Newspapers / The Front Page (Raleigh, … / Nov. 22, 1979, edition 1 / Page 1
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November 22, 1979 The News & Entertainment Paper for N.C.’s Gay Community IN THIS ISSUE: The lady who gave us “If They Could See Me Now” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” takes on a new image P-9 Dave Draper, Mr. (You-Name-It) comes to Raleigh p. 8 Free Personals p.ll Gay Awareness Week p. 3 March Critique V. p.7 • _> HEY CHARLOTTE! Check out what’s happening in your city — catch our new column “Charlotte Viewpoints” on page 3. TV Evangelist Rallies In State Capitol “A man who is unfaithful to his wife is just as sinful as the homosexual who practices perversion, ” television evangelist Jerry Falwell told Willie Pilkington of The Front Page during an interview recently. Rev. Falwell was in Raleigh on November 2nd, having brought his “1 Love America” campaign to the state capitol in order, as he told The Front Page, to urge a “return to the moral principles of America. . .to emphasize love for America, a Bible morality, the family and the home.” The State Security Police estimated that 2,000 to 2,500 people gathered around the east portico of the Capital while the evangelist spoke and his Liberty Baptist College Choir sang. The audience for the rally, which occurred during the lunch hour, included Christian school students let our of class in order to attend, ministers, shopping mothers with young children, and a number of curious state workers on lunch break. Falwell, 45, is the minister of the fundamentalist TV program “Old Time Gospel Hour,” and pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va. The church has 17,000 members and is one of the largest churches in the country. His television program, for which he is more widely known, claims millions of viewers. “We’re on 330 television stations,” Falwell said when asked by The Front Page to describe his audience.” and many of them in prime time. Due to the fact that everyone watches television, I would say that our audience would be totally cosmopolitan. We’re on 300 radio stations daily. Our supporters, if that’s what you mean, the people who financially support the ministry, would be, by and large, the Christian population across the nation.” In speaking to the crowd gathered near the Capitol, Falwell peppered his remarks with derogatory references to several nationally prominent figures linked with liberal causes, among them Betty Friedan, Bella Abzug, Gloria Steinem, Madalyn Murray O’Hair, and Jane Fonda. A typical remark: “When I hear Jane Fonda and some other disgraces to America give comfort to the enemies of this land and put down every high holy thing about this land, as a Christian pastor I’m tempted to buy her a one-way ticket to Moscow.” Falwell received applause from many in the audience for this jibe. “Do you realize this meeting could not be held in Red Square, or Peking, or Havana?” Falwell preached, taking his stand against communism and for free enterprise, the (Continued on page 5) NO COMMENT. // Gay Money Gains Respect Projections from a Los Angeles-based survey suggest that 19% of the spendable income in the United States is in the hands of the Gay community. This study, along with other demographic studies, have recently made such an impact that Business Week, in its 50th Anniversary issue, proclaimed Gays “a major force in the marketplace.” This statement came as part of a lengthy article discussing the power of the gay dollar on the American marketplace. Business Week commented: “Gay enterprise is no longer associated only with boutiques in gay communities. Homosexuals have established dozens of chambers of commerce and other business and professional organizations to further one another’s economic interests, which run the gamut from auto repair shops to tax consultancies.” The article quoted George Terizan, a lawyer who heads the gay Greater Gotham Business Council in New York City. (The GGBC just held its first “Gay Market” in NYC on November 17th,a show featuring a large selection of gifts and services by and for gay women and men.) Terizan commented: “It is becoming more apparent to the straight community that there is a lot of buying power among gays.” Gays Spend Plenty Walker & Struman Research, Inc. of Los Angeles, a market research company, in a survey of 73.000 readers of The Advocate, determined that the income for the average gay household of 1.4 persons is $23,000 - about 50% above the national average. 79% of Advocate readers use commercial airlines an average of nearly four trips a year; more than 80% order drinks by brand name; more than 80% own at least one car. Seventy percent are college graduates, 97% are employed, and 84% are regular voters - this last about double the national average. Substantial numbers of entrepreneurs, gay and otherwise, perceive the advantages of aiming their products and services at an audience with a proportionately larger amount of disposable income. The openly gay orientation of many of these businesses is due, in part, to the increasing availability of advertising media, both gay and straight, according to Business Week. Eight years ago, when Hanns Ebenstein. a former vice president of New York-based Lindblad Travel. Inc., started his travel business offer tours for men, “people were appalled,” he recalled and straight publications rejected his ads. Since then gay publications have proliferated, and straight publications, like straight society, have changed their attitudes. Now his ads run in both gay and straight media, and Ebenstein counts 20,000 names of past customers and interested prospects in his card file. He told Business Week that gay tours to everywhere from the Grand Canyon to Machu.Piccu, Peru, provide 25% of his $1.5 million annual gross. The Epitome of Capitalism “Gays are the epitome of capitalism," commented Steve H. Shiflett, president of Houston’s Gay Political Caucus and a member of Houston’s gay executive and professional association. “We’ve usually been in the vanguard of turning around rundown neighborhoods, added San Francisco Realtor Robert T. Tackes, whose gay-oriented company has 60 agents and three offices. Moreover, according to the report, straight businesses are beginning to mine the rich gay market Increasingly, commented Kim R. Cortright, executive secretary of San Francisco’s gay Golden Gate Business Association, non-gay companies are asking for his group’s mailing list. (Continued on page 22)
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Nov. 22, 1979, edition 1
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