Page 6 Seattle Gay News November 6, 1981 Rights bill passes in Wisconsin MADISON, Wisconsin: On October 27, the Wisconsin State Assembly made history by voting 50-46 in favor of a state gay rights bill sponsored by State Rep. David Clarenbach (D-Madison). The bill, which now goes to the State Senate, would pro- hibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in housing, employment and public accomodation. This is the closest a state gay rights bill has come to passage since 1976. In that year, a similar bill passed Hawaii's House of Represenatives but failed in the State Senate. Clarenbach has higher hopes for his measure. "I am confident that we've cleared a major hurdle; the Seanate will pass AB 70 and the Governor will sign it into law. Wisconsin will then beocme the first state to guarantee gay people the legal right to recourse when they are discriminated against," he said. Clarenbach credited his success to grass-roots support, especially from clergy, and the legislature realistically looking at the issue. "This is not a moral issue-it is a matter of bigotry," Clarenbach countered during debate on the Assembly Floor. "It is a ques- tion of whether Wisconsin will tolerate discrimination.". "What has happened here today is a victory for gay people everywhere." continued Clarenbach. "Let the 'Moral Majority' and the hate mongers take notice that the gay rights movement and human decency is alive and well. This should serve to inspire enactment of similar laws in other states." --- * Bay Area Reporter (SF) 11/12/81 Wisconsin Passing 1st Gay Rights Bill The Wisconsin Assembly made history last week by giv- ing final approval to a Gay Rights Bill. This was the first time any house of any state legislature has furthered such a law. The Bill, which would ban discrimination in housing, jobs, and public accommoda- tions, still must pass the State Senate and be signed by the Governor. California, along with Pennsylvania and Michigan, has an executive order which offers limited protections against discrimination to Gay persons, but no State law. Assemblyman Art Agnos has introduced a Gay Rights Bill to the California legislature on more than one occasion, but it has not been passed. Wis- consin State Representative David Clarenbach (D-Madi- son) who authored the Wis- consin Bill, hopes that it will serve to inspire the enactment of similar laws in other states. In a phone interview with the Bay Area Reporter, Clar- enbach credited his success to grass-roots support, especial- ly from the clergy. He cited the "strong and active sup- port" received from church groups as "the critical factor" in the Bill's passage. Arch- bishop Weekland, the Cath- olic prelate in Milwaukee, was especially active, his calls and letters to legislators helping to clarify the issue as a humanist one. Clarenbach stressed, "This is not a moral issue - it is a matter of bigotry. It is a question of whether Wiscon- sin will tolerate discrimina- tion." This realistic approach helped keep the issue clear of the moralist angle that fre- quently clouds the question of homosexual rights. It also opened the door to support from other church groups. "We were overwhelmed with support,' said Clarenbach, "especially from religious groups." Support was forth- coming from Methodist, Lutheran and Episcopal of- fices, and the President of the Wisconsin Confederation of the United Church of Christ offered help. The biggest sur- prise came from the Ameri- can Baptist Church, which endorsed the Bill during their convention in Madison. Gay organizations were equally helpful, although their contributions were not as novel as outspoken church support. The Gay groups were important in bringing to- gether the various factions that lent support. With all this advocacy, Clarenbach pointed out that "the legislature knew what they were doing. We didn't The slip one past them." measure, Assembly Bill 70, was approved on a vote of 50 to 46 and now goes to the State Senate, which con- venes in early 1982. Claren- bach believes they will act favorably on the bill, as they are "a more progressive body" than the Assembly. The Governor has already given indications that he'd be willing to sign the bill should the Senate pass it. "Wisconsin will then be- come the first state in the country to guarantee Gay people the legal right to re- course when they are dis- criminated against,' "said Clarenbach. The bill provides broad protections from bias in all employment, housing, and public accommodations with- in the state. Also included is a requirement that all compa- nies with state contracts not discriminate against Gay peo- ple, although this was careful- ly worded to make it clear that the bill would not impose af- firmative action requirements