THE MILWAUKEE JOURNAL Sunday, February 15, 1976 Unpopular Ideas Take Work - Eugene C. Harrington Journal Madison Bureau Madison, Wis. Being a state legislator is not exclu- sively a job of representing the public. It also involves educating fellow lawmakers and the pub- lic on some issues, at least in the eyes of David Clarenbach, a 22 year old Democrat from Madison serving his first term in the Assembly. Clarenbach admits that he is not sure he wants to spend his life in politics, but is seeking re-election this fall at least to continue that frustrating edu- cational process. That takes patience, for Clarenbach has introduced some legislation that has run against the grain of popular feelings - a series of bills to aid homosexuals, decriminili- zation of marijuana, repeal of a law requiring motorcyclists to wear protective headgear, a study of day care centers for children of state employes and the addition of student mem- bers to the state university and voonal school boards. enbach recently sent a letter to "members and sup- porters of the gay communi- ty," urging them to contact legislators to lobby for passage of bills and amendments that would expand their rights. His emphasis on such legis- lation, he said in a recent inter- view, was because discrimina- tion against homosexuals was particularly insidious. He not- ed that the gay community was often reluctant to pro- claim its homosexuality be- cause of adverse effects that might have on employment and other rights. "At this point there is no vi-, and even more radical legisla- sible public interest or support for these reforms," he said in the letter. "It is crucial that you make yourselves heard." There is a certain loneliness about taking such positions, Clarenbach admitted in the in- terview. But he added that atti- tudes do change and such leg- islation can come into being. The question for a young per- son is whether it is worth wait- ing for. Clarenbach has an example sitting near him in the Assem- bly: Rep. Lloyd Barbee, a Dem- ocrat from Milwaukee. Barbee has been the author of similar QUICK ONES: tion in the past 10 years. Some of it has become more widely accepted and there is proof that a philosophical position -no matter how unpopular at first- eventually can prevail. Clarenbach has worked par- ticularly hard at strengthen- ing individual rights and elim- inating discrimination against classes of persons. Another example is his stand that prisoners should not be dehumanized by correc- tional procedures. Merely being imprisoned is a severe punishment David Clarenbach without taking alien to the district that he serves. Clarenbach noted that away other rights, he said. have a substantial liberal com- munity and a great awareness of politics. About 31% to 40% of his district is in area where many University of Wis- consin students live. Other parts are an East Side blue col- lar worker area and the wealthy, conservative suburb of Maple Bluff (the margin against him was 9 to 1 there in 1974). If he loses in the fall, Claren- bach will probably return to the University of Wisconsin, He attended last semestr, but because of legislative aties, felt he had not done wel aca- demically and has notgone His positions are not totally Dane County and Madison back. 2/1/76 WSJ Downtown Parking. State Rep. David Clarenbach (D-Madison) has in- troduced a bill designed to ease parking problems for persons living in central Madison. Clarenbach notes that many central city residents can't park in front of their own homes because of two-hour parking zones, or meters. Clarenbach's bill (AB-283) would provide parking permits for residents on those streets so they could park in front of their houses, like other homeowners with no parking restric- tions. 2/9/76 WSJ Clarenbach tells financial worth State Rep. David Clarenbach (D- Madison) has released his 1975 state and federal income tax forms and a statement of his financial worth. The statement shows Clarenbach earned $14,627 last year and paid $2,460 federal and $810 state income tax. He said he has no business or cor- porate interests, owns no stocks or bonds, and has no debts. As assets he listed $7,685 in local banks and a 1974 automobile. 2/20/76 Cable highlights TONIGHT - 7:45 p.m. Stoughton Sports. Stoughton meets Jefferson in basket- ball. (Monona Cable Channel 2 - Stoughton cablecast only). 