N.C. Lesbian & Gay
Democrats Organize
A group of 20 Domocratic Party activ—
ists from across the state have now met
twice to form the Lesbian and Gay Demo
crats of North Carolina. They first
convened on March 27 during the North
Carolina Gay and Lesbian Conference in
Chapel Hill, and attenders included
precinct officials and delegates to past
national Democratic conventions.
According to an article in the North
Carolina Anvil (April 2, 1983), organ
izers intend to work within the North
Carolina Democratic Party both on issues
of interest to gay people and toward
electing to office candidates with
favorable positions on those issues.
In a followup meeting on April 17,
organizers agreed to steer clear of
endorsing candidates and to work to make
sure that Democratic candidates adhere
to the national Party platform which
includes a prohibition of discrimination
against lesbians and gay men. Organ
izers have already begun to lobby state
Party officials to include a similar
prohibition in their delegate selection
plan for the 1983 Democratic National
Convention.
The group has joined the National
Coalition of Lesbian and Gay Democratic
Clubs and will use a decentralized
structure to encourage local activities
across the state. Organizers hope soon
to send speakers to various localities
to obtain more members and to encourage
people to get involved in Democratic
Party politics in their locality.
People wanting more information can
write to:
Lesbian & Gay Democrats of N.C.
P.O. Box 307
Chapel Hill, NC 2751A
Come experience God's love
by worshiping with your
Gay & Lesbian
Brothers and Sisters.
\
St. John's Metropolitan
Commimity Church
Reverend June Norris, Pastor
Phone:834-2611
Rap Group: 8:00 pm Thurs.
. Sunday Worship: 3:00 pm
I Singspiration: 2:45 pm
814 Dixie Trail, I^leigh
(AIR FORCE LESBIAN continued from p. 1)
Faith Seidenberg of Syracuse, who argued
persuasively for an appeal. The U.S.
Air Force Court of Appeals in Washing
ton, D.C., met on Oct. 15, 1982 to con
sider the appeal.
Seidenberg argued before the appel
late court that Newak had little chance
of receiving a fair trial in the Air
Force community because of Smith's rep
resentation and biases. The judges,
however, upheld the decision. In the
opinion of Lt. Col. Edward Miller, if
Newak had been tried on these^^identical
charges in a civilian court, it is
likely that the court would not have had
full capacity to recognize the complete
impact of damage to the national secur
ity resulting from such conduct on the
part of a commissioned officer.
Colman McCarthy of the Washington
Post responded to Miller's conclusion by
Ttating, "So that's it. A few puffs of
pot in your living room, some no-no
friendship with another woman, and
before you can say Air Force Dense Pack,
'national security' is dealt a first-
strike hit."
Seidenberg is bringing the case to a
higher military appeals court that has
three civilian judges. The National
Lawyers Guild and other groups have
joined the appeal, and a new case that
involves basic constitutional questions
is being developed. The appeal alledges
that Newak's Sixth and Fourteenth Amend
ment rights to counsel were denied by
her military counsel. In addition, all
of the charges against her occurred off-
base, and were charges which were not
crimes in the jurisdiction where she
resided. The Air Force used the fact
that she could not be prosecuted in
state courts as a rationale for prose
cuting in the military.
Newak's case has to be reviewed in
one more military court, which does not
recognize the U.S. Constitution. Then
she can file in Federal Court, which
does recognize the application of the
Constitution to the military.
The State Conference Legal Defense
and Education Fund (P.O. Box 314,
Syracuse, NY 13215) has been active in
Newak's case and requests contributions
to continue her litigation. They ask
that people support Newak by writing
directly to Secretary Verne Orr, Depart
ment of the Air Force, The Pentagon,
Washington, DC 20330. A copy of a
sample letter of support written by the
Fund is available in the CGA office.