“ Out 11 the Mountains

‘VERMONT'S NEWSPAPEH FOR LESBIANS, GAY MEN, AND BISEXUALS

    

Volume VII, Number 1

/
:3.

February 1992

Gains 100th Co-Sponsor 
in U.S House of Representatives J

A major breakthrough in the struggle for
civil rights for lesbians, gay men and bi-
sexuals came in November of last year as
the number of co—sponsors for the federal
gay civil rights bill in the U.S. House of
Representatives topped 100.

The House total reached 100 with the ad-
dition of Democrats Harry Johnston of
Florida, Bill Richardson of New Mexico,
Albert Bustamente of Texas, and Ed Pas-
tor of Arizona. Co-sponsors in the Senate
now number 14, as New Jersey gay
rights lobbyists recently won over one of
their Senators, Frank Lautenberg (D).

“Obtaining 114 Congressional sponsors
of our civil rights bill is a major mile-
stone,” said Peri Jude Radecie, National
Gay & Lesbian Task Force’s (NGLTF)
Legislative Director. “It happened be-
cause our community is persistent and
dedicated. This achievement belongs to
every activist who sent a postcard, wrote
a letter, called or visited an office this
%§'i21ll'”On the gay and lesbian civil rights
1 .

The federal effort to enact equal pro-
tections for lesbian and gay people has
been underway since 1975 when then-
Representative Bella Abzug (D-NY) in-
troduced the first federal lesbian and gay
civil rights bill. The legislation has been
reintroduced into every Congress since
that time.

The legislation, officially known as the
Civil Rights Amendments Act of 1991, is
the only vehicle in Congress to provide
recourse for those discriminated against
on the basis of sexual orientation. The

bill numbers are S574 in the Senate and ~

HR1430 in the House.

The bills amend the Civil Rights Act of
1964 and 1968 to include sexual orienta-
tion. These laws currently prohibit dis-

; .,
crimination on the basis of race, cplkg

national origin, religion, disability- and
sex in the areas of housing, employment,
public accommodations, credit and feder-
ally-assisted programs.

For Vermonters: Representative Bernie
Sanders (I) has signed on as a co-
sponsor in the U .S . House; Senators Pat-
rick Leahy and James Jeffords have not
joined the list of sponsors in the Senate.
In New Hampshire neither the Repre-
sentatives or Senators have agreed to be
co—sponsors.

Write and let your Representatives and
Senators know that it is time they sup-
ported your civil rights. Also thank our
sponsors, they need to hear that we ap-
preciate their support. Contact NGLTF
for constituent postcards and more in-
formation on the bill: NGLTF, 1734 14th
St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009. V

 

Federal Civil Rights Bill 5 mmgwm/ERMW

FEB 6

Years ol

1992

   

  

 

~.‘

Happv
Birthday

OITM!