8:30 p.m. "Capitol Review." Programs for veterans are discussed by John Moses (Sec. of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs) Van Naylor, Doug Bradley from the Vets House and Rep. David Clarenbach. (Madison Cable Channel 6). David Clarenbach Amnesty resolution introduced State Rep. David Clarenbach (D-Madison) has introduced a resolu- tion that probably won't go anywhere this session. It would urge Congress to grant unconditional amnesty to Vietnam war draft evaders. WST 2/29/76 --- WISCONSIN Newspaper Association 33 North Dickinson Madison, Wis. 53703 Clipping Bureau Division Oshkosh Northwestern MAR 9 1976 Claron Lowering age of consent opposed MADISON (UPI) - A bill to alish laws governing sexual conduct between con- senting adults drew lots of support and little opposition at a legislative hearing Mon- day. The measure, authored by Democratic Reps. Lloyd Bar- bee of Milwaukee and David Clarenbach of Madison, also would reduce the age of con- sent from 18 to 14. That's where the only opposition came. Mrs. William Hiltz, Mid- dleton, who runs a young girls' program for the Ma- sons, was agains dropping the age of consent. She said 14-year-olds were at the learning stage, not at the age of a mature mind. The Assembly Judiciary Committee did not vote on the bill, which was endorsed by the Wisconsin Civil Liber- ties Union, the Madison Com- mittee for Gay Rights, the Gay Law Students at the Uni- versity of Wisconsin, the Lib- ertarian Party of Wisconsin, two preachers, and several persons who said they were homosexuals - male and female. Harvey Darnell of the Mad- ison Gay Rights Committee said criminal laws against sexual preference violated the constitutional right to privacy and caused frequent attempts at shakedowns and blackmail of homosexuals. Miriam Ben Shalom said she was an honors student at the UW-Milwaukee, mother of an eight-year-old child and a "lesbian." She said she was undergoing discharge from an armed services, unit because she is a lesbian. Are homosexuals not peo- ple?" she asked the commit- tee. "I obligate you to see us as human beings who live, cry, work, live the same as you." Louis Stimac said he was a homosexual who counselled other homosexuals in Mil- waukee and "we who are gay have no desire to hurt anyone else." He said homosexuals were the second largest minority in Wisconsin and the "best protection against moral de- cay lies outside the criminal law." Laws barring sexual preference did not work and were expensive to enforce, Stimac said Press Association 110 East Main Street MADISON, WIS. 53703 Clipping Bureau Division Portage Daily Register MAR 9 197 Sex law 31 draws fire MADISON, Wis. (UPI) A bill to abolish laws governing sexual conduct between consenting adults drew lots of support and little opposition at a legislative hearing Monday. The measure, authored by Democratic Reps. Lloyd Barbee of Milwaukee and David Clarenbach of Madison, also would reduce the age of consent from 18 to 14. That's where the only opposition came. Mrs. William Hiltz, Mid- dleton, who runs a young girls' program for the Masons, was against dropping the age of consent. She said 14-year-olds were at the learning stage, not at the age of a mature mind. The Assembly Judiciary Committee did not vote on the bill, which was endorsed by the Wisconsin Civil Liberties Union, the Madison Committee for Gay Rights, the Gay Law Students at the University of Wisconsin, the 'Libertarian Party of Wis- consin, two preachers, and several persons who said they were homosexuals male and female. Harvey Darnell of the Madison Gay Rights Com- mittee said criminal laws --- WISCONSIN Newspaper Association 33 North Dickinson Madison, Wis. 53703 Clipping Bureau Division Oshkosh Northwestern MAR 9 1976 Lowering age of consent opposed - A bill MADISON (UPI) to alish laws governing sexual conduct between con- senting adults drew lots of support and little opposition at a legislative hearing Mon- day. The measure, authored by Democratic Reps. Lloyd Bar- bee of Milwaukee and David Clarenbach of Madison, also would reduce the age of con- sent from 18 to 14. That's where the only opposition came. Mrs. William Hiltz, Mid- dleton, who runs a young girls' program for the Ma- sons, was agains dropping the age of consent. She said 14-year-olds were at the learning stage, not at the age of a mature mind. The Assembly Judiciary Committee did not vote on the bill, which was endorsed by the Wisconsin Civil Liber- ties Union, the Madison Com- mittee for Gay Rights, the Gay Law Students at the Uni- versity of Wisconsin, the Lib- ertarian Party of Wisconsin, two preachers, and several