NEWSLETTER “"’
LEXINGTON GAY SERVICES ORGANIZATION I
POST OFFICE BOX 11471 » - "TOGETHER-
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY 40511 GAY & PROUD"
AUGUST 1983
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In Past weeks, the House of Representatives has been the scene of several remarkable
occurances. The House Ethics Committee recommended the official "reprimand" of Democrat
Gerry Studds of Massachusetts and Republican Daniel Crane of Illinois for having engaged
in sexual activity with Congressional pages in 1973 and 1980, respectively. However, after
spending $1 million and 50,000 hours of staff time, the Ethics Committee could find no
evidence of widespread sexual misconduct.
Representative Crane, a "family man" who in a fund—raising letter last year blasted ”moral
Laxness", admitted to having had sexual relations with a 17 year old female page. In a
written statement to the House he stated, "I am sorry that I made a mistake. I'm human,
and in IN) way did 2[ Violate UW’CHHfll of office. I: only hope my wife and children will
forgive me." Representative Studds stood before Congress and admitted that he was wrong to
have had sex with a Congressional subordinate of either sex, saying, ”It is not a simple
task for any of us to meet adequately the obligations of either public or private life,
but these challenges are made sustantially more complex when one is, as am I, both an
elected public official and gay."
On July 20, the House voted 420-3 to censure Studds and Crane. A "censure” requires the
recipients to stand in disgrace before their colleagues and is more severe than a
"reprimand". Studds move to affirm himself as a gay man is considered to be a stunning
victory for gay rights movement. The fact that he was censured for an affair that happened
ten years ago seems rather trivial, :n1 a way, but he has admitted it was an ”error of
judgment" rather than anything wrong or bad.
I cannot pretend that I do not find Mr. Studds affair to be somewhat less than ethical,
but now that he has been reprimanded for it, he should be allowed by his constituency and
colleagues to continue the fine job that he was doing. There is no question that what Rep.
Studds did this past month took a great deal of curage. But why should it have to?
Society, we are constantly reminded, tells us if we are to survive, we should keep our
homosexuality quiet. We have swallowed that line for so very long that even we, sometimes,
spout it like some sort of credo. . ~
A certain amount of discretion may be necessary. However, standing up for what you believe
can only become easier the more you practice it. Be true and honest with yourself. Then if
'you feel that you would like others close to you to know, tell them. It could be risky,
but that risk is diminished by the feeling you get, a feeling of freedom, of
strength——that which you cannot truly have when you are trying to ”be normal".
The gay community in Lexington, as well as in the nation, has made some dramatic
accomplishments 1H1 the past few years. Unless we all pull together and fight for our
rights we will never get thenn I don't know about you, 'but that lnakes Ima terribly,
terribly sad for future generations.
Keith Elston
President