g GAY PEOPLES UNION /MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN/ AUGUST 1973 BULLETIN 32 DIE IN BAR FIRE ARSONISTS STRUCK THE SAN New Orleans -- On Sunday night, Up Stairs Lounge because early FRANCISCO METROPOLITAN COM- June 24, a fire swept through the meetings of the group had been AT 2:40 A.M. Up Stairs Lounge, a gay bar in the held there before they found a MUNITY CHURCH French Quarter leaving 29 per- church. He had not gone with the JULY 27TH. $100,000 DAMAGE sons dead. As this issue of G.P.U. group that night because of a WAS REPORTED, BUT NO ONE WAS NEWS goes to press, three more tooth ache. Receiving a phone call INJURED AND NO CHURCH RECORDS have died of burns and eight are from one of the survivors, he WERE LOST. still hospitalized. Three or four rushed to the hospital, arriving in are on the critical list, barely time to offer aid and comfort as and pastor of the Atlanta church, clinging to life. Four bodies the victims were being admitted. said that he received a telephone remain unidentified and one, In another telephone in- call at about 11 o'clock. He caught identified, remains unclaimed, all terview, Rev. John Gill of Atlanta, the next plane to New Orleans and efforts to locate relatives have the District Co-ordinator of the arrived about 3 o'clock in the proved futile. South East United States, M.C.C. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 14) Among the dead is William R. Larson, 47 interim pastor of the local Metropolitan Community PRIDE WEEK 1973 Church Mission. In a telephone strations limited these events, but interview with G.P.U. NEWS, the press covered both demon- Lucien Baril, worship co- \ti strations as well as the picnic. ordinator of the mission said that Here are some comments on it is believed that 10 to 13 mem- each of the events. bers and friends of M.C.C. Several people attending the perished in the fire. "That Friday July 29th dance at the represents approximately one U.W.M. Union commented on the third of our membership," he constructive atmosphere, con- said. "We are still in a state of trasting it with other gay meeting shock." (CONTINUED ON PAGE 15) Baril explained M.C.C. arnammemt members were quite loyal to the Gay Pride Week in DEL MARTIN Milwaukee in 1973 was the most VICE SQUAD successful pride week ever held VISITS CITY here. A full 10 days of events Del Martin, nationally MEETS G.P.U. happened and some were prominent author and lesbian Efforts by the Police reasonably well attended. This feminist, attracted the best at- Relations Committee of Gay was primarily due to a full two tendance of Gay Pride week when Peoples Union to obtain an in- months of planning and she spoke on Sunday July 8 at The terview with the new Captain of preparation by the Gay Pride Church For All People. the Vice Squad in Milwaukee met Week Planning Group headed by Nearly 175 men and women with limited success on July 26. Joe Schuman. heard her say that, "We are the After several attempts during the The best attendance was for only minority group which has previous week to make an ap- the Del Martin talk which is had to fight like dogs for the pointment, the head of the covered in a separate article. The privilege of being a minority department, Captain Yahnke, next best attendance was for the group." finally agreed. dance and the picnic, showing the She talked about her 20 years The committee began the need for social events. Nearly as of working within the homophile discussion by asking the Captain many attended the two film movement, enduring its dominant to outline the feelings of his showings and the workshops male orientation. With the department concerning gay proving that people really are reawakening of the feminist issues. Arrests in Juneau Park, interested in meeting ideas as movement she got right into it and entrapment, and plain clothes well as people. worked for lesbian rights. She vice officers posing as gay The special awareness and declared, "If gay liberation customers in gay bars were personal freedom needed to happened tomorrow, lesbians (CONTINUED ON PAGE 24) participate in public demon- (CONTINUED ON PAGE 8) 2/gpu news/AUGUST 1973 reasons can be dealt with, as Del it is all old hat Martin so wisely said during it is all over my head editorial Pride Week, by realizing that it is not socially oriented each person comes to a gay group it isn't sufficiently business like Gay Pride Weeks have come for a different reason. Each is a small group dominates the and gone for this year. They have from a somewhat different social, discussions years now. Yet done so for several economical, political, intellectual, I feel pushed into speaking each year we hear of groups of etc. background. Each potentially all the members do is argue gay liberationists folding up their active member of a group is at a it doesn't act as a gay chamber tents and going out of business in different level of awareness of of commerce, better business various cities across the country. what it means to be a homosexual bureau, tavern league and Good They are not quiting because they or lesbian in this place at this Housekeeping Seal of Approval have succeeded and there is no time. So there are many obstacles it is racist and sexist and longer any need for gay to having a group which will be chauvenistic liberationist groups. right for al l people. it associates with leftists and They cease to function for There seems to be only one commies many reasons, and perhaps it way for any group to function and it is dominated by rightwing would be good to examine some of that way is not an easy one. The reactionaries them so that when the time comes way to succeed is to be able to it doesn't preach gay liberation next year to have gay pride realize that the goals that we all the chair person doesn't stop weeks, there will be groups seek are of a sufficient im- people who disagree with me from around to organize them and a lot portance that our individual of proud gay people participating. speaking differences of opinion are very anything that goes on in the gay indifference to the gay people to small by comparison. However, it community must be sponsored by their own oppression seems that few people can set GPU. burning out of the dedicated aside their personal perspectives Etc. ad infinitum ad nauseum. movers and raise their sights to the view I hope that you can read from open hostility from the outside of what is good for the gay intragroup factional fights these negative comments the community as a whole. impossible contradictions GPU is outside takeover by a political What everyone seems to want asked to settle. G.P.U. is an open group is a single, unified belief (for- personality cults and social organization. If you have mulated of course, by someone something that you really want to cliques else but to their own personal accomplish in gay liberation, you group does not tie into needs of liking) and carried forth by a can probably get it done in people strong, smoothly run and ef- G.P.U. If you feel that your each member is unwilling to fective organization in which they work around personal dif- dedication can not fit under the themselves participate only when G.P.U. umbrella, then don't say ferences. they feel that they can spare a few Basically all of these possible that G.P.U. has stopped you!. Get minutes. That is all that is wan- your thing together and start your ted! Just a gay lib utopia! Well, group and see if you can get G.P.U. NEWS is published own dream on brothers and sisters . to help you do your own by the GAY PEOPLES UNION others What is needed, however, to your own way. There is of Milwaukee, P.O. Box 90530, thing even begin to move down the long plenty of room in Milwaukee for Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202. road toward our liberation is a function. All material in the paper is several gay groups to large group of dedicated men and problems to be original and is not copyrighted. There are enough women who have read widely and approaches to If you wish to reproduce any dealt with and take well and who have spent a lot of for groups other than GPU. part of this paper, please note time putting their heads together. G.P.U. NEWS as the source. Look at the success of the Gay These people would realize that Pride Week Planning Group. If you wish to place an ad l iberation will only be possible in future issues, write to us at There was an ad hoc group whose thru a lot of work and a lot of having a the above address for rates and pride and dedication to tolerant forebearance. week of events held them together information. Yet we continue to hear with despite their personal differences, If you want counseling too much frequency that some and they accomplished a great about a homosexual problem person had decided to drop out of or would like to have a speaker deal. G. P. U. for some reason. So if you really want to do it, on the subject for your group, Sometimes they know why and what's stopping you? Certainly contact us at the above will tel l us about it.