N ational Gay Plank Proposed
Members of the National Convention Project are spearheading efforts to
ensure that the 1980 Democratic and Republican conventions include gay * /
rights planks.
The National Convention Project has drafted, with the support of other
gay groupsj a proposed plank based upon the demands of the Oct. 14 National
March on Washington.
The project members feel that it is necessary for at least one major
party to adopt a gay plank before pro-gay legislation can be passed on a
federal level.
Groups involved in the project include; Gay Rights National Lobby;
National Gay Task Force; Lesbian Caucus of the National Organization for
Women; and the National Coalition of Black Gays.
For information on the delegate‘selection procedures, contact the
N.C. Democratic Headquarters at (919) 821-2777, the N.C. Republican Head
quarters at (919) 828-0678, or;
National Convention Project
1606 - 17th Street, NW . '
Washington, DC 20009
Phone; (202) 462-4255*
PROPOSBV GAY PLATPORM PIAHK ☆
We aiilnm tko. alt la^b-ain and gay
AmeA^cans to ^ult pcuiUctpatlon tn thz social,
poJUttcal and economic tiiz tki cowatAy,
ivtthout i^eoA. 0^ pAejudicc oa AzpAl&at!> ba^zd
on 6zxual oAA.zntatton,
To 6uppoAt tkl6 aonmltmznt and glvz liiz to
thl!> pAtnctplz, m colt ^oa. an exeeotcve oAdeA,
pAolUbtttng dl&cAimtnatton on tkz busts of
6zxual oAlzntatton tn alt goveAnmznt employmznt
and govzAmznt pAogAam6, and ^uAthoA we ^uppoAt
tkz znactmznt oi Izgt^latton to pAotzct tkz
(Uvtt Aights 0^ gay pzoplz and tkz Azpzat o^.
alt lauojs wktak oaz aszd to stigmatize peASons
on the basts o^ sexual oAientatlon,
Scandinavian Self-help Groups
Push For Political Change
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The self-help movement in the U.S.
is a very old concept, and there are
more than one and one-half million
self-help groups.
According to UNC—G Professor Tom
Fitzgerald, although the self-help
movement is virtually unknown in
Sweden and Finland, gay self-help
groups have developed in reaction to
social attitudes towards homosexual
ity,
"Self-help groups are a type of
support system, which tends to flour
ish in areas of isolation, especially
among stigmatized groups," Fitzgerald
said to over 30 people at the Jan, 21
CGA program meeting.
"The self-help movement reflects
human needs for affiliation and com
munity with folks who share similar
lives. Self-help groups put nur-
turance back into social institutions,
"A self-help group is a voluntary
small group to give mutual aid for
special purposes. It is usually
started by peers who provide emo
tional support. Many self-help
groups are cause-oriented,"
Although many Americans may view
Sweden and Finland as similar societ
ies, attitudes towards gay people are
very different in the two countries,
"Sweden-is open and liberal, where
as in Finland, by law, homosexuality
is treated as an illness, and people
are not supposed to talk about it,"
Fitzgerald says.
Begun as a local chapter of a
Danish group in 1950, the Sexual
Equality Group in Sweden has expanded
to 13 chapters and has become poli
tically active.
"It*s major accomplishments are
that homosexuality is no longer il
legal in Sweden and the age of con
sent has been changed to 15 years
of age.
(SCANDINAVIAN, cont. p. 13)
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