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'
---~--------------------------------------------------------·
Serving Gay Men and Women
throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region
Gay to_ he
at Dem.
by Lou Romano
WASHING TON - A coalition of gay
Democrats has announced plans to place
the name of a gay person in nomination for
President of the United States at the
Democratic Party ·convention in New
York.
The coalition, organized by D.C. gay
activist Paul Kuntzler, said it plans to take
advantage of a little known party rule
which permits condidates to be placed in
nomination on the convention floor if a
minimum of 50 delegates sign a petition
"The value of 15 minutes of prime
television time on two or three networks
cannot be overstated," Kuntzler told
members of the Gertrude Stein
Democratic Club late last month.
In a formally prepared statement, the
plan's supporters declared: "(T)he hqpes
of those of us who believed that the
Democratic Party would respond to oor
struggle for individual dignity and personal
freedom as gay citizens were
crushed as platform committee members
led by the Carter organization and party
officials rushed to accommodate them-,
Nominated
Convention
selves to political expediency. They
produced a document which did not even
recognize our existence .... "
"We now realize that there is no longer
any realistic possibility that the
Democratic party this year will willingly
_r~ognize «Jllr legi.timate grievances. Thus
we are faced with not only being left
behind but . having the tiny gains we
realized four years ago wiped away. But
there is another choice.
When (Democratic Party Chairman
Robert) Strauss and his cohorts were busy
last fall closing up the political process,
they overlooked one avenue: the
nomination route. We have discovered
that convention rules will permit us to
place in nomination for President the
name of a gay person and thereby bring
the concerns of gay people to the oonvention
floor before national television· in
prime time."
Kuntzler said a press conference announcing
the coalition's plans t0cnominate
a gay person for president would be held.in
early July.
. supporting the candidate. G p d · B Kuntzler told The Blade after carefully · • ' 7 6 • · reviewing convention rules, discussing the .\a y ' . r~ . • e. . \ ' . . r1n gs tactic with party lawyers and examining .
party documentism, he is convinced that
unless the convention rules are changed by
a majority of the 3,008 delegates, "there B a- T are nolegalobsticles to accomplishing this . I g urn out goal.'' Supporters of the plan also note that
it will not be difficult to obtain the required .
50 signatures since delegates are legally
free to sign a candidate's petition even if
they are committed by law to vote for
someone else.
, }5:untzler .said the plan calls for the
nation's two openly gay delegates and a
possible third gay delegate, who at this
writing has not been officially chosen, to
carry the strategy to its fruition. The two
delegates so far are Jean O'Leary of the
National Gay Task Force, who was elected
as a Udall delegate in New York, and
Josephine (Jo) Daly~ Gay Community
Liaison with the San Francisco Human
Rights Commission. Daly won a position
on the slate of California Governor Jerry
Brown.
Coalition spokes~ple say gay political
leaders are being contacted across the
country for suggestions on selection of a
candidate. However, Kuntzler noted that
the crucial task will be the selection of an
articulate ' spokesperson to · make the
nominating speech. Under party rules, all
candidates are permitted a 15 minute
nominating speech on the convention
rostrum.
Photo by Ralph
_.;.. .... ,P h.. .o... to Essay Inside . ....
WASHINGTON--The second , annual finalized until three weeks before the
Washington D.C. Gay Pride Day was held actual date, and publicity was extremely
June 20th in a cordoned-off section of the late. In view of these factors, the
1700 block of Twentieth Street, N.W. · celebration, as it was, may be deemed a
Despite the threat of rain, the high-spirited success.
festivities proceeded smoothly and on Numerous area gay and lesbian
. schedule. Frank Akers, staff member of organizations sponsored information and
The Blade, coordinated the block party or fund-raising booths. GAA DC had a
with the help and support of various in- coin-toss. The Gay · Men's Counselling
dividuals and groups within the Collective sold balloons. The Sexuality
Washington gay community. Estimates of Task Force of D.C. N.O.W. held various
crowd size varied from three thousand to fund-raising activities with proceeds going
five thousand with men curiously out- both toward legal fees for Mary Jo Risher,
numbering women (since last year's a lesbian mother fighting to regain
celebration appeared to be an even custody of her child, and toward the newly
balance of the sexes). formed Gay Rights National Lobby. - .
