Gay Era (Lancaster, PA)
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LGBT History Project of the LGBT Center of Central PA Located at Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections http://archives.dickinson.edu/ Documents Online Title: Gay Era (Lancaster, PA) Date: March 1976 Location: LGBT-001 Joseph W. Burns Collection Periodicals Collection Contact: LGBT History Project Archives & Special Collections Waidner-Spahr Library Dickinson College P.O. Box 1773 Carlisle, PA 17013 717-245-1399 [email protected] “SNUFF” SNUFFED Philadelphia feminists, coordinated by I DYKETACTICS! - a radical feminist lesbian collective - shortened the run of the movie "Snuff’' from a scheduled three-week engagement to one and a half days. I "Snuff" is a commercialization of a type of underground pornographic film in which the actual murder and dismember ment of women takes place. According to straight press accounts which appeared in the New York Times last summer,the underground films were being made in Argentina and distributed in the U.S. for private showings at $200.00 each. The commercial venture was protested here because the film's advertising made it unclear whether actresses in the film are actually murdered. The ads are also racist, saying: "Filmed in South America where life is cheap !" When concerned women from the com munity in which the film was to be shown attempted to negotiate with the theatre's managemen they were refused a meet ing. DYKE a ACTICS! called their own meeting and twenty women attended. It was pointed out that when men at tempt to act out the violent fantasies this type of film inspires, lesbians become victims as do other women who are not escorted by men. Since demonstrations can function for capitalists as free advertising, DYKE TACTICS! determined from the outset that no profits would be made from the showing of this film in our community. Eight women were willing to be arrested if necessary to guarantee this goal. new* About 25 people attended the confer ence, comprising most of the major gay AO DYKETACTICIAA newspapers of the East Coast of the Unit ed States and Canada.Newspapers repre sented at the conference included Phila PROTECTIOA ABDUCTED delphia Gay News, Pittsburgh Gay News, Ohio EasTGay News, High Gear (Cleve- land), Maverick (Hew York), tlie Barb (Cleveland), The Empty Closet (Roches- FROm E.E.O.C. PHILADELPHIA - A member of ter), The Body~Politic (Toronto), and DYKETACTICS! , the lesbian-feminist zap group, was abducted in broad day GCN. At a news and features workshop which Thomas F. Coleman, a Los Angles light late Monday afternoon, January 12 opened the conference, the first gay news attorney, has alerted the National Gay in Philadelphia, by two men who asked service was established. Task Force that in a yet to be published her for directions. The other significant decision taken at ruling , the Equal Employment Oppor The kidnappers put a gun to the wom the conference was to explore possibili tunity Commission has decided that "sex an's back and forced he* into a car. In ties of getting national advertising for the ual preference" is not a protected classi side the car they placed a drug-soaked gay press. The nine newspapers repre fication for purposes of EEOC jurisdic cloth over her face, causing her to lose sented have a circulation of more than tion. consciousness. As she periodically re 100,000. It is hoped that a combined front The decision was embodied in decision gained consciousness, they reapplied the could be presented to advertising agen numbers 7667 and 7675 reached last cloth to make her pass out again. cies which would allow an advertiser to November 10th by the EEOC. One was a The abductors drove the woman to advertise in all nine newspapers. case of discriminatory hiring, the other Camden where they pushed her through Promotion, distribution, public rela a discharge case. the window of an abandoned house. For tions, and staffing were among subjects The EEOC is stalling on sending out about two hours she was held prisoner also discussed at the conference work copies of the decision, but the NGTF is in the house and interrogated about her shops. Several newspapers discussed in the process of obtaining copies from sexual identity, her activities and about their problems with having male and fe the proverbial well-placed government the people whose names they found on male staff working together. GCN ap source. More news of this development papers and letters in her pockets. peared to be the only newspapers repre will come in the near future. The men drove the woman to a park sented that had a significant lesbian pres- There was a similar situation which in Camden, where they pushed her out cence both on their staff and in their was confronted by the U.S. Department of the