with their attendant quotas and requirements. Clarenbach called the bill's success "a victory for Gay people everywhere. Let the Moral Majority and the hate mongers take notice that the Gay rights movement and human decency are alive and well," he concluded jubi- lantly. --- A-10 THE WASHINGTON BLADE - · February 19, 1982 Wisconsin moves to the brink Continued from page A-1 State Assembly by a vote of 50-46. At that time, Clarenbach said the bill has "cleared the major hurdle" and pre- dicted it would pass the Senate and be signed by the governor. Clarenbach remains certain the bill will become law, said staff assistant Dan Curd. He added that every formal and informal indication Clarenbach and other supporters of the bill have received from Gov. Dreyfus' staff indicates the governor will sign it. An aide to Dreyfus confirmed that likelihood. "I don't believe there are any remaining concerns" that would prevent the governor from signing the legislation, said Margaret Lewis, a legislative liaison for the governor. Dreyfus had been mildly critical of the bill at one point because he felt it might be read to require affirmative action for homosexuals. Other than that concern, he has no qualms about the bill, he has told both reporters and religious leaders backing the legislation. After Dreyfus voiced his concern, sup- porters of the bill decided to add an affir- mative action disclaimer to the bill. The amendment was added in the Senate before the February 16 vote and was approved separately by the House on February 18. Backers of the bill assembled a broad coalition of supporters, stressing that the issue was one of civil rights, not morality. A key factor in the success of that argu- ment was the wide support the legisla- tion received from the state's religious community. According to Clarenbach, the bill's supporters included the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee and statewide church bodies representing Methodists, Lutherans, Unitarians, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and Ameri- can Baptists. The action in Wisconsin is the second major victory for Gay rights during the first two months of 1982. On January 16, voters in Austin, Texas overwhelmingly rejected an initiative that would have allowed housing discrimination against homosexuals. If Clarenbach's bill clears its final hur- dle, as expected, Wisconsin will become the fourth state to offer some form of protection against discrimination to its Gay citizens. In three other states California, Michigan, and Pennsylvania governors have issued executive orders barring discrimination by state government. None of these actions, how- ever, is as far reaching as the Wisconsin legislation. --- LAMBDA NEWS > Volume VII Issue III February 19, 1982 San Jose, California ⚫ Next Issue: March 5 Deadline: February 26 Wisconsin Passes Gay Rights Law MADISON, WISCONSIN The Wisconsin State Senate voted February 18 in favor of a com- prehensive gay civil rights bill, making Wisconsin the first state in the country to do so. By a vote of 19 to 13, Assembly Bill 70 was approved in the Senate after passing the State Assembly last Fall. AB70 only need the governors signature to become law. Wiscon- sin Governor Lee Dreyfus, described a progressive Republican, is in his first term and is expected to sign the bill next week. as State Representative David e. Clarenbach (D-Madison), the author of AB70, talked in an ex- clusive interview with Lambda News today and said, "We have been give every indication from the governors staff that he will sign the bill. Marlene Cummings, the governors Advisor on Womens and Families Initiatives, has said there would be no problem in having the bill signed. " "The key factor in this was the supportive role of the religious 'Moral Majority' beaten at it's own game us. " community,' Clarenbach told "Almost to the person and denomination-Catholic, Luther- an, Methodist, and including, surprisingly enough, the Ameriacn Baptist Conference here we were able to join together and effectively isolate the Moral Majority group here." should be a lesson to other states to be able to stand up against these narrow-minded bigots. We were successful for several You have to have reasons. someone in the legislature, someone 'in house,' who is willing to make the necessary contacts The Wisconsin but not on this issue. I Adults Bill. think he was here to organize the local chapter for the Moral Majority, which was the only statewide organization in op- position" to AB70. Oddly enough, the Wisconsin 13-page legislative document covers sexual orien- tation in housing, employment (both public and private sectors), and in public accomodations. Lambda News asked Clarenbach Iwith his colleagues and do