Newsgroups: bit.listserv.gaynet
Date:         Fri, 14 Aug 1992 00:54:17 -0400
From:         gaynet@ATHENA.MIT.EDU
Subject:      GayNet Digest Volume 5 Issue 624

In this issue:
                           gabriel smartalec
                      Advertising by Philip Morris
                    oprah i love you[Visiting SFSU

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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 13 Aug 1992 17:59:40 -0800
From: ASJR@acad2.alaska.edu
Mime-Version: 1.0
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X-Hop-Count: 1

Hello Gaynetters!  The queer students of Alaska ed your help!
On Thur. & Fri., Aug. 21 -22, 1992,  the University of Alaska
Board of Regents will be meeting to vote on amending the current
antidiscrimination clause to include prohibiting discrimination
based on sexual orientation The local Fundy and  Nazi groups are
in a panic.  They have mounted an organized letter writing campaign.
I am including in this posting the text of their most effective letter.
We need rational responses to the various points.  I'm hoping that
those of you who have already fought and won this battle at your
universities  have saved your research and can send a letter of your
support.  I will also include the names and addresses of our Board
of Regents.  Some of them have fax numbers and some have e-mail adresses,
too.   Thanks for your help.
				Jaime Rodriguez
				Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Student Assoc.
				University of Alaska, Anchorage
				3211 Providence Drive
			  	Anchorage, AK  99508
  				asjr@alaska
			 	(907)338-0762

***********************************************************************
(text of anti-gay letter)
July 14, 1992

Dear Regent

I am responding to the April 5, 1992, "Anchorage Times" article titled,
"Officials Weigh Ban on Bias Based on Sexual Orientation." My initial
reaction to the article was, does the current University of Alaska
discrimination policy need to be changed? Are homosexuals really a
minority class?
As an alumni of UAF, a former student at UAA, and with over twenty
cumulative years as an employee at both campuses, I am naturally
interested in the policies of the University.  I feel a certain loyalty
to the system and responsibility for policy decisions.  In my various
roles as secretary, administrative assistant and office manager for the
UAA Chancellor, I have always believed it to be my responsibility to be
sure that my boss had available to him or her the best, most complete
information, upon which to make informed, intelligent decisions.

Therefore, I decided to investigate this issue further and now share that
information and conclusions with you.

1. Are Homosexuals as a group a legitimate minority eligible for class
protection?

Gender, nation of origin and race are innate, immutable and do not necessarily
affect one's moral behavior or lifestyle.  Research shows that homosexuality
is not an inborn trait.  Research points to learned behavior (nurture not
nature).

    1)  No one has found a single replicable genetic hormonal or chemical
difference between homosexuals and heterosexuals.(1)  A study by avowed
homosexual, Simon Le Vay, in the February 24, 1992, edition of "Newsweek"
purported to discover "homosexual brains."  His study of the brains of
19 homosexual male corpses (who all died of AIDS complications) noted a
difference in the size of a specific neuron group, INAH3, compared with
that of a group of presumably heterosexual male and six female corpses.
One problem noted with Vay's study was his presumption that the
control group of 16 corpses had been heterosexual, but it turns out that
Le Vay did not know anything about the sexual orientation of his control
group. Such careless research cannot be used to validate the theory of a
genetic source for sexual orientation.  Based on the size of their INAH3
neurons, a third of Le Vay's subjects should have had the opposite sexual
orientation than what he reported.  Mr. Le Vay has declined to do further
study. (2)

     2)  A number of homosexuals do change their behavior.  If homosexuality
were innate, change would not be possible.  Most psychologists still
believe homosexuality is learned, even those who endorse their behavior. (3)
Even if there is a predisposition to homosexuality, it should not be
encouraged.  Alcoholics may be biologically predisposed to their behavior,
but we do not grant them special minority status, and we do hold them
responsible for their behavior.

