good little sheep dont protest. Brigham Young would probably be terribly ashamed of the position the church takes against its own, were he alive today. Whats to be done about it? Very Little. Whether we like it or not, we ihust live with the Mormons. They settled this Valley fought for it, went through incredible odds to survive and have the our Leader and Prophet, Brigham ultimate right to rule the Gentiles Young speaking over 100 years and Sinners who live here. They ago. have done as they damn well And its just as valid today as please since they first decided then. Maybe more so. Former This Was The Place and they will governors representing huge util- continue to do so. They tell the ity companies and our rates are people what to do and they do it. now going UP 14 percent! Hug They tell their representatives in department stores firing employ Washington not to vote for the of airlines since it ess because they strike against unspeakable low hourly wages, will affect their business interests when their profits have doubled and for their own political security over the past yearl Telephone they vote the way their told. The companies charging obscene rates church says OBEY and they for local services when the resour- OBEY. As far as we gays are concerned ces of AT&T are the largest in the additional problem lies in the an Local world. companies ignoring law and not paying overtime to fact most homosexuals in the their employees. Valley are Mormons. And it is And its going to. continue literally impossible to change the unless we DO something about it. upbringing which has been instillUtah is one of the poorest states in ed in them. the United States (40th in the 50 states per capital income) and yet So whats the solution? For those screw continues business of us who want social change we its big on the poor man. Indeed, the state will have to' go about it quietly and charges income tax on food which not expect much fast. Things are heavily and unfairly taxes the poor not going to change around here, in this state. socially or economically, for a The church influence, of course, long, long time. Strikers will has a lot to do with the poor living continue to be fired for exercising conditions and low income here. In their constitutional rights; comfact, they are probably more panies will continue their profit guilty than all the corporations in spiral and we will continue to be the Vajley for flagrant low per harassed for our sexual preference hourly wage (and probably the for a long, long time. Face iU San. wealthiest). And,' in addition they Francisco were not., vr , p on . . No comment Stake President, LDS Church Narvel J. Scherzinger Commenting on the Bring of a missionary for Mrtng a 1 no vote against the current leaders of the Latter day Saints Church -- a IlerReply: . - m j; I 53 W&'tflFP- - Mb n have, in some cases, taken on an Gays, over the years of second-rat-e citizens. Some gays feel themselves as less attitude of being than whole, and a disappointment to their friends or family , eventually seeing themselves as less than complete as they might have been otherwise, had this discrimination not taken place. As any person sees himself over a period of time, so they begin to be. To put things in proper perspective, it might serve a useful purpose to look at the record. Gays, over the eons of time, have contributed their fair (and more) share of advancement to the good of humanity. After their is forgotten, their contribution lives on and the world is richer for their contribution. It is difficult to say with the wave of a hand that the Sistine Chapel paintings are an abomination because they were of Michelangelo is well known, painted by a homosexual. The and well documented that he was gay by modern definition. Would the literary world be better off had they not had the contributions of Walt Whitman and his Leaves of Grass, or without Henry David Thoreau without his Walden or his Civil Disobedience and the inspiration it offered to Gandhi? What about Christopher Isherwood or W. H. Auden, or Tennessee Williams and his notable contributions to the American theater? What about the military genius of Alexander the Great? Consider the contribution made by Tallulah Bankhead, daughter of the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress. What g about Charles Laughton or Gertrude Stein and her companion, Alice B. Toklas? The are a mere fraction of people those who have made giant strides in their chosen fields and no intelligent person will deny the contribution each has made to improve the world in which they live. The list is endless. The point Li mind is that the gay population does not need a model to serve as an inspration. These models are already apparent. The gay community can indeed be proud of themselves and their kind (whatever that is), by the normal community definition, (whatever THAT is). There is no need to be ashamed, no reason to assume the second-rat- e status. The gay population has already left an indelible mark on society, and likely to continue to be heard in all segments of politics, the arts, science and innovations of all kinds. Gay people as a whole (and statistics prove this) are better educated, more astute and more in touch with the world than the average straight person. The gay person seeks higher education, seeks knowledge of himself and the world around him and is less inclined to be judgemental, critical and egocentric. Gay people are notorious for their almost lack of discrimination towards others, which alone speaks volumes. By the rev u by the reverse, the highly critical and person is apt to be less educated in the liberal arts, less knowledgable about what is going on in the world around him and suffer from tunnel-visio- n than the person. It is the militant straight community who is to be feared, whose position is so insecure they must discriminate against any who do not echo their ideals. It is the intolerant straight community who has the problem; it is the saintly who have a scatter on their excerement and need to tidy up their act a bit. It is those who defy convention, who dare to be different who make the advancements in our society and upgrade humanityh. The gay community can be proud of the contributions they have made to society, to humanity and to the improvement and quality of lift. Upward and onward. Its all jn your frame of reference. W? in the gay community prefer thinking ofourselves as being positive. life-lon- above-mention- ed i holier-than-tho- gay-orient- , ; ' life-sty- le f J j - sex-preferen- ce Dear sir: Came upon your paper ty chance. I like it, well written, excellent topics and articles. You are telling it as it is. Enclosed check' for $12.00 and i. ...s put-dow- over-reactin- 'i scwsr-- 'SI5$r, s m - 1 . lm sick and tired of being put on the cross continually. If they want to fire me, let them do it now and give me peace. Who started this anyway? al (coni, page4)' . t Thats no way to sell orange Juice. ii Edward A. Taylor, Executive Director of the State Florida commenting on the Inevitable replacement of Anita since the citrus message might be lost on tv viewers associating her bigoted stand on homosexuals. ng pipe-drea- Dr. Joyce Brothers Commenting on the Infamous Supreme Court Decision co-exi-st. 11 Pictorial Holiday 12,13,27 Rich men employ laborers when they can make money out of their J 1 ed it I |