vol. 55, no. 6 (August-September)

aclu news (c)

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Volume LV

isitors to Great America on the

V 4th of July, 1990 could hardly

expect to be questioned about

their ethnic origin and thrown out of the

amusement park because of their race and

style of dress. But that is exactly what hap-

pened to two teenage cousins who planned

- to enjoy their Independence Day holiday at

the popular Santa Clara amusement park.

Theirs was not an isolated experience.

More than a dozen other young Latino,

African American and Asian males con-

tacted local civil rights organizations

charging that they had been detained, ques-

tioned, or ejected from - or denied admis-

sion to- Great America last summer after

having been identified by park security

guards as "gang members."

A year later, on July 2, 1991 ACLU-

NC attorney Ed Chen, Sara Campos of the

San Francisco Lawyers Committee for

Urban Affairs, and cooperating attorneys

Harry Bremond, David Drummond, and

Marta Cervantes of the Palo Alto law firm

of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich and Rosati

august - september 1991

Great America Challenged

for Excluding Minority Youths

oopera ing attorney David Drummond, surrounded by plaintiffs and other

attorneys at the ACLU-NC press conference, announces lawsuit against Great

America for excluding minority youths.

ACLU-NC Board Opposes

Thomas Nomination

at its September 12 meeting voted

to oppose the nomination of

Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme

Court.

_ "Judge Thomas's record on civil liber-

ties and civil rights is nothing short of

abysmal. Fro'm an exhaustive review of

~ his writings, it would appear that he would

like to singlehandedly dismantle the many

gains made over the years by the civil lib-

"erties and civil rights communities," said

ACLU-NC Board Chair H. Lee Halterman.

"Nothing in his first week of hearings

has given us any confidence that his views

on the Court would be significantly differ-

ent.

T he ACLU-NC Board of Directors

join a majority that feels the Court does

not have a special responsibility to inter-

vene to protect the rights of minorities

against majoritarian efforts to strip them of

their rights," Halterman added.

In particular, the Board cited two sig-

nificant areas of law where Thomas has

displayed his hostility to constitutional

guarantees.

C all Senator Cranston at

2022243553

all Senator Seymou

(202-224-338.

"We believe that Judge Thomas will

"First, we believe that Judge Thomas's

determined opposition to state-initiated

remedial efforts to correct the effects of

racism/slavery in our society make him a

potential fifth vote to reverse those posi-

tive gains for which the Court has not yet

been able to muster a majority. This

threatens the equal protection interests that

the Court must be particularly important in

advancing and protecting," said Board

member Margaret Russell, who is also the

ACLU-NC representative to the national

ACLU Board.

"Second, we believe that Judge

Thomas's elevation will directly threaten

Roe v. Wade. Especially troubling in this

regard is his stated natural law theory.

Because of the central importance of this

case to maintaining the rights of women,

this concern is of obvious importance.

Beyond that, though, Judge Thomas has

indicated his concern with the principle

laid out in Griswold v. Connecticut, thus

threatening to unravel in substantial part

the privacy protections upon which many

civil liberties rest," added Russell.

ACLU-NC Executive Director

Dorothy Ehrlich called on ACLU-NC

members to lobby the two California sena-

tors to oppose the Thomas nomination.

"We cannot have another Associate

Justice on the nation's highest court who

is willing to roll back civil rights and civil

liberties in the years to come."

In July, Halterman wrote a letter on

behalf of the ACLU-NC Board urging the

National Board of the ACLU to oppose

the nomination at its special meeting on

August 17. However, at that meeting, the

National Board fell just short of the 60%

majority required to oppose. Since then,

other ACLU affiliates, including the

ACLU of Southern California, have also

decided to oppose the nomination. "The

different positions simply reflect a differ-

ent interpretation of policy and strategy,"

explained Ehrlich.

T. Rocamora

announced at a crowded press conference

at the ACLU-NC. office that they were

seeking justice for 17 of the youths by fil-

ing a lawsuit on their behalf in Santa Clara

Superior Court. The attorneys charged that

Great America's policy violated the Unruh

Act and federal civil rights laws.

The lawsuit also seeks damages and

injunctive relief from the Santa Clara

Sheriff's Department, which appears to

have had a significant role in assisting

Great America in formulating the "gang

profile" policy, and damages against the

City of Santa Clara, whose officers were

involved in the actual arrest of several of

the plaintiffs.

"The identification of these individuals

as `gang members' appears to be based, at

best, on stereotypic profiles featuring

clothing and racial background," said

Chen.

Arbitrary and Discriminatory

"We believe these practices violate the

Unruh Civil Rights Act, which prohibits

arbitrary and discriminatory exclusion

from accommodations, facilities, and ser-

vices in all business establishments," he

added.

