European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 3, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse A. Clarence Page i was annoyed at first when organized homosexuals decided to Call themselves a Gay a How dare they confiscate a perfectly serviceable synonym for Quot Happy i thought. Children never again would be Able to sing a Don we now our Gay apparel at Christmas without snickering. A a a. Then i discovered that the connection Between Quot Gay and homosexuals has deeper roots than i knew. The English Quot Gay Quot comes from Gai which the Middle French popularly used to describe cafe i Nate and pretentious characters in their All male burlesque theater in the Days before ladies performed in the Heaters of either country. The scottish similarly used Gai to describe anyone who was Odd different or As today a Young Gay militants like to say defiantly queer. A a Gay was appropriated by the Gay liberation movement when it Rose in the late 1960s and has come to be associated with lesbians As Well As homosexual men in America although female homosexual activists these Days tend to defend a a lesbian to underscore the uniqueness of their problems and agendas. A. A a Quot a much for today s Multi culture venture into Gay history. It May seem trivial but the names by w hich we Call others Are no Small matter. It is one of the first things we know about others and As much As i liked to think of myself As enlightened on the subject of human rights there was much i did not know about How others like homosexuals live. On the whole they tend to live like heterosexuals do in a diverse Community full of Good eggs and bad eggs like other communities. But they also live Day to Day looking Over their shoulders in an atmosphere poisoned by fear ignorance and outright bigotry. Americans agree less on Gay rights than they do perhaps on other rights. An August new York times lbs news poll found about 80 percent believed homosexuals should have equal rights to Job opportunities,.but Only 57 percent supported homosexuals in the military and Only 38 percent thought it was an acceptable alternative lifestyle. Our National ambivalence is reflected in several recent ironic developments. The same Day Macri cans elected a pro Gay rights president Colorado voted an amendment to its Constitution that re. Pealed Gay rights ordinances passed by Denver Boulder and Aspen. 1 then two of Massachusetts Republican gov. William Weld s top staff aides revealed to the world that they were Gay lovers. They said they were encouraged to come out of the closet by growing Public support for Gay rights. Yet rising pressure among democratic supporters Tike Georgia sen. Sam Nunn is nudging Clinton to go slow on dropping the military s ban on Gays lest he stir up a backlash. A a and this Battle May be coming to your town soon. Or coming Back. The same Day Colorado passed its anti Gay amendment Oregon voted Down a More severe measure that would have declared homosexuality to be abnormal and a perversion of the same order As child molesting. The same Day Tampa voters repealed that City a Gay rights ordinance and Portland Maine voters decided to keep answers to tepid questions Andy Rooney s everal times a year i am asked for by a College student studying journalism. His or her assignment is to write a Story about a Well known person and 1 have been chosen because in a easy to find and because 1 am a person on the ragged Edge of Wellino Anness. What follows is an interview put together from ail the interviews i remember. Quot Quot student could you Tell me where you were bom Andy i could Tell you yes but that information is readily available elsewhere and it would be Good practice for a learner to look it up. Student what made you decide to become a writer a amp by if i gave you an answer id be making it up. I done to know. Hardly anyone knows How they got started doing what they do. A student do you like what you do Andy do you mean do i like the process of putting ideas Down on paper using words or Are you asking if i have a favourable opinion of what i write student of then both. Andy of then yes and no. Yes i like to write and no i do not always have a favourable opinion of voters appear to be much less comfortable with open condemnation of homosexuals like Oregon s measure than they Are with Colorado s More benign alternative of simply denying them Quot special a that encourages Lon Mabon Leader of the Oregon citizens Alliance which sponsored Oregon s proposal. He vows to return with a new measure modelled on Colorado a the new argument Colorado s new anti Gay constitutional amendment which the american civil liberties Union is challenging bans any state or local Law that would give a special rights to homosexuals. In effect it overrules measures already passed in Denver Aspen and Boulder to protect homosexuals from discrimination in jobs housing or Gay bashing a hate Kevin Tibedo executive director of coloradans for family values the measure s sponsors told me his group is opposed Only to Quot special rights for homosexuals which his group claims will Lead to affirmative action quotas. Its a preposterous argument. No one of any note is asking for Gay quotas none Are called for in the Law and there s nothing Quot special about the right to life Liberty and Pursuit of an income in Chicago Tribune a a what i have written. In this regard i m a lot like readers of this column. Student do you think studying journalism helps someone who wants to get a Job on a newspaper Andy a Little. Not much when people graduate from journalism school they probably Don t know much about How to go about a Job for a newspaper or to station but at least they know what the problems Are. Student what Are the problems Andy can Only give you a half hour. Student do you write things that make people mad r n sure for instance ill use the word a mad Quot and write angry letters saying i mean they re really mad. Student do you mind if we Start Over i forgot to Start my tape recorder. A Tribune Media services a a Andy Rooney is a Corner stars and Stripe reporter. Page 16 sunday january 3, 1993 a a
