The Washington Blade, October 23, 1981

              VOL. 12, NO. 21 • OCT. 23, 1981 e IN TWO SECTIONS 504P OUTSIDE OF D.C./BALTIMORE AREAS
THE GAY NEWSPAPER OF THE NATION'S CAPITAL
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Conflict
arises over
'82 march
by Lou Chibbaro, Jr.
Leaders of the National Organintion
of Lesbians and Gays [NOLAG] —who
just two weeks ago voted to schedule
another national Gay rights march on
- Washington for next May 2 — are now
hotly debating whether the date should
be changed,
Talk of changing the date follows
news this week that militant demonstra-
- lions against President Reagan's eco-nomic
policies are set to occur here and
Continued on page A-11
This scene from the October 14, 1979 March on Washington may be
duplicated on May 2—or some other date in 1982, depending on
resolution of a conflict.
_Organizers see diversity, others see red
NOLAG-the new national group
by Lou Chibbaro, Jr.
Discussion at a national Gay rights
conference in Los Angeles last April
had been progressing congenially until a
delegate from California introduced a
"sexual freedom" resolution. The reso-lution
defended drag queens, transvest-ites,
and transsexuals as well as those
who engage in such activities as
"sadomasochism, cross-generational
sex, and prostitution."
Suddenly, delegates began screaming
at one another. Some said failure to pass
the resolution would betray sexual
minorities within the Gay community.
Others said the resolution's passage
would be interpreted as condoning
child molesting and exploitation of Gay
young persons, both male and female. A
number of delegates threatened to walk
out and denounce the conference if the
motion passed.
Eventually, the resolution was de-feated
by a vote of 35 to 33, with six
delegates abstaining. When the dust
had settled, delegates lauded themselves
for addressing, rather than avoiding,
issues considered vital to many Gays.
By the time the conference adjourned,
the delegates had founded the National
Organization of Lesbians and Gays
[NOLAG], declared themselves united,
and confidently predicted the new
group would emerge as an influential,
national Gay rights organization.
The sexual freedom issue was only
one of 29 resolutions discussed at the
conference and the only one that gener-ated
such emotion. Yet, controversy
and emotional debate have surrounded
many of the delegates who attended
NOLAG's founding conference, lead-ing
some critics to charge that NOLAG
members appear to be overly concerned
with being "ideologically pure" rather
than pushing for realistic, achievable
goals.
NOLAG spokespersons, however,
insist they have turned controversy into
an advantage.
"Lesbians and Gay men make up a
diverse group," said NOLAG member
Eric Rofes, a Gay activist from Boston.
"There is strength in diversity, and we
intend to build on this strength."
Spokespersons say NOLAG differs
from most existing Gay groups by
breaking from the long standing policy
of avoiding involvement in issues that
don't directly relate to Gay rights, mak-ing
it a "multi-issue" organization.
Among the issues approved at the
confeimce, for example, was a resolu-tion
condemning U.S. involvement in
El Salvador, one calling for U.S. partic-ipation
in a 1946 United Nations treaty
addressing worldwide genocide, and
another approving a boycott of products
from the Adolph Coors Brewing Com-pany
of Golden, Colorado.
Another difference from other groups,
NOLAG supporters say, is a demon-strated
commitment to attract large
numbers of Lesbians and minorities
such as Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and
American Indians. And still another
difference, according to members, is a
populist oriented structure whereby all
members participate in decision making
through annual conferences and elected
Continued on page A-10
Protest
planned
at Falwell
banquet
by Jim Marks
When Jerry Falwell hosts a recruiting
and fundraising dinner at the Twin
Bridges Marriott Hotel in Arlington, on
Tuesday, October 27, there will be pro-testers
outside. Their message: "We
will not tolerate Falwell's attempts to
organize his hate group in our city."
The chief force behind the October
27 demonstration is Buddy Maupin,a
union organizer for AFSCME. Accor-ng
to Maupin, when he received woird
of the planned dinner, he realized that it
provided a good opportunity for a mass
action. He began calling various organi-zations,
such as the local chapters of the
National Organization for Women and
the Reproductive Rights Network
Nationwide, the Gay Activists Alliance,
and Dignity [Gay Catholics]. He also
leafletted in the Dupont Circle, Adams
Morgan, and Capitol Hill areas and at
various local colleges.
Although this is not a Gay organized
demonstration, Maupin said that Gays
have been the most enthusiastic suppor-ters
of the idea.
Further planning for the demonstra-tion
took place at an Oct. ber 20 meet-ing
at the University of Maryland. The
participants at the meeting gave various
reasons for opposing Falwell. Some
objected to his efforts to limit free
speech and impose censorship; others
were upset by his efforts to base legisla-tion
on religious tenents, and still others
Continued on page A-3
Gay man
named
to police
review
board
by Brad Green
Mayor Marion Barry announced the
appointment October 15 of Joe Tom
Easley to the new board being charged
with reviewing complaints against offic-ers
in the district's Police Department.
Easley is a professor at the Antioch
School of Law and a prominent local
- Gay activist. It was Rasley's efforts on
behalf of the Gay Activists Alliance that
helped secure the passage of legislation
creating the new board.
Known officially as the Citizens
Review Board, the new panel is respon-sible
for investigations into specific
complaints against individual officers
alleging harassment, excessive use of
force, or the use of demeaning language.
Based on its investigations the panel
will recommend specific discinplinary
action, if appropriate, against the officer
involved. If the Chief of Police proposes
to take any action other than that
recommended by the board, the mayor
may then step in to resolve the dispute.
F.asley's appointment was one of five
selections to the board announced by
the mayor. Easley will fill one of two
three year terms. The other initial
appointments are for one and two year
terms. Easley is the only openly Gay
person named to the board so far. The
chairman of the City Council, Arring-ton
Dixon, is required to make two
• .•
Continued on page A-3