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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 23, 1983)
Air Force launches gay investigation The G.S. A ir Force has launched a m ajor investigation o f enlisted m en in the W ashing ton, D.C. area. At least 45 m en w orking at the Pentagon, Andrews A ir Force Base, Bolling A ir Force Base and other bases were ques tio ned about hom osexuality in early Novem ber. The Gay Rights N ational Lobby (GRNL) has received reports that som e o f the men had been encouraged to identify other gay m en and lesbians in order to receive better treatm ent. O ne m an reported that his room was “ Use S.F. gays in m edical experients," says County official. The chairm an o f the county Board o f Supervisors and the to p elected official of M aricopa County, Arizona recently stated that “ hom osexuals and lesbians fro m San F rancisco” be used in experim ents instead of anim als fro m the pound. Hawley Atkinson said he w ill not resign despite the fu ro r created b> his “ facetous” rem ark searched w ithout a search w arrant and some item s confiscated by A ir Force agents. “ T his investigation and the apparent viola tio n o f constitutional rights is an outrage,” said GRNL spokesm an Mike Walsh. “ The in vestigation is based on archaic stereotypes o f gay and lesbian Am ericans." The GRNL is encouraging m em bers o f • C ongress to question A ir Force officials about the nature o f the investigation and to determ ine whether the rights o f the enlisted m en have been violated. “Again we see a clearly dem onstrated need fo r C ongress to rem ove the regulation that hom osexuality is incom patible w ith m ilitary service,” stated Jerry Weller, GRNL Deputy D irector. "I have absolutely no intention o f stepping dow n. In fa c t I w ill run again in 1984,” A t kinson said. A tkinson made the rem ark during an in terview w ith a Phoenix reporter outside the B oard o f Supervisors offices. A nother super visor heard the interview and confirm ed the quote. The Arizona Gay-Lesbian Task Force threatened to mobilize the county's estimated 150,000 gay and lesbian voters to spur a recall election if A tkinson did not resign. “ The last person to advocate m edical ex perim ents on hom osexuals was A dolf Hitler. There are m any people w ho do not like this kind o f talk in Am erican society,” said Harry B ritt, gay San Francisco supervisor. Ad response costs teacher job A Houston, Texas gay teacher was fired fro m his jo b recently follow ing the theft o f a w ritten reponse to an advertisem ent in the Advocate. The letter, in a sealed envelope, was stolen from the briefcase o f sixth grade teacher Jam es Frein, exam ined by an unde term ined num ber o f students, and eventually ended up in the hands o f school district adm inistrators. Frein resigned, under duress he says, on the day the letter was stolen. Frein, in an interview with C hristine G uilfoy o f Boston’s Gay C om m unity News, said the letter was an attem p t to "m eet with other Texas men. It said I w asn't into drugs and that I did have a lover. The letter brought out that I was gay.” In addition, the letter contained a picture of Frein, partially clothed. An attorney fo r the school district said that the letter was "a solicitation o f sexual rela tio n s fro m other readers o f the publication." In a confrontation with three adm inistrators F rein adm itted the letter was his. The officials then to ld Frein, “We just can’t have people like you in this d is tric t You’re going to cause a scandal. We have to avoid a scandal at all costs. We want you to resign.” Frein asked the adm inistrators what would happen if he did no t resign. They said, according to Frein, "R esign or we ll fire you.” Frein resigned and left the school building bu t later the same day called his union rep resentative w ho advised him to rescind the resignation, w hich he did w ithin 24 hours. The school d istrict refused to accept the recission, insisting that Frein was no longer em ployed by the d is tric t F rein’s attorney is pursuing the m atter in c o u rt on the contention th a t since the school d is tric t did not accept the resignation until tw o weeks after the incident the resignation co u ld have been rescinded when Frein re quested it F rein’s attorney said, “ If we get the resignation rescinded we’ll be facing dis charge. W e’re trying to pin them : w hat is the discharge for?” S chool d istrict officials were asked if the action taken w ould have been any different had Frein been s tra ig h t “ No. If a straight w om an teacher had been cau ght w ith the sam e type o f correspondence, her picture addressed to Playboy, o r whatever, we would have to take the same action.” F rein disagrees, saying th a t sexual prefer ence is an issue, as well as the fact th a t the letter was stolen fro m his briefcase. “ I want people to know th a t w ith som ething obtained illegally you should not have the rig h t to take away som eone’s livelihood.” No federal charges against White Ju st one week before the fifth anniversary o f the assassinations o f George Moscone and Harvey M ilk, the CIS. Justice Departm ent announced that it w ill not charge Dan W hite w ith a federal violation o f his victim s’ civil rights. Stephen S. Trot, an assistant G.S. attorney, was quoted as saying that the evidence to sup port federal charges against W hite is “ m anifestly insufficient” Evidence that the killin g were politically m otivated was either ignored o r discounted by the G.S. Justice D ep a rtm e n t S upport fo r the federal charges against W hite had com e fro m the San Francisco gay com m unity, as well as C alifornia politicans Gov. G eorge D eukm ejian. M ayor Diane Fein- stein, and Reps. Barbara B oxer and Sala B urton. Rep. B urton issued a statem ent w hich read, in part, “ I jo in the people o f San Francisco in deploring the fact th a t the m ur der o f tw o beloved pu blic o fficials w ill go so lig h tly punished, w ith a sentence w hich in no way fits the nature o f the crim es com m itted." Dan W hite is scheduled to be released fro m Soledad prison on January 6, having served tw o thirds o f a seven year, e ight m onth sentence fo r voluntary m anslaughter. GCN Boston A Woman Controlled, W oman’s C hoice Clinic PORTLAND FEMINIST WOMEN'S HEALTH CENTER Our emphasis is Self-Help, which is sharing of health information that enables women to actively participate in their health care. Sliding fee scale, Medicaid, Insurance, and Major Credit Cards accepted. • Cervical Caps Pregnancy Screening • Gynecological Screening • Abortions up to 2 0 weeks in a Clinic Setting • Birth Control • Self-Help Groups • Self-Help Presentations • Referrals • Lesbian Health Care • Speakers Bureau 777-7044 6510 S.E. Foster Road • Portland, O regon 97206 4 M Just Out December 23; January 6 *»