Vol. 2, No.8 Memphis, Tennessee· August, :1981 F:irst M�rch & Rally ,. ·' Draws "Surprising" Suppor:t May evoked crowd partiCipation·. by By Regina Rus�ell ·saying, "Repeat after me:l am a Tennes;sean ! 1 and I'm proud. I am a Memphian an<l I'm MEMPHIS--The firstopenly Lesbian and proud ... ! am a Lesbian and I'm proud.\.. For Gay mareh in the city's histoey drew over 100 , those men in the audience who migh t fe el partici pants who marched frbm Peabody \mc omfortable saying 'I am a Lesbian,"' just 'rem ember that the word 'woman' alW:ays Park to Overton Park Shell Ju�El28 where the crowd grew to 15 0 for the first".annual Ga y includ €s 'man."' · · - . .: � : � ·and Les bian.Pride Week Rally. Members of the Gay Pride Wee k: '81 The atmosphere in PeabOdy Park was · Committee said �hat Channel13(W HBQ-TV) described as ''fe stive" by marchers gear ing provided "excellent·and fair coverage" o�the up for the one-mile trek to <1>terton Park. 'march and ra lly. The-event was ignbted, l',farchers sported balloons, 'li few roller . however, by the other 4 TV stations and'the skates,. and of course, signs ;and banners. ·major newspapers. The Commercial App�al, Signs included "Heterosexism ,c l;ln be cured, " :which ran a story on Gay Pride Week even ts "Somebody you lo ve is Gay ,"· 'iLife, liberty ­ : in numerous other cities, ignored the events .and the pursuit of happiness: fpr. all," and ' in Memphis. Several radio stations did report numerous others. Marchers �·sang and the ·events and some read advance public chanted as they proceeded, "T wo, four, six, service announcements of the week's ·h ow do you know your kid is straight?." ; activities. The GP W '81 had sent advance 1y is just as good as str�ight." ' press release to the majo.r media in Memphis. nlooker reaction wasi surprisingly . Ric. Sullivan of the GPW '81 Co mmi *te, tb le . "On ly one or two people reacted said that th e turnout for th � march and/rally vely ," said marcher Ch arlie McMullen. was "excellent, conside ring it was the flrst nan driving by on Cooper Street gave 100 marchers auembled In Peabody Parkfor city's first l'l\8rch In support of Lesbian and Gay' time ever and considering th e fears that most th umbs down sign aQd a :j eep full of rights. (MoiW Pbotoe and ltorln on Gay Pride Week on pages 8 a 7.) Gays have in Memphis." Some mem�rs nf ks jeered:"as we entered Overton Park." the co mm ittee speculated that next year's mierous onlookers · ch!lered the Lea Hopkins, who le d the march, to ld the ..Steiner said, "I think this march is very march would draw far larger crow� . ers with app lause and ,"ri ght-on" crowd that she was proud of the Gay and important. We (ll'e presently in a time of such Su�livan said, "N ow that they (Gays nli)t Some joined the march 'along the Lesbian community in Memphis, "my second incredible intolerance in this country that it is attending this year's march ) have seen that : \ home.'' She noted that her home, Kansas frightening .. .It is time for us to stand up and we' actually did it right here in Memphis anp A lone protester, an unidentified man City, had drawn 150pe ople fo r its fourth Ga y speak up and be heard! No one is going to that we did it success fully, I think a lot mo�e with Arkansas plates on his pickup truck, Pride March and noted that the crowd in fight the tough fight for Gay right!! unless , Gays .will be willing to march next time. " · · � fo llowed the mar.c hers and photographed Memphis was "surprising" for its first one. Ga y people. all over this country �t art Tom Marshall, who coordinated the GPW them. The man placed a sign reading "But," she added, "where are the 79,900 who speaking out against these kinds of anti­ '81 march security, force, said that the police "Homosexuals are Go dless Perverts" along are not here?'' American bills and attitudes." .,' escorts provided by the MPG were extremely . the .march route. The sign was ripped up by a Commenting on the lone protestor and Johnson told the crowd •. "It is far easier helpfu l and courteous . The leader oftln:pol ice marcher. The man appeared at the rally with the Moral Majority, Hopkins said, "What do for bigots to la sh out at th,ose who differ from escorts told Marshall that. fhe marc� was an identical sign and held it for a short.time at your signs say .. 