     3)  The Supreme Court ruled in 1986 in _Bowers_ v._ Hardwick_ that the
Constitution does not provide a right for homosexuals to engage in sodomy.
Former Chief Justice Warren Burger wrote, "To hold that the act of homosexual
sodomy is somehow protected as a fundamental right would be to cast aside
millenia of moral teaching." (4)

     4)  Anti-discrimination employment laws are typically enacted to correct
patterns of economic injustice.  Discrimination is demonstrated by an inability
to obtain economic mean income, adequate education or cultural opportunity.
Marketing studies refute those claims:(4)
        a) Homosexuals have an average annual household income of $55,430
versus $32,144 for the general population and $12,166 for disadvantaged
African-American households;
        b) More than three times as many homosexuals as avaerage Americans hold
professional or managerial positions (49% versus 15.9%);
        c) 65.8% of homosexuals are overseas travellers - more than four times
the percentage of average Americans (14%).  More than 13 times as many
homosexuals as average americans (26.5% versus 1.9%) are frequent flyers.
        d) More than three times as many homosexuals as average Americans are
college graduates (59.6% versus 18%).

Such statistical data indicates that homosexuals are not suffering economic
discrimination.  As a group their income is not only higher than the national
average (much higher than true minorities), but they have more discretionary
income since they typically have no dependents.  Special employment rights for
homosexuals diminish the integrity of protection for the truly disadvantaged.


    5)  The presumption that homosexuals comprise 10% of the population of the
United States is misleadin Since 1981 three studies have randomly sampled
twelve different areas of the United States and have arrived at similar
conclusions. (5)  About 96% of the population consider themselves exclusively
heterosexual, while about 4% consider themselves bi-to homosexual. Only 1-3%
consider themselves exclusively homosexual.

2.  Will special employment rights for homosexuals expose the University of
Alaska to unreasonable litigation?  How can the University know if a
prospective employee is homosexual?  Unlike racial, gender, handicap
characteristics, "sexual orientation" is not readily apparent.  How then might
"sexual orientation" be revealed on the job?  When it produces behavior in
conflict with University policy, how far is "sexual orientation" protected?
What about "independent contractors" in competitive bidding processes?  What if
an unsuccessful bidder claims to be a homosexual and sues the University for
discrimination on the basis of "sexual orientation"?   It seems that any
employment query to determine "sexual orientation" or preference of an
individual would be an invasion of privacy.  Personal declaration of
homosexuality is not at all like the self determination or identification
methods used to identify other protected classes.

3.  Will special employment rights for homosexuals jeopardize University of
Alaska benefits packages?

     1)   Homosexuals average between 20 and 106 different partners per
year.(6) The average homosexual has had 300 to 500 partners in a lifetime.(7)
Will spousal benefits be awarded to all of these partners?  What happens when
multiple partners apply for the same benefits?  How will this affect overall
costs?

     2)  Homosexuals have exceptionally high rates of gonorrhea, syphilis,
Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, cytomegalovirus, amoebic bowel disease, herpes and
AIDS.(8)   Although they really represent only 1-3% of the population,
homosexuals have half of the nation's syphilis cases and 60-75% of AIDS
cases. What ramifications will this have on our insurance premiums?  What
ramifications will it have on carriers' willingness to provide group insurance
coverage in general?

4.   Will special treatment of this special interest group detract from the
freedoms and liberties guaranteed to all other employees?   If affirmative
action is required, and if it were possible to recognize homosexuality without
infringement upon the privacy of the individual, it could result in reverse
discrimination.

By providing civil rights protections for certain protected classes, society
proclaims public support for the group(s) in question.  Laws preventing
discrimination, even apart from their enforcement, send a message of empathy
and encouragement to the protected class. A distinction should be made between
"true minor" and "special interest group". In light of the information
presented above, I do not believe the homosexuals as a group constitute a true
minority class, rather they are a special interest group, and as such are
entitled to the Constitutional rights of all U.S. citizens,  but they should
not be entitled to special legal status and privileges.