persons who said they were male and homosexuals female. - Harvey Darnell of the Mad- ison Gay Rights Committee said criminal laws against sexual preference violated the constitutional right to privacy and caused frequent attempts at shakedowns and blackmail of homosexuals. Miriam Ben Shalom said she was an honors student at the UW-Milwaukee, mother of an eight-year-old child and a "lesbian." She said she was undergoing discharge from an armed services, unit because she is a lesbian. "Are homosexuals not peo- ple?" she asked the commit- tee. "I obligate you to see us as human beings who live, cry, work, live the same as you." Louis Stimac said he was a homosexual who counselled other homosexuals in Mil- waukee and we who are gay have no desire to hurt anyone else." He said homosexuals were the second largest minority in Wisconsin and the "best protection against moral de- cay lies outside the criminal law. Laws barring sexual preference did not work and were expensive to enforce, Stimac said Press Association 110 East Main Street MADISON, WIS. 53703 Clipping Bureau Division Portage Daily Register MAR 9 1972 lares Sex law 31 draws fire - MADISON, Wis. (UPI). A bill to abolish laws governing sexual conduct between consenting adults drew lots of support and little opposition at a legislative hearing Monday. The measure, authored by Democratic Reps. Lloyd Barbee of Milwaukee and David Clarenbach of Madison, also would reduce the age of consent from 18 to 14. That's where the only opposition came. Mrs. William Hiltz, Mid- dleton, who runs a young girls' program for the Masons, was against dropping the age of consent. She said 14-year-olds were at the learning stage, not at the age of a mature mind. The Assembly Judiciary Committee did not vote on the bill, which was endorsed by the Wisconsin Civil Liberties Union, the Madison Committee for Gay Rights, the Gay Law Students at the University of Wisconsin, the Libertarian Party of Wis- consin, two preachers, and several persons who said they were homosexuals male and female. Harvey Darnell of the Madison Gay Rights Com- mittee said criminal laws --- WISCONSIN Press Association 110 East Main Street MADISON, WIS. 53703 Clipping Bureau Division Portage Daily Register MAR 9 197 Sex law a 31 draws fire- MADISON, Wis. (UPI) - A bill to abolish laws governing sexual conduct between consenting adults drew lots of support and little opposition at a legislative hearing Monday. The measure, authored by Democratic Reps. Lloyd Barbee of Milwaukee and David Clarenbach of Madison, also would reduce the age of consent from 18 to 14. That's where the only opposition came. Mrs. William Hiltz, Mid- dleton, who runs a young girls' program for the Masons, was against dropping the age of consent. She said 14-year-olds were at the learning stage, not at the age of a mature mind. The Assembly Judiciary Committee did not vote on the bill, which was endorsed by the Wisconsin Civil Liberties Union, the Madison Committee for Gay Rights, the Gay Law Students at the University of Wisconsin, the Libertarian Party of Wis- consin, two preachers, and several persons who said they were homosexuals male and female. - Harvey Darnell of the Madison Gay Rights Com- mittee said criminal laws against sexual preference violated the constitutional right to privacy and caused frequent attempts at shakedowns and blackmail of homosexuals. Miriam Ben Shalom said she was an honors student at the UW-Milwaukee, mother of an eight-year-old child and a "lesbian." She said she was undergoing discharge from an armed services unit because she is a lesbian. "Are homosexuals not people?" she asked the committee. "I obligate you to see us as human beings who live, cry, work, live the same as you. " Louis Stimac said he was a homosexual who counselled other homosexuals in Mil- waukee and "we who are gay have no desire to hurt anyone else." --- Oshkosh Daily Northwestern Thursday, March 11, 1976 Must all conduct be classed moral? The legislature has important enough matters so that the bill upon which a hearing was held this week probably will not come to a vote, and that is just as well. The bill was authored by Reps. Lloyd Barbee and David. Clarenbach and would, among other things, lower the age of consent to 14. That in itself ought to be a clue as to the law's worth. But it would do even more. It would permit "marriages" of homosexuals and would abolish all laws governing sexual con- duct among adults. The bill drew support from the gays, and little