TUU
Michigan Daily
Edited and managed by Students at the
University of Michigan
Saturday, June 1, 1974
News Phone 764-0552
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Unfinished battle
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By JAMES WECIISLER
r ,llE CITY COUNCIL'S rejection of "Intro 2"
caused understandable dismay among the
bill's supporters - including many who felt no
private stake in its enactment but considered
the isue tine of essential justice and tolerance.
What mde the )itcame especially dishearten-
ing tas the high t;pe for passage that prevailed
for natty wieeks.
In the aftermath of the 22-19 vote, some
leaders of the Gay Activists expressed a sense
of hetraval against the politicos who had im-
plored them to avoid strident, exhibitionist tac-
tics. They had generally heeded .such appeals,
only to discover in the end that they had been
victimized by the crude pressure operation of
the bill's opponents.
It is hard to quarrel with their mood of dis-
chantment. They were, after all, the target of
vulgar abuse and ridicule during many moments
of the debate, and inevitably view the result as
reenforcing stereotypes and stigmas that shadow
their lives.
But as one who long personally backed the
beaten bill and was appalled by some of the
rhetoric of its adversaries, I think the battle had
some important affirmative aspects-and may
have been the prelude to victory in the not very
distant future. Possibly the city needed this year's
frank, often fervid encounter sessions to pa'e
the way.
SEVERAL THINGS that emerge clearly from
the conflict can afford little comfort to those
who successfully scuttled this elementary bill
of rights for avowed homosexuals.
Throughout the decisive days of the cntreversy,
it was the opposition that most often seemed on
the defensive. Anyone who watched Matty Troy
engage in his sputtering TV apologias for his
position must have detected his unease as he
explained that some of his best f-iends were
homosexuals but that he just couldn't give "legit-
imacy" to their "abnormality."
Moreover, it seems beyond dispute that the key
votes against the bill were cast by Councilmen
who had wrestled with their consciences and fin-
ally won. They cannot be very happy fellows.
Consider these published remarks 'of one Coun-
cilman, who chose to remain anonymous, on the
eve of the vote:
"If this weren't an election year, I'd stand
on a rooftop and yell: 'I'm for gay rights.' But
I'm getting tremendous pressure - from police-
men, firemen, teachers, Catholics, Jews. I'm
thinking of going for an amendment - maybe
it's a foot in the door anyway."
THIS VALOROUS character was never grant-
ed the luxury of an amendment comprome be-
cause Troy discovered he had the votes for re-
jection without pursuing the amendment route.
But there must be general agreement that the
bill would have been enaced in a secret ballot.
The faint-hearted "majority" 'hat barely car-
ried the day was hardly an impressive contin-
gent; a number of its members may discover
that the gratitude of some constittents turns into
contempt. It is not too hard to differentiate
those who cravenly collapsed under fire from
those who one way or another, voted authentic
convictions.
A far-reaching consequence of the recent events
may be the new evidence they offered that the
Roman Catholic Church is not a massive mono-
lith on modern social issues. Meade Esposito, a
devout Catholic as well as Brooklyn Democratic
leader, spoke out forthrightly for the bill; Bronx
chieftain Patrick J. Cunningham also backed it.
There were many other Catholic voices aigned in
favor of Intro 2, including Carter burden, who
sponsored the original version 'hree-and-a-half
years ago, the Rev. Louis Gigante, the only priest
on the Council, and Paul O'Dwyer.
The orthodox rabbinical councils that opposed
the measure found themselves similarly at odds
with influential institutions in the Jewish com-
munity, such as the American Jewisn Committee.
THESE DIVISIONS indicate the rising level of
sensitivity and response to a movement that not
too long ago deemed itself isolated and alone.
It would be a misfortune if its leaders, granting
their valid anger over the hypocrisy and coward-
ice exhibited by some Council nembers, now
felt they had to revert to no-win .trategies.
Perhaps I am being too sanguine. Admittedly
the headlines say that the City Council of enlight-
ened New York has turned down a bill that would
have affirmed nothing more revolutionary than
statutory protection against bias in housing, pub-
lic accommodations and jobs regardless of "sex-
ual orientation." Comparable statutes have been
enacted in many major cities in recent years.
But the questions aired during these weeks
have stirred reflection as well as frenzy. Is our
society "healthier" when most homosexuals feel
obliged. to hide their identities and lead clan-
destine lives? Is it "healthier" when kids appre-
hensively conceal homosexual impulses from their
parents? Is it "healthier" when politicians prove
their manhood by yielding to hysteria? Is it
"healthier" when the Mayor weakly says tie
will sign the bill if it is enacted but timidly
stands mute while the debate goes on?
These and other questions will not fade away.
The next round could have a very dfferent end-
ing.
James Wechsler is Editorial Page Editor of the
New York Post. Copyright 1974, The New York
Post Corp.