'love,' 'proud,' 'good' ... our themselves than to fight the hatred and "v ery orderly.'' He added that ·he. lo oked signs always speak of loving and giving and the back of the Shell. The rna � put down his bigotry in themselves ... It is because of the · forward to seeing the marchers next year. theirs sign an d left the shell when keyno te speaker · being proud. But what do ·bigots that we are he re today. And beta use The ·ov erton Park rally was ended by Lea Hopkins was introduced.: say ... 'Godless,' 'perverts,' 'hate,' 'bad,' thes.e people really object to our 'coming qJ.lt' a"symbolic balloon re le ase" as the audience "J ust look at that," Hopkins said, "just 'kill'... and they say they are preaching love? or 'flaunting,' they really should go after· let go of their helium-fllled balloons which the mention of the name 'Lea Hopkil:ts' sent Other speakers at the ra lly were Julie Reverend · Cl1uck (Charles Britt) ... He has read "Gay Pride Week '81 Memphis" oh one the man out of the park." Debbie BootS Steiner of the ACLU of Tenn essee, Bill brought more Gays out of the closet in side and "Love Som ebody No Matter Who" on receiv ed thunderous applause as she picked Johnson,' editor of Gaze, and Audrey May of Me mphis; Tennessee than any other the other. up the man's sign and tore it up� the Nation·al Organization for Women. �e mphian/' .Black Group Protests Memph_is Bar's I.D. Policy By Mike Bush and Regina Russell . Committee, said the Barracks had Do n Rossignoll, part owner Of Ge orge's federal .·court tomorrow to request an discriminated against Blacks ·s ince its recent and the Barracks, co mp la ined that· "T his injunction to stop the Barracks fmm MEMPHIS--A group of about 40 peop le opening. "B la ck people are always asked for march was instigated by ·people who have discrim in ating against Blacks." She noted · picketed the Barracks on July 3, charging the at least one J.D., and usually they're asked for . �othing to do with my bar." Pointing to the that, while it is legal for the management to bar with racial discrimination by its policy of three, while whites just breeze on in.'' white pr otesters, he said, "This is not my request as many I.D:'s as they like, they must · asking titree or fo ur I.D.'s fr om Black Danny Ray, manager and part owner of. clientele.." ask everyone for the same number of J.D.'s. the Barracks, denied that the club customers and fr equ ently declaring the I.D.'s Sherri Meyers, attorney for Memphis Continued on pa ge 11 invalid. discriminates against Blacks . "We only ask Area l;egal Services, said, "We can go to. The picket was organized by the for an J. D. if we don't know somebody," he Memphis Committee, a predominately Black said. r---------------------�-------, Gay rigbts organi zation. Although on ly 12 "Several whites however, who had never been to the Barracks and cou ld not have been members of the Memphis Committee · QUOTATION. MARKS.... I parti cipated in the pickets, they were joined known by the management, presented . I by about 30 supporters, bothBl ack and white. themselves at the bar before the protest and "Homosexua l is wh o you go to bed · "To submit to the pressure of immoral I Others refused to cross the picket li ne. were not asked· to sh ow an I.D.,'' Ca lh oun Protestors wore t-shirts painted with said. with. Gay is a whole li festyle.'' societal prejudice . is immoral. Self­ I· slogans such as "No Blacks Allowe d" and One protester, James Jones, said, "Two . --Jim Donovan, ·Chattanooga activist respecting people do not submit. Self­ I "B lacks. 3, Wh ites 0. " Prior to the young white guys were ahead of me in li ne. res pect is what I am tryi�g to inculcate I . into my people .. " -Frank Kameny "demonstration, the.Memphis Co mmittee had When they got to the window (where a sign is "If they pick up what Procter & sent "t est'' cases to the Barracks door to see posted, 'three I.D.'s required') one of them· •• Gamble has cast off-and there are plentY. "The person wh o is too old to learn whether or not they would be asked for said, 'I haven't got an I. D. All I've got are I of sponsors waiting in li ne--the company was probably always too old to learn." "unreasonable" J.D.'s. Se�ral whi tes were credit cards. But he has an I.D.,' he said, I will have accomplished nothing except to --unk nown perm it ted to enter without: the show of I.D., poi nting· to his friend.