The current non-dcrimination policy of the University of Alaska protects the
Constitutional rights of all U.S. citizens and all true disadvantaged classes.
The existing procedures established to enforce and support that policy, such
as the Affirmative Action/EEO and Grievance procedures provide an appropriate
legal means for students, faculty and staff to address their concerns about
prohibited discrimination.  Are there any documented examples of failure to
carry out this policy?

I urge you to give your decision very careful thought.  Please read the
background on this issue thoroughly.  The Board of Regents at the University of
Michigan, and at the University of Colorado declined to change the wording of
their discrimination policies, and chose not to add "sexual orientation".  I
spoke with staff in both offices personally, and have their names and telephone
numbers if you would like to contact them.  Perhaps you may wish to consider
postponing action on this item to a later date to allow yourselves additional
research time.

If I can be of assistance to you in providing additional information, please do
not hesitate to contact me between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30p.m. at the Institute for
Circumpolar Health Studies,  UAA, 3211 Providence Drive, Anchorage, Ak 99508.
(907)786-4746.  Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Mary Anna Hunstiger

cc:Each Regent
   Office of the Board of Regents


Footnotes

(1)Marmor, J,ed.,Homosexual Behavior:A Modern Reappraisal, Basic Books, 1980.

(2)Le Vay,S.,Science,253 (1991):1034

(3)Examples include Rado,Bierber,Socarides,Kinsey,Hooker,Szaz,Marmor, and
Masters and Johnson. Cf.Bayer,R., Homosexuality and American Psychiatry, Basic
Books, 1981.

(4)A July 18,1991, Wall Street Journal article, entitled "Overcoming a
Deep-Rooted Reluctance, More Firms Advertise to Gay Community," reported
findings by the Simmons Market Research Bureau and the U.S. Census Bureau.
    Other market research studies have been reported in recent issues of The
San Francisco Chronicle ("Gay Market a Potential Goldmine", August 27, 1991),
Travel Weekly magazine (For Gays, Ship Charters Are a Boon, Say Two Travel
Companies", August 5, 1991), and a homosexual newspaper, The Bay Area Reporter
("Where the Money IS:Travel Industry Eying Gay/Lesbian Tourism", September 19,
1991).

(5)Bell, A.P. Weinberg, M.S. and Hammersmith, S.KSexual Preference(Indiana
University Press, 1981); Cameron P. and Ross, K.P., "Social Psychological
Aspects of the Judeo-Christian Stance Toward Homosexuality," Journal of
Psychology and Theology, 1981,9,pp. 40-57; Hunt, M., Sexual Behavior in the
1970's,(Playboy Press, 1974).

(6)Corey,L and Holmes, K.K., "Sexual Transmission of Hepatitis A in Homosexual
Men", New England Journal of Medicine,1980,302, pp. 435-438.  "Sexual Practices
and Risk of Infection by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus," The San Francisco
Men's Health Study, Journal of American Medical Association, 1987 (January
16),257 (3), p.323.
Stewart, S.A., USA Today, November 21, 1984.  McKusick, L., et. al., "AIDS and
Sexual Behavior Reported by Gay Men in San Francisco," American Journal of
Public Health, 1985, 75, pp. 493-96.   Letters to the Editor, American Journal
of Public Health, December, 1985, 75, pp. 1449-1450.

(7)Gebhard, P.H. and Johnson, A.B., The Kinsey Data, (Saunders, 1979); Bell,
A.P. and Weinberg, M.S., Homosexualities, (Simon & Schuster, 1978); Manglit,
G.M., and Talpaz, M., et. al. "Chronic Immune Stimulation by Sperm
Allonantigens", Journal of the American Medical Association, 1984, 251 (2), pp.
237-241; U.S. Center for Disease Control Study (Atlanta, 1982) reported in
Meredith, "The Gay Dilemna," Psychology Today, January 1984, p. 50.

