ii
Air Force Reinstates Matiovich
13
(AIR FORCE, cont. from p. 1)
This ruling probably had mors
impact than the ruling ordering
JMatlovich reinstated because it
forced the militaiy either uo set
forth persuasive reasons why gays
should be barred from service or
else to abandon their restrictions.
With the court order reinstating
Matiovich, Judge Gerhard Gesell
assailed the military for not fully
explaining its reasoning for
dismissing the decorated Vietnam
veteran.
It was not stated whether
Matiovich would return to the Air
Force, a requirement for picking
up his back pay, after five years
of campaigning for gay rights.
Matiovich joined the Air Force
in May of 1963. He served three
tours in Vietnam, winning a medal
each time including a Purple
heart. He was promoted to techni
cal sargent and worked in drug
abuse prevention and.race rela
tions.
Almost twelve years to the day
after entering the service, he
decided to test the military’s'‘ban
on homosexuality. He was cham
pioning gay people’s constitution
al rights to privacy and equal
protection of the laws.
In the 1975 Air Force
military court hearings, Matio
vich testified that he wanted to
keep his job.
When asked if he would feign a
pledge not to engage in homosexual
activities, he answered, "No, I
would not. That would be like
making me celibate for the rest
of my life. ’*
Falwell’s Machine Crusades On
r
(FALWELL, cont. from p.?)
Churches were urged to form
Moral Action committees (MAG) to
politicize congregations by con
ducting voter registration drives
and taking stands on local, state
and national Issues and candidates.
MAG’s are organizing not only
in churches, but on state levels.
There are now J2 such state organ
izations. In California MAG’s
were instrumental in defeating
two gay rights proposals in Santa
Clara county.
A newsletter of 26 Aug 1980 from
the Gay Rights National Lobby
quotes a Washington Post article
in which Falwell expressed support
of national civil rights legisla
tion for lesbians and gay men,
H.R.2074 and S. 2081.
Falwell said* ”I think we can
certainly be for the civil rights
of homosexuals without condoning
their lifestyles...”
Gay leaders expressed astonish
ment and skepticism at Falwell’s
statement. But they challenged
Falwell to act on his statement
and indeed throw his support be
hind the bill. A reply from Fal
well has not been received.
Falwell’s ministry dates back'
to 1956 when it began in Lynchburg,
Va., in the basement of an old
Donald Duck bottling plant.
According to the Advocate,
this same ministry’s revenues
had reached by 1978 almost $1
million per week, with a budget
for 1980-81 of $75 million, and
a projected budget for 1987-88 of
$2 billion.
His "empire” now includes a
seminary, a bible school, a fou2>
year college, and an extensive
radio and TV ministry.
He has organized ministers to
help defeat the Equal Rights
Amendment and legalized gambling
in Virginia. He has supported
anti-gay movements in various
parts of the nation.
In The Closet?
Think you can’t help the cause of
gay. rights?
Think again.
No one can follow you into a
voting booth.
The forces of hate are out to get
us. They’re registering new voters
tike crazy. They’re going to vote
against candidates who support
gay rights. What can you do?
Take the time to vote. Even if
the candidate you support loses,
the margin of win or loss will be
very important.
Here’s why: This margin of vote
is one way politicians read the
“mood” of the people. . .and it
has a real effect on the way they
vote on laws.
.becouse our future .$ on the
pi
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fill
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