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National News
Bryant May Lose Citrus Contract
Florida Citrus industry officials
recently indicated that Anita Bryant's
contract may not be renewed when it
expires in August.
Biyant led a campaign to defeat a
1978 oid-inance that would have pro
hibited job discrimination in several
fields against gays in Dade County,
Florida.
Citrus industry advertising has
increased its focus on other person
alities. Some industry leaders say
Bryant has become too controversial.
Gay rights activists Bob Kunst
and Alan Rocfcway paraded in front of
the Florida Department of Citrus to
show support for Bryant.
They said that the Florida Citrus
Commission should not terminate
Bryant's contract, because she has
a right to her ’’bigoted point of
view.”
’’Everytime she goes on television,
she reminds people of gay rights, an
exposure the gay rights movement can't
afford to lose,” Rockway said.
Dutch Protest Immigration Laws
Dutch lesbians and gay men, spur
red on by the support of the majority
of members of the Dutch Parliament,
have stepped up their protests of
American immigration laws which bar
the entry of lesbian and gay male
foreigners.
In addition to two recent pirotest
marches and rallies, a meeting has
been held between the American
Ambassador to the Netherlands and
two pro-gay Members of Parliament(MP)j
according to Gay Coiruaunity News.
Ambassador Geri Joseph had pre
viously declined to meet with Labor
MP’ Harry •‘/anc3en Bergh and Liberal
MP Ed Nypels, but eventually recon
sidered ,
Van den Bergh and Nypels had
sou^t the meeting with Joseph to
present her with a letter signed by
132 of 150 members of the Dutch
Parliament.
The letter, addressed to ’’the
Chairman of the House of Represen
tatives of the United States of
America,” expressed opposition to
American immigration policy which
excliides persons on the basis of
sexual preference.
The letter concluded: "In your
capacity as the law-making authority
of the United States we urge you
most earnestly to enact legislation
which ensures a ban on this kind of
grave discrimination.”
Nypels and van den Bergh said
that Ambassador Joseph's response
was "not satisfactory,”
Contest Judges Gay Plays
The Glines, a non-profit
organization for gay arts which has
been producing gay theatre in New
York since 1976, is sponsoring a
National Gay Playwriting Contest
with the International Gay Theatre
Alliance.
To qualify for the competition, a
play may be either full length or one-
act and must have a major gay character
or major gay theme. It must not have
been published or previously produced
although staged readings or workshop
productions are allowed.
The sponsors are particularly in
terested in receiving women's mater
ials. Entries are limited to one play
per author; musicals must be accompa-
ied by a tape of the score.
Deadline for receipt of materials
is May 21. Entries will be judged
by a nationwide panel of gay theatre
exi)erts, including Eric Bentley,
Doric Wilson and Robert Patrick.
Winners will be announced June 29,
with first prize a cash award of
$250 and second prize $100, Both
plays will be considered for produc
tion by the Glines.
To submit a play, interested per
sons should send one original or clear
photocopy accompanied by a self-
addressed envelope to the Gay Theatre
Alliance coordinator neaiest them.
Coordinator for the Northeast is:
Terry Helbing
51 West 4th St., Room y^O
New York, NY 10012
June Health Conference Slated
The Third National Lesbian and Gay
Health Conference will be held June 19-
22 in San Francisco, It is sponsored
by local organizations, San Francisco
State University and the National Gay
Health Coalition, an association of gay
health professional organizations,
founded in 1976.
.Conference spokespersons said that
the goals of the conference are to edu-
c^:te one another about and clarify les
bian and gay health issues, to organize
for social change in the health care
delivery system, and to construct com
munication and support networks.
Ihe registration fee is $35 ^“01*
working professionals and $10 for stu
dents. The registration deadline is
April 15; any registrations received
after the 15th will be increased by $1Q
(Health, cont, p. 4)