(8) Quinn, "The polymicrobial Origin of Intestinal Infections in Homosexual
Men,"New England Journal of Medicine, 1983, 309 (10), pp. 576-82; Manglit,
"Chronic Immune Stimulation by Sperm Allantigens, Journal of the American
Medical Association, 1984, 251 (2), pp. 237-241; Jaffe, "National Case-Control
Study of Kaposi's Sarcoma and Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia in Homosexual
Men//;Part 1,Epidiological Results," Annals of Internal Medicine, 1983, 99 (2),
pp. 145-57; Buchanan and Muir, "Gay Times and Diseases," The American
Spectator, August 1984, 15.   Holmes, K.K., "Gonnococcal Infections" (chap
150),"Syphilis" (chap 177), "Lymphogranuloma Venereum" (chap 193); Meyers,
J.D., "Cytomegalovirus Infection" (chap 211). In Petersdorf, R.G., et. al.,
eds., Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine (McGraw-Hill, ~r1983).

*********************End of letter**********************
Whew!  What a piece of work, huh?!  Sorry this is so long, but it is important
that we get your help.  Garble due to line noise is mine,  most typo's and
grammar problems are in the text as delivered.  The Board of Regents addresses
follow... area code (907),   xxxx@alaska

Regents' Affairs				Eric Forrer(1989-1997)
Julie Chavez, Regents' Affairs Officer		P.O. Box 34383
John Butrovich Building				Juneau, AK 99803
University of Alaska				789-5237msg/789-4146fax/JYEF
Fairbanks, AK 99775-5080
474-7908/474-7570fax/SYBOR

Robert Williams, President (1985-1993)		Sharon D. Gagnon(1991-1999)
P.O.Box 107839					6721 Roundtree Drive
Anchorage, AK 99510				Anchorage, AK 99516
563-2563/563-2557fax/IYRFW			346-2592/346-2592fax/AFSDGI

Morris Thompson, Vice President(1989-1993)	Joseph R. Henri (1991-1999)
c/o Doyon Ltd.				    	9921 Near Point Drive
201 First Avenue				Anchorage, AK 99507
Fairbanks, AK 99701				279-1493/279-4785fax
452-4755/456-6785fax/FYMT

Susan Stitham, Secretary(1987-1995)		Michael P. Kelly(1991-1999)
P.O. Box 80913					Golden Valley Electric Assoc.
Fairbanks, AK 99708				P.O. Box 71249
456-7794(ext. 135)/FYSAS			Fairbanks, AK 99707
						452-1151(ext. 200)/451-5633fax

Mark H. Helmericks, Treasurer(1987-1995)	Tim Lamkin(1991-1993)
c/o/ CES, Inc.					c/o Student Affairs
P.O. Box 12					501B Gruening Bldg.
Prudhoe Bay, AK 99734				University of AK, Fairbanks
659-31/659-3190fax/AYMHH	Fairbanks	Fairbanks, AK 99775
						474-7657msg/474-7900fax

Virginia W. Breeze(1989-1997)			Lew M. Williams, Jr.(1991-1999)
c/o Corporate Communication Strategies		755 Grant Street
101 E. 9th Avenue, Suite 12B			Ketchikan, AK 99901
Anchorage, AK 99501				225-3157/225-1096fax
274-1113/272-5541fax/AYVWB

**********************
Thanks for wading through this, and for any help given.
Next posting I'll tell you about the Alaska Queer Nation boycott of
Jay Jacobs for Men,  and I'll send an update from the March on Washington
Executive Committee.  Hugs, Y'all.
________________________________________________________________________
Jaime Rodriguez         ***************     The People
P.O. Box 242561          *           *      United
Anchorage, AK 99524        *       *        Will Never
(907)338-0762                *   *          Be
ASJR@ALASKA	               *            Defeated!
_________________________________________________________________________

------------------------------

Date:         Thu, 13 Aug 92 22:06:55 MST
From: "Gabriel (in New Mexico)" <G9348712%NMSUVM1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject:      gabriel smartalec

I don't mean to offend, mjp3, but I can't see how anyone can equate being
gay with having been abused by one's father, whether the equation is causally
produced or not.  If you mean only that you equate any two aspects of your
life, it seems a strange argument, and I find it difficult to comprehend that
you (or anyone) really look absolutely equally at all aspects of your life.
I regret any insult you may have read in it.