the legislature has not been able to if he had to make any com- "We effectively isolated the Moral Majority here. "I think this bill is significant because Wisconsin is a relatively small (26th in population), mid- Western, quasi-conservative and rural community," he said. "But we defined the issue very clearly as being non-discrimination" and not pro-homosexuality." Clarenbach, who has been in the State Assembly for eight years, indicated that this was the first time the bill had been in- troduced and voted upon. "We waited until we had sup- port for the issue before its in- troduction," he said. "This vote وو legwork. "You need a citizen's support network to put pressure on legislators 'back home.' They will be getting plenty of pressure from the opposition. "We had both and we played the same political game that the Moral Majority has been using successfully for the past few years.' " When asked about the national Moral Majority being involved, Representative Clarenbach stated, "(Rev. Jerry) Falwell has been in win approval on a Consenting Adults Bill (AB235), which has been introduced in the last three legislative sessions. However, Representative Clarenbach now feels the bill should pass. promises to the religious op- position, such as in areas of child care, to get the bill passed. "It would be illogical to exclude any employment," he said "as "AB235 has passed the Senate well as being redundant. There when its been introduced but has are already laws on the books been defeated in the Assembly governing (people's) behavior. This bill simply extends non- each time. That's why we chose to introduce AB70 (the gay civil discrimination to gays in ten sec- rights bill) in the Assembly fir- tions of the State Constitution, We felt we already had the sup- port in the Senate" based on their previous votes on the Consenting Continued on Page 4 --- Wisconsin Continued from Front Page sections already protecting some ten other classes of citizens, such as race, handicapped, etc." "We worked on passing AB70 without trying to slip anything in or allowing anything to be slipped in at the eleventh hour," Claren- bach said, "and we were suc- cessful because we had total sup- port from the religious com- munity." Clarenbach indicated that the organizing of this religious com- munity came through the efforts of Leon Rouse, the chief lobbyist for the Committee for Fundamen- tal Judeo-Christian Human Rights in Milwaukee. Rouse evidently had been successful in having a non-discrimination or- dinance passed by the city of Milwaukee last summer. "I hope the passage of this historic law will send a message to those who propagate misconcep- tions and fear, that courage and human compassion are still very much alive in this country," he said. "...Passage of this historic. law will send a message to those who propagate misconceptions and fear... 99 Because of the Wisconsin vic- tory, Representative Clarenbach predicts this action will boost civil rights initiatives in other states which have suffered setbacks because of right-wing opposition. Wisconsin now joins three other states (Michigan, Pennsylvania and California) which have limited protections mandated by executive orders of their gover- nors. MJ 2/19/82 3007.1 Dreyfus gets gay-rights bill- Journal Madison Bureaú ind a! Madison, Wis. Gay-rights. legis- ilation was sent to Gov. Dreyfus Thursday after final action by the Assembly.. The Assembly, which earlier had passed the bill, agreed to an amend- ment added by the Senate, thus com- pleting legislative action. The bill (A-70) prohibits discrimi nation based on sexual orientation in employment, housing and public ac- commodations. Sexual orientation is defined as homosexuality, heterosex- uality or bisexuality. so The Senate amendment approved by, the Assembly specifies that em-: ployers need not meet quotas in or der to be compliance with the pro- posed law. --- THE INTERNATIONAL GAY NEWSLEADER CHICAGO GayLife Volume 7 / Number 36 Friday, February 19, 1982 COMPLIMENTARY CO Gay rights wins in Wisc. W The Wisconsin state Senate voted 19-13 Feb. 16 in favor of a proposed law banning "sexual orientation" discrimination. The bill now goes to Gov. Lee S. Dreyfus, and insiders view the chances of his signing it into law as "favorable." An elated Rep. David Clarenbach (top left) called the Senate vote "a signifi- cant victory for all people who value human rights." Above, Clarenbach, primary author of the bill, toasts the victory with champagne, joined by assistants Dan S. Curd (far left) and Linda Kessel- Roovers and Dane County Supervisor Dick Wagner. For full coverage, see next week's Gay Life. (Photos: Stephen Kulieke/GayLife) --- GLC Voke - Minn, Minr David E. State Re 00000 00000 922 no Volume III