opposition other- wise. Fortunately, some did speak up against making mere children fair game for the lech- erous. The problem of how society can deal with homosexuals is a different matter. On the one hand, persecution of these unfor- tunate people is impossible to justify. But society is not duty bound, then, to accept their con- tention that they are not "unfor- tunate" and that their selection of a "sexual preference" is no different than choosing whether to be a Republican or a Demo- crat. The gay libbers are not simply seeking an end to persecution. They are trying to cause society to accept their aberration as being non-aberrant. Under the battle cry "you can't legislate morality" they are trying to do precisely that: legis- late by bills such as Barbee and Clarenbach offer that what socie- ty has heretofore held immoral is now moral. It is much like the atheists of this country who are trying to make atheism the "state religion" by forcing any reference to God from public life. They are not content with the state's not taking sides in re- gard to religious sects; they urge that the state adopt their view that God does not belong. Society ought to have pro- gressed to the extent that it can accept the person of a deviate with charity. But society does not have to accept the deviation. It need not accord that conduct a ranking among the accepted norms. To do so is to abdictate all sense of morality, and the essence of society is morality. --- Anti-sex-law bill wins support By Frank Ryan 1319116 United Press International A bill to abolish laws governing sex- ual conduct between consenting adults drew lots of support and little opposition at a legislative hearing Monday. The measure, authored by Democrat- ic Reps. Lloyd Barbee (Milwaukee) and David Clarenbach (Madison), also would reduce the age of consent from 18 to 14. That's where the only opposition came. Mrs. William Hiltz, Middleton, who runs a girls' program for the Masons, was against dropping the age of con- sent. She said 14-year-olds were at the learning stage, not at the age of a ma- ture mind. The Assembly Judiciary Committee did not vote on the bill, which was en- dorsed by the Wisconsin Civil Liberties Union, the Madison Committee for Gay Rights, the Gay Law Students at the University of Wisconsin, the Liber- tarian Party of Wisconsin, two preachers and several persons who said they were homosexuals - male and female. Harvey Darnell of the Madison Gay Rights Committee said criminal laws against sexual preference violated the constitutional right to privacy and caused frequent attempts at shakedowns and blackmail of homosex- uals. Miriam Ben Shalom said she was an honors students at the UW-Milwaukee, mother of an 8-year-old child and a "Lesbian." She said she was undergo- ing discharge from an armed services unit because she is a Lesbian. "Are homosexuals not people?" she asked the committee. "I obligate you to see us as human beings who live, cry, work, live the same as you." Louis Stimac said he was a homosex- ual who counselled other homosexuals in Milwaukee and "we who are gay have no desire to hurt anyone else." He said homosexuals were the second largest minority in Wisconsin and the "best protection against moral decay lies outside the criminal law." Laws barring sexual preference did not work and were expensive to enforce, Stimac said. The Rev. Myron Talcott, Madison, a Methodist minister, said "homosexual acts in and of themselves are no sin." He said that, when the rights of any minority are denied, the rights of any other minority may be in jeopardy. The Rev. H. Gerard Knocke, a Lutheran minister at the UW, said any law controlling consenting sex by adults was "unjust." He said he was "thoroughly convinced" there was no justification for fear of homosexuals by the heterosexual population. --- Anti-sex-law bill wins support By Frank Ryan WSJ- 1319116 United Press International A bill to abolish laws governing sex- ual conduct between consenting adults drew lots of support and little opposition at a legislative hearing Monday. The measure, authored by Democrat- ic Reps. Lloyd Barbee (Milwaukee) and David Clarenbach (Madison), also would reduce the age of consent from 18 to 14. That's where the only opposition came. Mrs. William Hiltz, Middleton, who runs a girls' program for the Masons, was against dropping the age of con- sent. She said 14-year-olds were at the learning stage, not at the age of a ma- ture mind. The Assembly Judiciary Committee did not