NATIONAL MEDIA FEATURE CALIFORNIA VOTE

All three networks and most of the major radio stations and newspapers surveyed across the country have given page one treatment to the Califor nia referendum loss. Typical of the coverage was a CBS newscaster, who stated, "In a first test before the voters, the nation's most populous state voted to make homosexuality illegal." National Gay Task Force calls to the network to ask them to state correctly that only certain sex acts were made illegal were ignored.

EMPLOYMENT BILL DEAD

Assembly person John Foran stated it would be foolish to bring AB 633 to a vote in the Assembly. "I would have had the votes easily if the referendum had been defeated he said "but now it would be defeated overwhelmingly. AB 633 would have prevented employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orienta tion. It's now dead.

500 ARRESTED IN L.A.

Last week LA Police Chief Davis ordered a sweep of Hollywood gay bars. In a statement issued to the press, Davis said he could see no reasons for "these felons" to remain unapprehended. "I'm going to make it so hot for 'em here that in a year there will be no queers in L.A., Davis said.

VECTOR

THREAT TO LICENSES

Sen. H. L. Richardson successfully passed a bill in the California state Senate reinstating "moral turpitude" as a reason for denying or revoking any state license. His bill said, "Moral turpitude will be judged to exist when, for example, there is evidence that the applicant or license holder is or may be a homosexual.

Gay organizations from California to New York have been flooded with calls from doctors, lawyers, contractors, beauticians, real estate salespeople, C.P.A.'s, and others licensed by the state demanding that their names and addres ses be stricken from any and all records. The National Gay Task Force, based in New York City, reports that it has lost one-half of its California membership in the last week.

LESBIAN MOTHER LOSES CUSTODY

Ms. Susan Anthony lost custody of her five-year-old son yesterday in a reversal of a previous decision in her favor. The judge in the case decided to review the merits of Ms. Anthony as a mother in the light of recent events. The real tragedy, according to Ms. Anthony, is the fact that Johnny has no other living relatives and will have to be placed in an institution until foster parents can be found who are acceptable.

NAMECALLING IN PRE ADOLESCENTS (Reprinted from Psychology Now!

Dr. David Ruben, in a recent study of the "bad words" used by elementary school children when calling names, reports the use of fag,

fary and "queer" is three times as common as it was in a similar study made one year ago.

SIXTH MCC FIRE IN THREE WEEKS

The Metropolitan Community Churches throughout the nation appear to be the focus of amateur arsonists. The burning of the MCC in the New York area raises to six the number of churches torched in the last three weeks. The Rev. Troy Perry was in tears at the news of the most recent loss.

NOBIL CHARGED WITH CHILD MOLESTING

Elanor Nobil, a gay woman elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives a year ago, was charged with the molestation of a seventeen year-old girl. Ms Nobil, who was attending a meeting of the House when the event was alleged to have taken place, has been unable to find a single other member willing to testify to seeing her at her desk on the floor of the House.

The above stories are fiction. It is my hope that they will forever remain fiction. To prevent some variation on the above we must make the referendum battle our number-one priority. Right now we can start the process of obtaining statements against the referendum from non-gay organizations with which we are affiliated, especially churches. Right now we can support the gay organizations that will be helping to organize the fight. Right now we can send in our names, addresses, and phone numbers and list what skills we have that might be useful in a campaign: writing, advertising, media relations, organizing volunteers, direct-mail campaigning, raising money, calling people on the phone, walking a precinct. . . Everyone has something he can contribute. We need every person, every mind, every hand to prepare for this showdown..