Issue 2 November 16, 1981 State 00000000 Wisconsin House Approves Gay Rights Bill made Wisconsin State Rep. David Clarenbach MADISON-The Wisconsin Assembly made history today by giving final approval to a Gay Rights Bill authored by State Re- presentative David Clarenbach (D-Madison). This is the first time the house of any state legislature has furthered such a law. A similar law passed the Minnesota Senate twice, but failed in the House there. Clarenbach credited his suc- cess to grass-roots support, espe- cially from clergy, and the legis- lature realistically looking at the issue. "This is not a moral issue- it is a matter of bigotry," Claren- bach countered during debate on the Assembly floor. "It is a ques- tion of whether Wisconsin will tolerate discrimination." The measure, Assembly Bill 70, was approved on a vote of 50 to 46 and now goes to the State Senate, which Clarenbach be- lieves will favorably act on the bill early next year. "I am confi- dent that we've cleared the major hurdle; the Senate will pass AB 70 and the Governor will sign it into law. Wisconsin will then be- come the first state in the country to guarantee gay people the legal right to recourse when they are discriminated against," said Clarenbach. Three other states, California, Pennsylvania, and Michigan have executive orders which of- fer limited protections against discrimination to gay persons. Clarenbach's bill provides broad protections from bias in all employment, housing, and pub- lic accommodations within the state. Also included is a require- ment that all companies with state contracts not discriminate against lesbians and gay men. "What has happened here to- day is a victory for gay people everywhere," continued Claren- bach. "Let the Moral Majority' and the hatemongers take notice that the gay rights movement and human decency is alive and well. This should serve to inspire enactment of similar laws in other states." (Oct. 27, 1981) --- San Dieg Update 1/13/81 Wisconsin Assembly Passes Gay Rights Bill authored MADISON-The Wisconsin Assembly approved a Gay Rights bill State by Representative David Clarenbach (D-Madison) on Tuesday, Oct. 27. This is the first time any house of any state legislature has approved such a law. Clarenbach credited his success to grassroots support, especially from clergy, and the legislature realistically looking at the issue. "This is not a moral issue-it is a matter of bigotry," Clarenbach countered during debate on the Assembly floor. "It is a question of I whether Wisconsin will tolerate discrimination." The measure, Assembly Bill 70, was approved on a vote of 50 to 46 and now goes to the State Senate, which Clarenbach believes will favorably act on the bill early next year. "I am confident that we've cleared the major hurdle; the Senate will pass AB 70 and the Governor will sign it into law. Wisconsin will then become the first state in the country to guarantee Gay people the legal right to recourse when they are discriminated against," said Clarenbach. Three other states, California, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, have executive orders which offer limited protections against discrimination to Gay persons. Clarenbach's bill provides broad protections from bias in all employment, housing, and public accommodations within the state. Also included is a requirement that all companies with state contracts not discriminate against Lesbians and Gay men. "What has happened here today is a victory for Gay people DAVID CLARENBACH continued everywhere," Clarenbach. "Let the 'Moral Majority' and the hate-mongers take notice that the Gay rights movement and human decency is alive and well. This should serve to inspire enactment of similar laws in other states." --- GCN, 1981- Boston Gray Community Nerog November 21, 1981 Wisconsin House Passes Gay Rights Legislation By Scott Brookie MADISON, WI - A bill which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation has been passed by one chamber of the Wisconsin state legislature and supporters of the bill are optimis- tic that it will pass the other cham- ber early next year. The bill, sponsored by Rep. David Clarenbach (D-Madison) passed the Wisconsin State As- sembly on Oct. 23 by a vote of 50 to 46. "We confronted the alleged strengths of the Moral Majority on their own terms," Clarenbach told GCN. "We defined the issue not as a religious or a moral one but really a question of human rights." Clarenbach attributed the pas- sage of the bill in large part to strong support from various reli- gious organizations. Among those endorsing the measure, according to Clarenbach, were Catholic Archbishop Weakland of Milwaukee, bishops of the United Methodist, Lutheran and Episco- pal churches, the president