Akers feels that the block party was a The presence of ' Betty Fairchild afld
success spiritually, if not financially. members of her Parents of Gays as well as
Backers of the.celebration have reported ·an organized group of parents who are
costs exceeded returns from the various themselves gay constituted an ironic
money-making ventures. Nonetheless, contrast to recent public criticism of the
response has been overwhelmingly designation of Gay Pride Day by a
positive, and there is talk of a bigger, unanimous vote of Washington's city
better organized Gay.Pride Day next year. council. Earlier in the week, Calvin
Plans for t~ year's party were not continued on page 2
Object Description
Description
| Title | Page 1 |
| Transcript | ' ---~--------------------------------------------------------· Serving Gay Men and Women throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region Gay to_ he at Dem. by Lou Romano WASHING TON - A coalition of gay Democrats has announced plans to place the name of a gay person in nomination for President of the United States at the Democratic Party ·convention in New York. The coalition, organized by D.C. gay activist Paul Kuntzler, said it plans to take advantage of a little known party rule which permits condidates to be placed in nomination on the convention floor if a minimum of 50 delegates sign a petition "The value of 15 minutes of prime television time on two or three networks cannot be overstated," Kuntzler told members of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club late last month. In a formally prepared statement, the plan's supporters declared: "(T)he hqpes of those of us who believed that the Democratic Party would respond to oor struggle for individual dignity and personal freedom as gay citizens were crushed as platform committee members led by the Carter organization and party officials rushed to accommodate them-, Nominated Convention selves to political expediency. They produced a document which did not even recognize our existence .... " "We now realize that there is no longer any realistic possibility that the Democratic party this year will willingly _r~ognize «Jllr legi.timate grievances. Thus we are faced with not only being left behind but . having the tiny gains we realized four years ago wiped away. But there is another choice. When (Democratic Party Chairman Robert) Strauss and his cohorts were busy last fall closing up the political process, they overlooked one avenue: the nomination route. We have discovered that convention rules will permit us to place in nomination for President the name of a gay person and thereby bring the concerns of gay people to the oonvention floor before national television· in prime time." Kuntzler said a press conference announcing the coalition's plans t0cnominate a gay person for president would be held.in early July. . supporting the candidate. G p d · B Kuntzler told The Blade after carefully · • ' 7 6 • · reviewing convention rules, discussing the .\a y ' . r~ . • e. . \ ' . . r1n gs tactic with party lawyers and examining . party documentism, he is convinced that unless the convention rules are changed by a majority of the 3,008 delegates, "there B a- T are nolegalobsticles to accomplishing this . I g urn out goal.'' Supporters of the plan also note that it will not be difficult to obtain the required . 50 signatures since delegates are legally free to sign a candidate's petition even if they are committed by law to vote for someone else. , }5:untzler .said the plan calls for the nation's two openly gay delegates and a possible third gay delegate, who at this writing has not been officially chosen, to carry the strategy to its fruition. The two delegates so far are Jean O'Leary of the National Gay Task Force, who was elected as a Udall delegate in New York, and Josephine (Jo) Daly~ Gay Community Liaison with the San Francisco Human Rights Commission. Daly won a position on the slate of California Governor Jerry Brown. Coalition spokes~ple say gay political leaders are being contacted across the country for suggestions on selection of a candidate. However, Kuntzler noted that the crucial task will be the selection of an articulate ' spokesperson to · make the nominating speech. Under party rules, all candidates are permitted a 15 minute nominating speech on the convention rostrum. Photo by Ralph _.;.. .... ,P h.. .o... to Essay Inside . .... WASHINGTON--The second , annual finalized until three weeks before the Washington D.C. Gay Pride Day was held actual date, and publicity was extremely June 20th in a cordoned-off section of the late. In view of these factors, the 1700 block of Twentieth Street, N.W. · celebration, as it was, may be deemed a Despite the threat of rain, the high-spirited success. festivities proceeded smoothly and on Numerous area gay and lesbian . schedule. Frank Akers, staff member of organizations sponsored information and The Blade, coordinated the block party or fund-raising booths. GAA DC had a with the help and support of various in- coin-toss. The Gay · Men's Counselling dividuals and groups within the Collective sold balloons. The Sexuality Washington gay community. Estimates of Task Force of D.C. N.O.W. held various crowd size varied from three thousand to fund-raising activities with proceeds going five thousand with men curiously out- both toward legal fees for Mary Jo Risher, numbering women (since last year's a lesbian mother fighting to regain celebration appeared to be an even custody of her child, and toward the newly balance of the sexes). formed Gay Rights National Lobby. - . Akers feels that the block party was a The presence of ' Betty Fairchild afld success spiritually, if not financially. members of her Parents of Gays as well as Backers of the.celebration have reported ·an organized group of parents who are costs exceeded returns from the various themselves gay constituted an ironic money-making ventures. Nonetheless, contrast to recent public criticism of the response has been overwhelmingly designation of Gay Pride Day by a positive, and there is talk of a bigger, unanimous vote of Washington's city better organized Gay.Pride Day next year. council. Earlier in the week, Calvin Plans for t~ year's party were not continued on page 2 |
