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August 15, 1980 - Image 3

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Michigan Daily, 1980-08-15

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The Michigan Daily-Friday, August 15, 1980-Page 3
. .. ...... . Conveution Reports
Gay s and lesbians lobby Dems
at convention or their rights

By KEVIN TOTTIS
Special to The Daily
NEW YORK-Executives in business suits, men
and women in t-shirts and jeans, women dressed in
blazers, skirts, and dresses-a total of 77 people-are
all here to purge the country of "one of the last 'ac-
ceptable' forms of discrimination" and lobby for
their common interest-gay rights.
The presence of the 77 members who make up the
Gay and Lesbian Caucus contrasts sharply with the
gay presence of the Democratic convention four
years ago, when only two delegates were publicly
gay.
THE GAY VOICE is powerful now-powerful
enough to succeed in having a gay rights clause put in
the civil rights plank of the Democratiac platform:
all groups must be protected from
discrimination based on race, color, religion,
national origin, language, age, sex, or sexual orien-
tation...'

The caucus consists of 43 delegates, 27 alternates,
and seven volunteers.
Harold Wells, a caucus member and Iowa delegate,
said the main focus of the caucus was to "make gay
rights a concern of the convention." He said the
group was fairly successful and got support from
several feminist organizations.
SHEILA WILLIAMS, a California alternate and
caucus member, said she feels that in addition to gay
rights, the caucus deals with the broader subject of
human rights.
"We are strong human rights supporters; we've
tried to build a coalition based on that," she said.
Both she and Wells felt that most of the delegates
had been responsive rather thancritical of their at-
tempts, as did Jerry Krieger, another California
alternate and caucus member. "I got no negative
remarks," he said. He added although he came from
a liberal state, he found the delegates from more con-
servative states were also supportive. "A woman I

know from Utah complimented us on having a good
and respectful demonstration," he said.
LAST NIGHT, THE members of the caucus
demonstrated on the convention floor urging fellow
Democrats to continue support for gay rights. The
demonstration coincided with the nomination of
Melvin Boozer, a District of Columbia delegate for
vice-president, in another effort to stir up support for
gay rights.
Both Krieger and Wells agreed the gay community
has gained power in some areas during the past four
years. Wells said California and New York were two
states where gay delegates had some clout.
Many of the delegates were supporters of Edward
Kennedy. According to Wells, there is still some am-
bivalence on the part of the gay delegates to support
President Carter. Consequently the caucus members
varied in their support of Carter's handling of gay
rights issues.
"I'M NOT TERRIBLY optimistic about Carter," a
See GAY, Page 7

Christians, in
largest protest,
hail morality

By ELAINE RIDEOUT
Special to The Daily
NEW YORK-About 1,500 local
Christians asking Americans to "vote
morality" staged the largest demon-
stration held so far at the Democratic
convention yesterday, but were largely
ignored by delegates, police officers,
and members of the news media.
Nine police officers standing on the
steps of the post office located across
from Madison Square Garden watched
idly as protesters shouted their op-
position to abortion, ERA, divorce,
homosexuality, and laws prohibiting
school prayer.
ACCORDING TO OFFICER Ernest
Blount, the New York police depar-
tment expected little trouble from the
Christians, although they had been
prepared for violence at Wednesday's
anti-draft protest, which was watched
by several hundred police officers.
"There was a lot of tension in the air
at the anti-draft demonstration,"
Blount said. "But these are a different
kind of people. I think it's because they
believe in godliness and cleanliness,"
he added.
"We are gathered at this convention
because we care about what is hap-
pening to America," said Jim McCot-
ter, a rally organizer. "We believe in
legislation for morality. We are asking
for laws to stop the slaughter of our un-
born."
THE SPEAKER BECKONED to an
unwed mother carrying a blond-haired
child of about three years old. "I want
every pro-abortonist to look into the
face of this child who would have been
dead had they got their way," McCotter
said.
"The issue is not abortion or non-

abortion, the issue is morality and im-
morality," he said.
Tom Short of Iowa State University
said, "It is not the Democrats, the
Republicans, or the Independents. If
any politician doesn't stand up for
moral issue, he will be thrown out in the
1980s."
PAT SPITZ, ALSO, from Iowa State
University, said, "Unless this nation
will humble itself, we will soon be
See CHRISTIANS, Page 11
Pro-life rs
end up at
odds With
emocrat s
By JOSHUA PECK
Special to The Daily
NEW YORK - You can't really tell
them from any other Democrats at the
convention. They certainly don't look
like supporters of what some call a
reactionary idea. But at the end of the
convention's platform fight, the anti-
abortion lobbyists (their generic
name), or the pro-lifers (their name for
themselves) ended up at odds with the
rest of the Democratic party.
The reason: While the number of pro-
lifers at the convention was relatively
large, their influence was small. The
See PRO-LIFERS, Page14

Names campaign chair
Independent presidential candidate John Anderson yesterday named Mary
Crisp as his national campaign chairwoman. Crisp left a senior post with the
Republican National Committee in a bitter dispute over women's issues last
month. Anderson said Crisp would'have "major responsibilities" in his cam-
paign, including formulation of political strategy and fund-raising.

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