The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, May 9, 1978-Page 7
Cities vote on ate of gay rights
Clergy rallies support In Eugene, repeal force
to rescind law in Wichita takes 'different' view
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - The Rev.
Ron Adrian, campaigning to repeal an
anti-discrimination law that protects
homosexuals, says he is raising a "con-
servative voice for moral decency."
Robert Lewis, co-director of the
Homophile Alliance of Sedgwick Coun-
ty, sees it differently. "Civil right is the
issue," he says. "Morals are an in-
dividual matter."
today, the voters of Wichita will
decide in a special election whether to
repeal an amendment to the city's civil
rights ordinance that has made it
illegal to discriminate against
homosexuals in housing, employment
or public accommodations.
It is only the latest in a series of such
votes.
In Miami, a similar amendment was
repealed last fall, after a campaign led
by entertainer Anita Bryant and fun-
damentalist clergymen. Two weeks
ago, a homosexual rights law was
repealed in St. Paul, Minn., in a drive
led by a Baptist minister.
ANOTHER VOTE is scheduled later
this month in Eugene, Ore., (see
related story, this page), but there op-
ponents of the ordinance are down-
playing religious arguments.
Not so in Wichita, an industrial city of
270,000 in the heart of the nation's wheat
belt.
Adrian, 35-year-old pastor of the
Glenville Bible Baptist Church, cites
"the word of God" as he leads the Con-
cerned Citizens for Community Stan-
dards.
HE SAYS THE law lets homosexuals
"flaunt and manifest their lifestyles as
role models for our children," and that
it legislates "a point of view opposed to
the word of God."
His group was formed about two
years ago to fight pornography and X-
rated theaters. Miss Bryant's "Protect
Our Children" group has contributed
$10,000 to the current drive, says the
Miami group's executive director, Ed-
ward Rowe.
Adrian is not the only clergyman in-
volved - and his is not the only side
they support. After Roman Catholic
Bishop David Maloney supported
repeal in a pastoral letter, a group of
dissident priests, nuns and laymen
distributed information supporting the
law.
ADRIAN DISMISSES the notion that
civil rights are involved: "A true
minority is born a minority, like blacks
or Indians," he says. "These people
choose the way they live." He calls the
law "an effort on the part of a small
group of people to ask us to approve of
their immoral lifestyle."
Lewis, on the other hand, insists that
since the law was adopted, "the gay
community has established itself as a
viable part of this community," and he
insists that civil rights is the issue: "I
certainly stand up for their(opponents')
right to believe the way they do. I
morally feel that homosexuality is all
right."
Wichita's city commission adopted
the ordinance Sept. 27, 1977, barring
discrimination on the basis of "sexual
and affectional preference." Since
then, four complaints have been filed -
one by Lewis, 29, who quit as a state
social worker in March after accusing
his superiors of harassment. All the
complaints are under investigation.
Adrian, whose group collected 26,000
signatures on petitions to force
Tuesday's vote, says the campaign is
costing $50,000. Lewis says his group
will have spent $5,000.
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) - In this
university city, the campaign to repeal
a homosexual rights law is doing
without outside aid and quotations from
the Bible.
Instead, the repeal group says
homosexuality is only a lifestyle - a
question of choice, which the law has no
business protecting.
WHEN THE MATTER comes up for
a vote May 23, it will be the fourth such
repeal referendum to go before voters
in cities that have adopted homosexual
rights ordinances in the last several
years.
In Miami, Fla., and in St. Paul,
Minn., repeal efforts led by fundamen-
talist ministers have achieved lopsided
success. In Wichita, Kan., a similar
movement has forced a vote today. All
those drives relied heavily on argumen-
ts that homosexuality is immoral.
But this campaign is different. It
argues, primarily, that homosexuality
simply is not like race or religion.
"WE THINK it's a lifestyle
question," said Larry Dean, campaign
manager for VOICE (Volunteers
Organized in Continuing Enactments).
"We've never seen legislation passed to
protect a lifestyle. It's not a legislative
issue."
Eugene, a city of about 100,000, is
home of the University of Oregon. The
amendment, which added sexual orien-
tation to the list of categories for which
the city's civil rights ordinance forbids
discrimination, passed the City Council
last November. It did not go into effect,
however; because 10,000 signatures
were quickly collected on petitions to
refer it to a popular vote.