of the United Church of Christ and the American Baptist Church. Other reports also indicated support from the United Presbyterian Church. "We approached it from the perspective that to oppose these anti-discrimination proposals would be to condone bigotry," commented Clarenbach. The bill, AB 70, prohibits dis- crimination in employment, hous- ing, and public accommodations in both the public and private sec- tors. It also bans discrimination by any contractor doing business with the state of Wisconsin. If passed, the bill would be the first law in any state prohibiting anti- gay discrimination. The issue will be taken up by the state senate when it reconvenes early next year. The senate is tra- ditionally the more progressive of the two legislative bodies, ac- cording to Clarenbach. "I can count 14 out of 17 [votes needed for passage in the senate] on this question," Clarenbach told GCN. "We didn't pull anything over on the Assembly," he added. "They knew what they were voting on. The issues were clear, the sides were drawn, and we won." Clarenbach has introduced the measure in two previous sessions of the Assembly, but it did not get out of committee. An attempt to decriminalize sex between con- senting adults was also recently defeated. Barbara Lightner of The United, a gay and lesbian social change and service organization, told GCN that passage of the bill had created a "great spirit of buoyancy" in Wisconsin. "Therapists were giving us the information that they'd never seen so many people going back in the closet," she commented. "Now with the passage of this bill even in the one house, there seems to be a regeneration of strength." Lightner added that she is pleased with this trend in Wiscon- sin politics, saying, "We have two traditions in Wisconsin, the progressive tradition and the McCarthy tradition. . . . There has been an attempt to revitalize that McCarthy tradition of fear and intimidation, particularly when any sort of gay issues come up. It didn't catch fire, which is remarkable - remarkably won- derful." Clarenbach concurred. "It has to serve as an inspiration for organizers everywhere that even in a midwestern, rural, quasi-con- servative state like Wisconsin, we can get the Assembly to endorse the concept of equal rights for lesbians and gay men," he told GCN. -filed from Boston --- and Pennsylvania-prohibit dis- crimination against homosex- uals, but only by the more fra- gile mechanism of executive or- der.) State Rep. David Clarenbach (D-Madison), the bill's primary sponsor, called on gay-rights and other social activists to "get back on the offensive." Some "rear guard" measures against the New Right have been neces- sary, he said, but "this legisla- tion will help provide some mo- mentum" in the other direction. Clarenbach lauded the sup- port of a "total cross-section of the religious community" as in- strumental to his work. The line- up is striking: It includes, for ex- ample, an Episcopal bishop, the Wisconsin Baptist State Conven- tion and the Archdiocese of Mil- waukee. The key to Clarenbach's strat- egy was defining this "bigotry" -not homosexuality-as the is- sue at stake. "The point is not whether homosexuality is admir- able; the issue is whether dis- crimination is tolerable," he wrote to his assembly colleagues. Thus he was able to get religious support for the concept of civil rights, while still allowing churches and legislators to get off the hook of accusations that they condone sin. This emphasis was wise: A re- cent move to decriminalize all consensual adult sex acts was narrowly defeated in Wisconsin -even though some 25 states have already set an example in this area. But the Wisconsin leg- islation, with provision of expli- cit legal recourse for gays and Wisconsin bill lesbians, will probably prove a aids gay rights MADISON, WI-Wisconsin stands on the verge of becoming the first state in the nation to pass a ban on discrimination against lesbians and gay men. Legislation outlawing the den- ial of employment, housing or public accommodation on grounds of sexual orientation cleared the state assembly in late October, and the bill's support- ers expect the state senate to give it the nod in early January. (Two other states-California In These Times 12/16/81 more effective tool than a de- criminalization ordinance. "It will expand tremendously the number of cases where people have a remedy," said Grid Hall, a state public defender and pres- ident of the Madison Equal Em- ployment Opportunities Com- mission. -Brooks Egerton --- Anti-discrimination bill nears senate approval By Josh Kurtz of the Cardinal Staff Discrimination on the basis of sexual preference may soon be- come illegal in Wisconsin. The State Senate Committee on State and Local