vote on the bill, which was en- dorsed by the Wisconsin Civil Liberties Union, the Madison Committee for Gay Rights, the Gay Law Students at the University of Wisconsin, the Liber- tarian Party of Wisconsin, two preachers and several persons who said male and they were homosexuals female. - Harvey Darnell of the Madison Gay Rights Committee said criminal laws against sexual preference violated the constitutional right to privacy and caused at frequent attempts shakedowns and blackmail of homosex- uals. Miriam Ben Shalom said she was an honors students at the UW-Milwaukee, mother of an 8-year-old child and a "Lesbian." She said she was undergo- ing discharge from an armed services unit because she is a Lesbian. "Are homosexuals not people?" she asked the committee. "I obligate you to see us as human beings who live, cry, work, live the same as you." Louis Stimac said he was a homosex- ual who counselled other homosexuals in Milwaukee and "we who are gay have no desire to hurt anyone else." He said homosexuals were the second largest minority in Wisconsin and the "best protection against moral decay lies outside the criminal law." Laws barring sexual preference did not work and were expensive to enforce, Stimac said. The Rev. Myron Talcott, Madison, a Methodist minister, said "homosexual acts in and of themselves are no sin." He said that, when the rights of any minority are denied, the rights of any other minority may be in jeopardy. The Rev. H. Gerard Knocke, a Lutheran minister at the UW, said any law controlling consenting sex by adults was "unjust. He said he was "thoroughly convinced" there was no justification for fear of homosexuals by the heterosexual population. --- ill wins support Gay Law Students at the of Wisconsin, the Liber- ty of Wisconsin, two several persons who said omosexuals male and - rnell of the Madison Gay mittee said criminal laws al preference violated the al right to privacy and equent attempts at and blackmail of homosex- n Shalom said she was an nts at the UW-Milwaukee, n 8-year-old child and a She said she was undergo- e from an armed services she is a Lesbian. osexuals not people?" she mmittee. "I obligate you to man beings who live, cry, e same as you. 3/2/16 CT. Louis Stimac said he was a homosex- ual who counselled other homosexuals in Milwaukee and "we who are gay have no desire to hurt anyone else." He said homosexuals were the second largest minority in Wisconsin and the "best protection against moral decay lies outside the criminal law." Laws barring sexual preference did not work and were expensive to enforce, Stimac said. The Rev. Myron Talcott, Madison, a Methodist minister, said "homosexual acts in and of themselves are no sin." He said that, when the rights of any minority are denied, the rights of any other minority may be in jeopardy. The Rev. H. Gerard Knocke, a Lutheran minister at the UW, said any law controlling consenting sex by adults was "unjust." He said he was "thoroughly convinced" there was no justification for fear of homosexuals by the heterosexual population. The Gay Rights Bills ONE OF THE heartening as- tions? Licenses? Jobs? pects of the sexual revolution has been a growing awarness that our laws dealing with homosexuality are sadly out of tune. that All over the country, state legislatures are eliminating medieval laws discriminate against gay women and men. Illinois has just knocked down several such statutes that have been employed to discriminate against gays. The Wisconsin legislature has several proposals to ex- pand the "rights and legi- timacy of gay people" in Wis- consin, according to State Rep. David E. Clarenbach (D- Madison). The so-called gay rights bills and amendments to existing law deserve serious considera- tion. Knowing the tenor of the times, we are not at all san- guine about the success of the proposals. Why should a homosexual suffer discrimination in hous- ing? Why should homosexuals be denied public accommoda- There are many serious questions about society's out- moded attitude toward gays. SENATE BILL 498 removes "sexual preference" a barrier to licensure and public employment, for example. It is about time Wisconsin lived up to its reputation as a progressive state. We know the chances of change are slim. We haven't even removed all of the medieval strictures in our laws against heterosexual relations. We've yet to permit the sale of contraceptives to unmarried people. We're the last state in the union to cling to that ridiculous statute. ---