Gabriel (in New Mexico)

------------------------------

Date:         Thu, 13 Aug 92 18:47:48 EDT
From: "Gary Klein (bear at heart)" <FAC2813%UOFT01.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject:      RE: Advertising by Philip Morris

     The same parent company that puts smoke filled tobacco products on the
pages of GENRE also manufactures & advertises these nutritious products:

General Food's International Coffees (the waiter's name was...)
     -wonderful list of chemical ingredients

Country Time Lemonade Flavor Drink Mix (one less day this summer...)
     -another list of wonderful ingredients

Cocoa Pebbles & Fruity Pebbles (part of a nutritious breakfast)
     -yet another list of wonderful ingredients

Jello Frozen Pudding Pops (one of Bill Cosby's favorites)
     -ingredients that I have never seen in ANY pudding recipe

Claussen Pickles
     -maybe as an all natural dildo?

Oscar Meyer cold cuts & frankfurters
     -read the ingredient list, then explain to me why it is called MEAT

Tombstone Frozen Pizza
     -if it is so good, then why put it out in the cemetery?

     What about target marketing?  Philip Morris/Kraft/General Foods/Miller
Beer have SEPARATE advertising agencies for certain products/target groups:

LUBINSKY (NYC) handles the Jewish market and also Post Raisin Bran.
CASANOVA PENDRILL (Irvine CA) handles the Hispanic market ONLY for Miller Beer.

     These are the same folks that got MILLER LIGHT authorized as the "official
beer" of the 1990 Texas Gay Rodeo at the very same time that bars were dumping
Miller Light beer and Marlboro cigarettes into the street, to protest the
donations that Philip Morris made to poltiical & lobbying groups which were
closely affiliated with the sinister senator from North Carolina, JESSE HELMS!

     I am sure that PM's corporate pride rests squarely on the Almighty Dollar.

     Should we really be rejoicing that they "discovered" the gay marketplace?

"Librarian, leather bound"
      * * * *          Gary Klein,   Business Librarian,  Univ of Toledo
       *   *                     P.O.Box 12650 / Toledo OH 43606
        * *            WORK: 419-537-2629             HOME: 419-243-2740
         *             BITNET:   fac2813@uoft01        FAX: 419-537-2726
  B4 t+ w- g s+ k             INTERNET: fac2813@uoft01.utoledo.edu

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 13 Aug 92 21:54:09 -0700
From: hvosti@nike.calpoly.edu (Hugh Vosti)
Subject: oprah i love you[Visiting SFSU

I currently attend Cal Poly SLO.  I will be transferring
to SFSU fall of 1993.  I'm planning on visiting San Francisco
the latter part of September and I was hoping someone would
be willing to show me around the campus and the city.  I'll be
coming up on Fri. Sept. 25 and returning Sun. Sept. 27.
It would be great if I could crash on someone's couch.  I
have money but hotels are kind of expensive and right now my
pockets aren't overflowing with $$.  I would really appreciate
it and I would feel a lot more comfortable with someone who knows
their way around.  I'm a social science major with my emphasis
in social work.  I'm 24 (like it matters) and I have lived in
San Luis all of my life.  I am very much looking forward to visiting
S.F. .  Living in San Luis is great for the scenery and the outdoors
but it sucks as far as being gay is concerned.  Anyway,  if
anyone would be interested in showing me around I would really
appreciate it.  My name is Mark, you can get in touch with me by
writing to P.O. BOX 13052 S.L.O. CA 93406, or by writing to
my friend (who's letting me use his account) at
hvosti@nike.calpoly.edu.

THANKS

------------------------------

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