Affairs is current- ly discussing Assembly Bill 70, a measure that would prohibit dis- crimination by sexual preference for employment, housing and public accomodations. daily cardinal photo OPPONENTS AND SUP- PORTERS of the measure squared off at a public hearing Thursday. "All over this country, state go- vernments have enacted bills that are protecting homosexuals," said State Rep. David Clarenb- ach, D-Madison, the bill's spon- sor. "It makes sure that by law, no minority can be discriminated against." State Rep. David Clarenbach, D-Madison AB 70, UW System budget (Continued from page 1) but supporters deny the claim. THE MOOD OF THE commit- tee was reflected by it's chairper- son, Sen. James Moody, D-Mil- waukee. Moody proposed that an amendment be added to AB 70 stating that quotas will not be part of the law. Clarenbach agreed with the idea. AB 70 has already passed through the Assembly. Assuming it is approved by the Senate com- mittee, it will then go to the full Senate for a vote. In other Capitol news, it ap- pears as if Gov. Lee Dreyfus plans to continue his budget cutting feud with UW System administra- tors. Responding Thursday to a charge by Madison Chancellor Irving Shain that a new slew of budget cuts will literally cripple the University, Dreyfus ex- pressed skepticism. "THAT IS NOT a new state- •ment," he said of Shain's com- ment. "We have suffered less than other states by a long shot. Those kind of statements are now going to have to demonstrate that (fi- nancial danger) is the case, be- cause those statements have been made too often.' It appears as if the governor is willing to whittle away at the UW left. System budget until nothing is DC 1/29/82 AB 70 would not actually be a new law, but an addition to the state's dictum that persons may not be discriminataed against on the basis of race, sex or religion. "It's a controversial issue," Cla- renbach conceded. THE LAWMAKER SCOFFED at the notion that ho- mosexuals will try to "convert" others. "These fears are irrational," he said. "For a society that promotes marriage and family as its corner- stone, there is no evidence that homosexuality is contagious." Several representatives of church organizations testified Thursday, with an equal number speaking for each side. "Our concern over AB 70 is quite frankly over homosexuali- ty," said Max Andrews, vice presi- dent of the Moral Majority Inc. of Wisconsin. "WE DON'T WANT to create another class of special rights," he continued. The bill would pro- duce "another legally recognized minority," according to Andrews. Andrews criticized many of Clarenbach's arguments. "This bill is regarded by many as an attack on the traditional Ameri- can family," he said. What's worse is that "we're tell- ing our young people that homo- sexuality as a way of life is accep- table." Along those lines, he feels the bill is dangerous because "ho- mosexuality, in order to retain it- self, must recruit." William Lincoln, president of the Wisconsin Association of Christian Schools, was far more direct in his criticism. PRIMARILY, I AM AGAINST this bill because the word of god speaks out against it," Lincoln said, quoting pas- sages from the Bible. "The au- thority that needs to be cited is the authority god gave us." But H. Myron Talcott of the United Methodist Church was equally effective in his defense of the bill. "When the rights of any minori- ty are denied, the rights of all mi- norities are threatened," he said. "Our church affirms all persons as equally valuable in the sight of god." A stumbling block the bill may face is whether or not it makes quotas based on sex orientation necessary. Opponents fear it does, (Continued on page 2) --- . A.B. 70 Our Horizons 2/3/82 Moral Majority Attacks " "Homosexuality is a self imposed and man made minor- ity which attacks the very heart of the traditional American family,' SO stated Max Andrews, President of Wiscon- sin's Moral Majority, Inc. at a Senate Committee hearing on A.B. 70. Andrews went on to spell out other concerns about the pas- sage of this bill which would guarantee protection to gay and lesbian peoples in areas of housing, employment, military service and the other generally protected classifications for minority groups. He pointed out to Senator James Moody (D-Milwaukee) and chairper- son of the State, Local Affairs and Taxation Committee, that "this legislation will force a major overhaul of all laws on the books. This process will be very costly and time consum- ing. Those people are not a nat- ural minority and therefore should not be considered for this civil rights legislation." Although David Clarenbach (D-Madison) the principle Assembly sponsor of the bill had, in his introduction to the Senate Hearing, stated that he