Dean acknowledges that moral issues
are involved somewhat - that op-
ponents of gay rights fear the law will
make homosexuality more acceptable
and encourage homosexuals to flaunt
their lifestyle.
BUT MAUREEN Geiber, another
VOICE leader, says the issue is that
employers and landlords should not be
forced to accept homosexuals if they
find their way of life offensive.
"Homosexuals are free to practice it,
to preach it and advertise it. What else
do they want," she said. "Society has
never accepted homosexuality as being
natural."
Larry Monical, a member of the
Eugene Citizens for Human Rights,
which wants to keep the ordinance, is
skeptical about the differences between
this campaign and others.
"THE OPPOSITION is getting a lot
slicker and a lot slyer," he says. "But
we think the average citizen can see
through it. At the bottom of everything
they say is the same sort of myths."
He rejects the notion that
homosexuals have a different claim
than others to protection from bias.
"The effects of discrimination are the
same whether you are black or gay," he
says, calling it "a legitimate human
rights question."
But even Monical concedes VOICE'S
financial independence, saying both
sides are avoiding outside help. In St.
Paul and Wichita, the repeal moveien-
ts were aided by entertainer Anita
Bryant's group, the architects of repeal
in Miami.
So far, VOICE has raised more than
$15,000, but Monical's group, claims
even more success - more than $25,000
toward a$50,000 goal.
Monical said he expects the vote to be
close.
GROUP WILL FOCUS ON NURSING H OMES:
Cohen selects panel on abuse
By MICHAEL ARKUSH
A special panel was named yesterday directive issued by Gov. William Other panel members include Dr.
to recommend ways to prevent further Milliken to Cohen in early March Harold Johnson, a University geron-
incidents of abuse and neglect at nur- requesting the task force undertake the tology worker; Lois Lamont, deputy
sing homes, homes for the aged and "role of reviewing the method by which director of DSS; Dr. Leslie Shimp, an
adult foster care facilities. abuse cases are addressed in other assistant professor at the College of
The panel was chosen by Wilbur state institutions that provide live-in Pharmacy; Dr. Hermann Ziel, a mem-
Cohen, University education school care and treatment programs." ber of the bureau of public health care
dean and chairman of another task for- Cohen said the panel must report its administration and Gary Bass, an
ce investigating charges of abuse and findings to the task force before May 30. assistant to the Cohen task force.
neglect at the Plymouth Center for
Human Development. The group will
review reports from the Department of The Ann Arbor Film Cooperative
Social Services (DSS) and the Citizens
for Better Care which indicate cases of presents at AUD. A
abuse and neglect at various nursing TUESDAY, MAY 9-ADMISSION FREE
homes and adult foster care facilities. THE UNHOLY THREE
COHEN NAMED Joan Guy, (Tod Browning, 1925) 7 only-AUD. A
President of the Michigan Nursing Silent horror classic by Tod Browning (FREAKS, DRACULA), one of the most
Association, to chair the panel. perverse and morbid film directors Hollywood ever generated. The plot revolves
Guy said yesterday that the commit- around the criminal exploits of a ventriloquist (Lon Chaney), a circus strongman
tee will focus on ways the state gover- (Victor McLaglen), and a midget (Harry Earles). "A startling original achievement
nment can eliminate the obstacles which takes its place with the very best films ever made."-N.Y. TIMES.
preventing good treatment for patients THE INVISIBLE MAN
in the various facilities.
"We will look at what other (James Whole, 1933) 8:30 only-AUD. A
organizations have come up with and CLAUDE RAINS turns in a first-rate performance as the hero of H.G. Well's tale,
then try to decide what the best ways of a demented scientist who has successfully made himself transparent and
now wants to rule the world. Spectacular camera effects abound in this horror
would be for involving the state agen- classic.
cies in preventing further abuse," Guy Tomorrow: Malle's "FRANTIC" and "A VERY PRIVATE AFFAIR"
said.
THE NEW PANEL is the result of a ____ w
Sat., Sun., Wed., 1-3-5-7-9