Jim Andris, Facebook

STATEMENT FROM THE MISSOURI GAY CAUCUS: AFTER MIAMI-WHAT?

(from Prime Time, July, 1977, p. 17-19.)

In the past several days, many of us have felt peaks of depression and of elation. Most of the nation was acutely aware of the vote in Dade County and all of us felt that defeat in a very personal sense. What we might have missed is the positive force generated for unified Gay action to prevent this from happening again. There are several things that have happened and some things which must happen soon in order for us to prevent bumper stickers from appearing in this state, reading "Kill a Queer for Christ."

Some of us have recently had the pleasure of meeting with Adam DeBaugh from Washington, D.C. Adam works extensively with Congress and is the only lobbyist who is directly involved with the rights of Gay people on that level. His observations were of great help to those who met him, and his comment that this state was particularly well organized was good to hear. He also told us that very few members of Congress have ever heard anything about Gay Rights from their constituents. They have heard from the Anita Bryant movement, and they MUST hear from us. It can not be emphasized too much—we must write to our representatives in Washington and tell them to support the Koch bill on Gay rights. They say that each letter is interpreted as representing 1000 votes at home. That means that Missouri needs at least 400 letters to Congress each session to accurately convey the number of Gay people who need federal protection of their rights.

Shortly after the horror of the Dade County vote had hit us, we had the great privilege of a visit from the Rev. Elder Troy Perry. His speech was the climax of the Gay Rights Rally at MCC on June 9th and followed remarks from representatives of most of St. Louis' Gay organizations. All who were present had to be uplifted by the spirit of unity and pride that was there that night. The message was clear: We must fight for our rights! We have to gain as much unity and strength as our oppressors have, and we have to do it now! We have been seeing the growth of the Missouri Gay Caucus as new groups have evolved in St. Louis and in Columbia. The growth is important as long as we can avoid the splintering effect that has divided Gay people in New York City. We must all work together in a united front and MGC welcomes any new group that is working for the same cause. We must not duplicate our efforts in any way as we organize in new ways. The St. Louis Task Force for Human Rights is a new group which represents Gay people not previously involved. They have achieved a great deal in a very short time towards helping the campaign in Miami. We are proud to have them join the statewide Gay community through their connections with MGC.

Columbia has brought another proud moment to the Gay people of the state in a week of gloom brought about by bad news from Miami and Jefferson City. The day after the state legislature refused to decriminalize homosexual activity, the Federal Court of Appeals In St. Louis ruled in favor of Columbia's Gay Lib group being recognized as a student organization. That ended a 6 1/2 year battle for such recognition. In addition, Columbia is working on creating an MCC study group. Anyone who reads this article and who knows someone in mid-Missouri who would become involved in MCC-Columbia is urged to let them know that the congregation is being formed. They may contact Larry Eggleston, 1723 West Worley-6A, Columbia, (314)-445-4638.

The good news in Columbia about the Gay Lib victory and the MCC project has caused a backlash from local fundamentalist clergy. There has been a move made to bring Anita Bryant to Columbia for an anti-homosexual rally. Plans are still indefinite, but the initial contact has been made. The Dade County vote should have been a catalyst to anyone who thought that the battle for Gay Rights was not to be taken seriously. The real prospect of Anita visiting Missouri must be taken quite seriously by all of us.

What do we need to do right now as Gay people in Missouri?

There are a few basics that I can enumerate here. First, we must carry out a large scale voter registration drive across the state. Politicians understand power at the ballot box. Remember that President Carter was elected in a few states only because he carried the black vote. There are no more blacks than Gays. Ask your Gay brothers and sisters if they are registered to vote. If they aren't, remind them of the importance of voting power and see that they get registered right away. Second, each of us must take an individual initiative of being sure that our friends and associates, Gay and non-Gay, know what really happened in Dade County. We must have a large body of concerned people who know the truth and will stand up for human rights.

They don't have to come out to do this. They can make phone calls, write letters, help with finances, appear at meetings, or other things, but they must be concerned. Next, we must take every chance possible to be visible to the public and the media. I do not suggest that we all come out and be activists.

I do mean that the world must know that Gay people are here and that they will not tolerate oppression in Missouri or anywhere else. That could mean letters again, or it could mean taking issue with a person who attacks gays. It could just mean telling a friend how you feel about Anita Bryant. It means that the media must know of the strength of Gay Missouri and publicize positive things about us all. Finally, we must think about money. Even the simplest of organizational contact statewide is expensive. If we have to mount a media campaign against Anita Bryant, it will be very expensive. We have to tap our resources on many levels. That means individual memberships in MGC must increase.

It means that Gay businesses have to be enlisted in the fight. Our cause is theirs too, by definition. It means that money-raising projects have to be designed and well-run. It means that supportive non-Gays have to be enlisted in our fight.

That's the picture right now in Missouri. We have excellent potential and we have organization. If we do our job—all of us, not just the handful of leaders—we shall overcome hatred and ignorance. If we fail, we have only ourselves to blame.

Lawrence A. Eggleston

Executive Director, Missouri Gay Caucus