Newspapers / Lambda (Carolina Gay and … / Sept. 1, 1979, edition 1 / Page 3
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F-r»-T-r-. 'V t»jy -■ Anti-Gay Movie Cruising Hits Rough Waters The hot days of July and August witnessed an uproar in the gay com munity of New York City over -^e film "Cruising,” which was being shot on location there. According to Gay Community News, "Cruising" is the story of a man who searches out and brutally murders gay victims in the .Rambles of Cen- txral Park and the bars of Greenwich Village. A1 Pacino plays a police officer who discovers his own homo sexuality while pursuing the killer and turns homicidal himself. The gay community in New York, which is taking action against the film, said "the film misrepresents the gay lifestyle and it could also trigger a national backlash or bring more violent attacks on gays. The director of the film is Wil liam Friedkin, and the producer is Jerry Weintraub. Friedkin adapted a 1970 Gerald Walker novel for the screen, f After sporadic attempts to ob struct filming throughout the last weeks in July, an emergency rally Wednesday, July 25 at Sheridan Square developed into a militant march of hundreds, in which a gay man was arrested for allegedly as saulting a police officer. The National Gay Task Force is- sued a statement in early August lending its full support to all non violent efforts to halt the filming of "Cruising." The statement said, "We have reached the conclusion that the film in its present form represents a gross distortion of the lives of gay men by portraying them as violent and sex-obsessed. . . .Like other groups before us who have been vic timized by false and inflammatory- media images, we will not sit still for an entertainment that debases our humeinity," David Rothenberg of the New York City Human Rights Commission said, "They have the right to make the movie, but we have the right to do everything we can not to cooperate with it and make it economically difficult." The reaction against the movie was initially prompted by an article in the "Village Voice" by Arthur Bell on July 16. Bell said that what has turned out to be a major 'show of solidarity among gay people started when he and several o-ther journalists met on July 17 to plan actions against the film. . The film is being financed by Lorimar Productions and may be dis tributed by United Artists. Coronado Court-martial Resumes FAYETTEVILLE—The court-martial of Air Force Capt. Bob Coronado resumed this month at Pope A3-r Force Base. The prosecution said that it will seek a conviction of consensual crimes against nature if Coronado is found innocent of forcible sodomy. At present, Coronado faces a sen tence of 5—10 years for conduct -un becoming an officer and a gentleman. The court-martial began in May and was halted by the U.S. Court of Military • Appeals. The charge centers on the evening of August 17, 1978, when Coronado picked up a hitchhiker. Spec. 4 Jon athan Heaton, an Army paratrooper. Coronado and Heaton went to a gay bar in Fayetteville and then to Coronado's apar-tment. The next day, Heaton allegedly told his commanding officer that he was beaten and drugged by Coronado and another man who forced him to have sexual rela-tions with them. Heaton later said t^at only one other man, Coronado, had been involved. A military physician, who examined Heaton hours after the incident, found no medical evidence suggesting a for cible act. The physician's conclu sion was that Heaton "had probably en gaged in previous homosexual acts or was accustomed to having foreign ob jects inserted into his rectum. Cumberland County au-thorities began investigations soon after the incident In September, the county dropped char ges against Coronado, after Heaton did not appear at* four consecutive court hearings. One month ago, Heaton filed a new complaint in civil court against Coro nado. The district attorney’s office £iga,in dismissed "the charges. Civil authori-ties cited the milita ry physician's testimony, as well as major discrepancies in Heaton's s-tory as the basis for both dismissals. The Air Force initiated court- martial proceedings in October. Then Coronado requested a discharge, which the Air Force denied. If Air Force prosecutors attempt a conviction for consensual sodomy, Coronado could face a 1-3 year prison conviction of consensual sodomy i likely because of a sworn statemen-t made by Coronado in October, in which he admitted having "oral and anal sex" (Coronado cont* p.5> jiS.,,, ■|L: I *1 >1{ I
Lambda (Carolina Gay and Lesbian Association, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
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Sept. 1, 1979, edition 1
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