THE PICK OF DICK! THE BEST OF WEST!
Hand-held cooler fans out
OORDON ATCHESON
JE"F DAY
CHERYL PILATE ..
JUDY RUSKIN ..
JEFF SORENSEN
BARBARA CORNELL
JANET HARSHMAN
ANDREA LILLY ..
STEPHEN HERSH ...
DAVID WHITING ....
grilg Staff ,
REBECCA WARNER
Editor
MARNIE HEYN
Editorial Director
KEN FIN
Arts Editor
.. Night Editor
Night Editor
R. Night Editor
..,.. Night Editor
RNight Editor
Ass't. Night Editor
Asst. Night Editor
Asst. Night Editor
. .Ass't. Night Editor
By DICK WEST
WASHINGTON (UPI) - With
the approach of the air condi-
tioning season, power compan-
ies are warning of possible
shortages and brownouts.
Is there any way to keep the
deihand for cool air from
swamping the capacity to gener-
ate it?
With that question in mind, I
paid another visit to The Futare
Is Yesterday Foundation.
"You're in luck," Sam Hark-
enback, the manager told me.
"You are just in time to wit-
ness the first test of an air
cooler designed to opera-e sith-
out electric current."
We adjourned to a laboratory
where a number of tecrntcians
in white smocks were making
notations on clipboards.
SEATED IN their midst was
a man, bare from the waist up,
with several electrodes attach-
ed to his skin. In his r igh t
hand he clutched what appear-
ed to be a round piece of
cardboard with a small wooden
handle.
"What's the reading?" l'ar-
kenback barked.
"Eighty-seven-point-six F a h-
renheit," called on if t le tech-
nicians.
"Roger. Begin the ount-
down."
A technician naime-it' tger be-
gan counting backward, When
he reached zero, the iitan in the
chair commenced vavi'n the
objeot in his hand back a n d
forth before his face.
The technicians clustered ex-
citedly around an instrument
that was wired to the electrodes.
After a few tense moments, Bar-
kenback leaped in jubilation.
"IT'S WORKING:" he shout-
ed. "We've got it done to eigh-
ty-seven-point-four.
"We have proved it is pos-
sible to lower the temperature
by stirring the air with a small
hand-held agitator," he said tri-
umphantly.
"Now imagine a room full of
people, say in the auditorium of
a church. Instead of being cool-
ed by central air conditioning,
each person has his own little
agitator with which he c o o I s
himself.
"A funeral home or some such
establishment likely would pro-
vide the agitators free just for
the advertising space."
I don't know whether they
will get all the bugs worked out
in time for this summer's heat
waves. But if energy shortages
persist, agitator cooling may be
the coming thing.
TINKER'S DAM, ORE.-lrs.
Millie Piercelobe was sentenc-
ed to 30 days in jail today after
police caught her husband wear-
ing a shirt with a ring around
the collar.
Appearing before Chief Magis-
trate Banebridge Flickelnurd,
Mrs. Piercelobe claimed she
was unfamiliar with the wash-
day product that removes such
rings.
But the judge told her that ig-
norance of detergents was no
excuse.
Mrs. Piercelobe came under
suspicion after neighbors c o in-
plained that the laundry hang-
ing on her clothesline was less
than "sunshine bright."
Her husband was shadowed
for two days before he loosened
his necktie at a bus stop, en-
abling police to see the inside
of his collar. The shirt was
seized as evidence.
MARC FaLDMAN
Sports Editor
CLARKE COGSDILL.. . . . ....... t.Contributing Sports Editor
GEORGE HAS' TINGS . ........... ... Executive Sports Editor
JOHN KARLER.. . .... . .. , . ..... .. Associate Sports Editor
ROGER ROSSITER. . ....... . . ............. Managing Sports Editor
JOAN ADES .:... .. ........- ... ...,. Circulation Manager
MARK SAN CRAINE
Boiness Manager
KAREN COPEL AND . ....... .................. ........ Display Manager
EMILY HIRN ................... . . . , ......Ofic Ass'
KATHY KELLER .......................... ..... .. ... O ice Ass'.
CASSIE ST. CLAnIR .,.. .... . . ....... . ..... . ...,.. Classified Manager
M UM T.LIEB.... .. . Photographer
KAREN KASISAUSKI.T- - - --...- --..... ..:.. Potographer
"
Letters to the Daily
c m ovement. Once more, we find
roTcDsm:white, well-to-do women making
To The Daily: gains for themselves at t e ex-
TiE EXPLOITATION of do- pense of poor, black people.
mestic workera by middle-class This non - caring about the well-
women, as described in a re- being of anyone but themselves
cent newspaper series (Ann benofanyne the melves
Arbor News, May 15, 16) vivid- characterizes the white wn-
Iy demoostrates the contradic- en's movement, and is well evi-
tions and racism of the feminist (Continued on Page 51