would entertain an amend- ment from the Senate baring Affirmative Action access by this piece of legislation, Andrews proceeded to blast away at the area. Andrews stated clearly that he did not trust the court system at all to accurately interpret this legisla- tion and feared that regardless of the Senate intent the courts might force Affirmative Action on the people with this Bill. He further stated that, "if this Bill passes, one day soon our schools may be forced to teach that homosexuality is a genuine lifestyle, and this would never be acceptable." Speaking for over 300 churches with a mailing list of over 8,000 people in Wisconsin who support his position with money, Andrews pointed out that he was convinced that "homosexuals are a move- ment. They actively recruit oth- ers to be a part of their sickness." on Sen. Moody, a candidate for the U.S. House of Representa- tives (Henry Reuss' seat) lis- tened attentively to Andrews and then proceeded to use a socratic method to query his witness. Focusing in Andrews creation of a natural and self imposed or man made minority status, Moody asked if Andrews felt that it would be O.K. for the legislature to develop legislation to deny the freedom of certain church groups because religions cer- tainly "are man made and self imposed minority groups." Obviously stunned by this use of logic, Moody went so far as to illicit from Andrews that he (Andrews) "would oppose any move by the legislature to dis- criminate against atheists, even Top: Testifying on behalf of A.B. 70. Left: Rep. David Clarenbach. Right: Max Andrews, Moral Majority Dur Horizons (Mil if they really only worship ATTACK (from Pg. 1) themselves." William Lincoln of Water- town, Valencia Sternberg of Wausau, J. Mark Holland of Watertown and Dom Gordon of Madison also testified against the Bill at the hearing. Most reflected on the scrip- tures or the negative role mod- els of teachers who might be homosexual. Two of those who spoke quoted liberally from magazine articles and text books to clearly illustrate the sickness of homosexuality. Speaking in support of A.B. 70 (which does not make homosexual acts legal) were mainline church representa- tives. Rev. Myron Talcott of the (Attack; Cont'd. on Pg. 2) Wisconsin Conference of Uni- ted Methodist Churches; Sister Naomi Schoen of the Archdio- cesean (Milwaukee) Sisters Council and the Pastoral Council of the Archdiocese; Rev. Robert Young representing the Wis- consin and Upper Michigan Synod of Lutheran Churches and Rev. Mary Ann Neville, a U.C.C. church pastor in Mil- Waukee all spoke convincingly of the justice of this piece of legislation. Representatives of the Lambda Political Caucus, Tom Zander of the Wisconsin Civil Liberties Union and Milo Durst, a Milwaukee Psychiatrist also testified with strength and con- viction on this Bill. In addition to Chairperson Moody, Senators Lasee, Van Sistin, Berger and Hanaway were in and out of the hearings. Sen. Adelman, a member of the com- mittee was not present. Although not testifying, Leon Rouse, a Milwaukee based Human Rights lobbyist, was pre- sent at the hearings. Rouse has been a major steering force in Feb 1982 the movement of this legislation in both the Assembly and Senate. His work as a lobbyist, according to one member of Lambda Political Causus, "is nothing short of amazing and fantastic. We will never fully appreciate the work he has done on our behalf." Prior to the Senate hearings, Rouse and a few of those who were to testify on behalf of this A.B. 70 met with Gov. Lee Dreyfus. Although the Gover- nor refused to commit him- self on whether he would sign the legislation, everyone who emerged from the meeting had the distinct feeling that if the Bill passed the Senate in an amended form to guarantee against Affirmative Action, he would sign it. Rouse warned that it would be "hasty to presume that this Bill is home free. In Madison nothing is home free until it is. signed into law, and that is a fact." He urged everyone to write their Senator soon. Sena- tor Moody will hold an Executive Session of his comittee to de- termine the final report to the full Senate. --- THE CAPITAL TIMES, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 1982-41 Prohibits discrimination Sexual orientation bill OK'd The Associated Press The State Senate approved a bill Tuesday that would prohibit discrimi- nation against a person because of his or her sexual orientation. Opponents criticized the bill, declar- ing it condones homosexuality. The measure was returned to the Assembly for concurrence in an amendment that would assure em- ployers they need not hire a specified percentage of homosexuals to be in compliance with the new law. Rep. David Clarenbach, chief spon- sor of the bill, said