[Ban on Sex Acts] Part: 3 of 4
This clipping is part of the collection entitled: LGBT Collections and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the UNT Libraries Special Collections.
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Gay activists say
ruling may start
nationwide effortBy Esther M. Bauer
Stff Writr of The Nsew
The federal court decision Tues.
day that struck down Texas' homo.
sexual conduct law could serve as a
launching pad to revoke similar
statutes in 24 other states, leaders
of the homosexual rights move.
ment predicted:.
Within minutes of the ruling in
Dallas by U.S: Dist Judge Jerry Bu.
chmeyer that the Texas law was un-
constitutional, the Dallas Gay Alli-
ance held a news conference -
and the mood in Suite 1121 at the
Grenelefe Hotel was jubilant
"Until now, the battle to revoke
sodomy statutes has not received
systematic national focus," said Lu-
cia Valeska, executive director of
the National Gay Task Force. "But
that will follow from this decision.
A national strategy will emerge."
Previously, legislators in 25
other states had revoked similar so.
domy statutes. The decision in Dal-
las was the first time a federal
court has been involved in over.
turning a sodomy statute, accord-
ing to national homosexual rights
advocates
Don Baker, president of the Dal.
las alliance, said the decision can
be viewed as a combination of the
homosexual's Emancipation Proc.
lamation, the Magna Carta and the
Declaration of Independence.
Baker filed suit in November
1979 contesting the state's criminal
statute that makes it a Class C mis-'
demeanor, punishable by a S200
fine, to "engage in deviate sexual
intercourse with another individ.
ual ofthe same sex."
Thy federal ruling frees homo.
;exuals in Texas from what Baker
alledJthe phobia of an unfair law.
"It (the law) makes them see
hemselves as criminals, but it is
iow lifted," he said. "I hope that
>eople understand the emotional
mportance of this. While the deci-
ion addresses the sexual aspect, it
Iso affirms that gay people are en.
itled to the same basic human
ights as other American citizens."
Hearings on the suit were held
1 June 1981. Baker said the caseI alla% IorniUg rbed%
WedAesday, August 18, 1982
Don- Baker ... "I. hop- that
people understand the-emo.
tional importance of this."
A judge rules the Texas statute-is
unconstitutionaL Page 1A.
probably took so long because"the.
judge was very sensitive to. our
needs. He confronted the issue
squarely and courageously. He has
documented it (the decision) accu.
rately and my assumption is thathe
wanted to coverall the bases.
Baker said the state lawhad
been used as an excuse to keep
homosexuals out of the police
force, but that now the-Gay All1.
ance would monitor whether that
policy would be changed.
"Our objective is not to establish.
a quota system but to see that our
people are treated equally," Baker
said.
But Dallas Police Chief Billy
Prince said: "I would now see a
problem if someone said this would
cause us to hire gays. I don't think
the City of Dallas wants gays as po.
lice officers."
Prince said the hiring of homo.
sexuals would cause morale- prob-
lems within the police force,.could
compromise the enforcement- of
public lewdness statutes and might
See GAYS on Page ILA.Gays laud
decion
.u- -
C btla'ed sf'om Page 17A.
crees a problem if a hom ual
offisr h dto frisk a parson of the
"We would fight to the end our
be ng required to hire he
aM Princesaid.
,San rancisco polie oaer at
ti rGay Alliance news conference
sal however, that homonaals
o. theSA Francisco police force
had not.expeienced severe prob.
lemt ,.3s
"We have gays in the police de.
per ent In San Francisco who are
exemplary officers,' Paul H. Se
,dler aid.
The duration of the cae and
Bapes participation in program
at the Dnll"- homozua rig hts
movement during the lst five-
- been hard o fmly.
basuld -
"At fluetheby were opposed to
th9-la'uiS. Baker said. '"hey
me subjected to the
problems. Ata Christian.I felt obli.-
-agfmM what is right when
JIsste greatest thing that
evetco have happened to gay
riglta.They are now eon
a federal level. Now it will chal-..
Iengs the negative thoughts of any
legislators who have never thought
otu as aiet"
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[Ban on Sex Acts], clipping, August 18, 1992; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc804585/m1/3/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.