car. It was dark and the tempera newspaper. Except for GCN representa of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), ture was below freezing. When she tives, all the conference participants a Cabinet-level department, late in 1975. woke up, her shirt and hat were gone and were male. A case of discrimination in housing was her shoes were some distance away. Her For many, an equally vital part of the brought to them by a gay couple, Louie jacket was slashed up the back. conference took place in the informal Crew and Ernest Clay. Although HUD The kidnap is not an isolated incident. sessions outside the official format. It does not yet have a specific clause in According to DYKETACTICS! , further was the first time that members of the their regulations that would state that harassment has been directed towards gay press could meet each other, share they have jurisdiction in the area of "sex other active lesbian-feminists. Another experiences and common problems, and ual preference", HUD resolved the case politically active woman was questioned make valuable contacts. favorably for the gay couple anyway. The for directions in the same location by a The newspapers represented at the rest of our governmental agencies, man who fit the description of one of the Boston conference agreed to meet again including the EEOC, could profit by this kidnappers. Both a white tow truck and in Philadelphia on May 8 to continue dis- example. - NGTF a white van were reportedly following women around the time of the incident. CU8S-GAY COMMUNITY NEWS, BOSTON Since then, repeated telephone harass ment has occured and obstacles includ ing a firecracker have been hurled at LESBIAA specific women. DYKETACTICS! is asking women to A.B.C. AEW/ report such harassment to local lesbi an groups in Philadelphia in order to mOTHER log such reports for documentation. On a more positive note, NBC has ac knowledged gay rights to be a national issue in its 1975 year-end report on FILA1 PROJECT "What America Thinks" (not bad - it's only been 334 years since Thomas Gran ger was executed for sodomy in Ply- mouth). Iris Films is presently doing research AEW/PAPER Over 2,800 people, more than twice and fundraising for a film about Lesbian the usual sample size, were interviewed Mothers and child custody which will be across the country. Among the questions produced in the summer of 1976. COAFEREACE asked was one deliberately chosen for Their commitment is to produce and its "sensitive nature": Should homosex distribute women's films which will con uals be allowed to become teachers? tribute to social change. BOSTON - At the first meeting of the Although a plurality (48%) responded They would like to hear from women gay press ever held, representatives of negatively, 40% did respond "yes" - a who have been or are now involved in nine gay newspapers met in the Boston much higher figure than many legislators Lesbian Mother's child custody cases. office of the Gay Community News (GCN) would like to believe. Since they cannot make the film with and agreed to fcrm a gay press associa- NBC is also seeking storylines and out funds, and with a budget of $25,000, tion. The newspapers also decided to themes with gay concerns and gay char they need at least $5,000 to start the set up a news service and to explore co acters. If you have any ideas for con film. All contributions will be apreci- operation in advertising. The conference, sideration, please send brief, one- ated for this vitally important and nec which was called by GCN and chaired by paragraph summaries to: Ginny Vida, essary film. its acting managing editor, Lyn Rosen, Please mail contributions to: Iris took place during the weekend of Feb. NGTF Storyline Project, Room 506, 80 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York Films, P.O Box 26463, Los Angelos, Ca. 14-16. 10011. -NGTF 90026. hibits the publishing of ads "offensive to in ukE T1EW5 public decency". A British Columbia human rights board of enquiry ordered Canada’s third largest newspaper on Jan. 12 to make advertising columns available to GATE and to refrain from discrimination towards such groups in the future. Under the powers of the /TRTE HIRIAG GRY province's Human Rights Code, the Sun was ordered to pay $500 in damages” The Sun has filed an appeal in the B.C. REGULATIOAS GEOGRAPHERS Supreme Court and it is possible the issue could go as far as the Supreme Court of Canada, where it would be a NEW YORK - The National Meeting of major test of gay rights. Pennsylvania became the first state to the Association of American Geograph set a new precedent at the state level in its revised Personnel Rules and Regula ers (AAG) will be held in New York City, tions which were distributed to its em April 11-14 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.