the proposal could be of "national significance" because Wisconsin would be the first state to enact a such a law. "This bill shows that we will not tol- erate discrimination of any sort" in employment, housing and public ac- commodations, Clarenbach said. The Madison Democrat said it is not a question of "whether we are It is condoning homosexuality. whether discrimination is tolerable." Under the bill, sexual orientation is defined as "having a preference for heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, having a history of such a preference or being identified with such a preference." The prohibition against discrimina- tion in employment would apply to the state civil service, companies which have business contracts with the state, and the Wisconsin National Guard. The Senate's amendment would provide that the state's affirmative action law not apply to the proposed law so that an employer would not I have to meet a hiring quota. In other matters: The Senate passed a resolution asking Congress to enact legislation permitting Wisconsin to charge tolls on Interstates 90 and 94. The resolution, passed on a voice vote, is to be forwarded to the Wiscon- sin congressional delegation. • A bipartisan group of 11 state. legislators introduced a resolution in the Wisconsin Senate calling for a mutual nuclear weapons freeze by the United States and the Soviet Union. The resolution is similar to one that passed the Assembly earlier this month. It was sponsored by Senate Presi- dent Fred Risser, D-Madison; Senate Minority Leader Walter Chilsen, R-Wausau; and Sens. Clifford Krueg- er, R-Merrill; Paul Offner, D-La Crosse; Joseph Strohl, D-Racine; Carl Thompson, D-Stoughton; Daniel Theno, R-Ashland; Rod Johnston, R-Whitefish Bay; and Warren Braun, James Moody and Gary George, all Milwaukee Democrats. • The Senate killed 18-14 a measure that would have provided that resi- dential real estate, other than owner- occupied two-unit dwellings, could not be converted into condominiums un- less owners give between 120 days and 24 months notice of such conver- sion to each tenant. Start Soon Sond --- Anti-discrimination bill adopted By Josh Kurtz of the Cardinal Staff The State Senate approved a bill Tuesday that prohibits dis- crimination based on a person's sexual orientation. By a vote of 19-13, the Senate voted against a proposal to defeat Assembly Bill 70, which prevents the discrimination. The bill now goes to the governor for final ap- proval. THERE WAS NO debate on AB 70. However, the senators also approved an amendment stating that quotas will not be a neces- SENATE sary provision of the new law. That question of affirmative ac- tion was the biggest obstacle to the bill's passage. The amend- ment was introduced by Sen. James Moody, D-Milwaukee, with the blessing of the bill's chief sponsor, Rep. David Clarenbach, D-Madison. After the vote, Clarenbach was ecstatic, and called the bill a land- mark in the struggle for equal rights. The new law is not a special one; it accompanies state statutes that prohibit discrimination based on race, sex and religion. AB 70 WAS supported by a wide variety of activist groups - including church organizations. It's biggest opponent was the Moral Majority, Inc., of Wiscon- sin. In other business, the Senate adopted a resolution urging the installation of tolls on Wiscon- sin's interstate highways. "We're a bridge between the Twin Cities and Chicago," said Sen. Everett Bidwell, R-Port Washington, in support of the resolution. "The entire purpose of our high- way system is to make our roads The Daily Cardinal 59 accessible to the public," coun- tered Sen. Gerald Lorge, R-Bear Creek. "I think the resolution is very regressive and ought to be defeated." The Sénate also tabled indefi- nitely a bill that would have given victims of condominium conver- sion a right to seek dislocation payments if they were elderly or handicapped. "Three-quarters of this bill is consumer protection," said Moody, its sponsor. But the Senate canned it anyway. IN OTHER CAPITOL news, the State Legislature is in the pro- cess of urging the federal govern- ment and the Soviet Union to ne- gotiate a mutual nuclear weapons moratorium. The Assembly has already passed such a resolution, and on Tuesday Sen. Fred Risser, D-Mad- ison, and ten others introduced a Senate resolution. "It is my hope that the voice of the Wisconsin Se- nate will help to amplify the voi- ces of these concerned citizens as they write to speak to their nation- al representatives - and to their friends and neighbors - regard- ing their hopes for a productive future in a world free from the threat of nuclear devastation. said Risser. VOL. XCI, No. 95 University of Wisconsin-Madison Wednesday, February 17, 1982 ---