Over the past year, the plaintiffs, their

No. 6

parents and their attorneys have had sev-

eral meetings with Al Weber, General

Manager and other officials of Great

America in an effort to halt the discrimina-

tory practice. They were able to convince

Great America to terminate its policy and

to base its exclusions and ejections solely

on conduct rather than appearance.

However, in response to the demand

for monetary compensation for twelve

individuals who were victimized by the

gang profile policy, Great America offered

to give each individual only $250 (the stat- -

utory minimum under the Unruh Act) and

a 1991 season pass.

"Our clients feel very strongly that the

offer was inadequate and trivialized their

injury," said Campos. "That is why they

decided to bring a lawsuit seeking full

damages."

"Moreover," added Drummond, "Great

America has confirmed that it received

substantial assistance and training in

respect to gang profiles from the Santa

Clara County Sheriff's Department. We

hope that this suit will help uncover the

sources of what appears to be a broader

systemic problem in law enforcement in its

treatment of minority youths and its use of

gang profiles."

Two cousins, 16-year old Roger Prieto

from El Sobrante and 19-year old Anthony

Scozzari of Hayward, both of Mexican

descent, visited Great America on the

Fourth of July, 1990. Prieto was ques-

tioned about his nationality by a security

guard. When his older cousin came over to

find out what was going on, both were for-

cibly ejected from the park after demand-

ing to see the manager. As they left Great

America they were arrested for trespassing

- by a Santa Clara police officer.

On July 7, 1990, 13-year old Hugo

Lugo, a Latino, was accused by a security

guard of being a gang member because of

his clothing (overalls) and was arrested for

trespassing.

`Despite phone calls and objections

from parents these racist practices contin-

ued," said Chen. He spoke of an incident

on August 3 where 17-year old Abraham

Navarro and Michael Gonzales, both of

whom are of Filipino, European and

Latino descent, were stopped by security

guards. Navarro and Gonzales were wear-

Continued on page 2

ye 27)

Celebrate

Bill of Rights Day 1991

the Bicentennial of the Bill of Rights

Sunday, December 15

4:00 PM - Reception

5:00 PM - Program

Grand Ballroom

Westin St. Francis Hotel

Union Square, San Francisco

Tickets: $15.00/$8.00 (for low-income/students/seniors)

To reserve tickets, please call Nancy Otto at ACLU-NC, 415/621-2493.

Tickets will be mailed out after November 1.

aclu news

aug - sept 1991

Parental Consent Law Challenge Set for Trial

significant reproductive rights

A case challenging the 1987 law -

requiring adolescents to obtain

parental consent or a court order to obtain

abortion services is scheduled to go to trial

in San Francisco Superior Court on

September 30.

The parental consent law has never

gone into effect because of the lawsuit,

American Academy of Pediatrics v.

Lungren, filed by the ACLU-NC and the

Adolescent Health Care Project of the

National Center for Youth Law. In

October 1989, the state Court of Appeal

upheld a lower court ruling blocking the

law.

The appeal court ruled that the

California Constitution includes an inde-

pendent right to choose abortion, which is

broader than the federal right. In

California, the state can only burden the

procreative choices: of adult women or

adolescents if it shows a compelling pur-

pose. The case has now been returned to

trial court to see whether the state can

meet its burden of proving that the law

promotes a compelling state interest.

"The law has never gone into effect

because our state courts have not been

willing to allow the government to experi-

ment with the lives of young girls," said

ACLU-NC attorney Margaret Crosby.

In preparation for the trial, Crosby,

NCYL attorney Abigail English, and

cooperating attorneys from the law firm of

Morrison and Foerster under the leadership

of Linda Shostak, have interviewed expert

witnesses from around the country.

Planned Parenthood

Honors Crosby

CLU-NC staff attorney Margaret

Crosby was honored by Planned

Parenthood of Alameda/San

Francisco with the 1991 Faye Wattleton

Award "in recognition for her leadership

. in defending civil liberties, especially the

right of women to reproductive choice."

The award was given to Crosby at

Planned Parenthood's Annual Dinner on

June 14, hosted by KRON-TV reporter

Belva Davis. Planned Parenthood honored

Crosby, because, "as a result of her tireless

efforts, reproductive freedoms have

endured, teens may receive confidential

reproductive health care services, and

Medi-Cal funding has remained available

to indigent women and teens each year

despite political battles surrounding it."

Also honored at the dinner were

Congressman Don Edwards for his spon-

sorship of the Freedom of Choice Act and

dedication to protection of civil liberties,

and obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Ben

Majors for his dedication to meeting the

reproductive health needs of women

regardless of their ability to pay.

Overturn the Gag Rule!

On the July 9 National Day of Protest, activists gathered at the San Francisco

Federal Building, calling on Congress to overturn the "gag rule" forbidding

federally funded clinics from discussing abortion. Measures are still pending in.

Congress and are threatened by a Presidential veto.

Marcia Gallo

PT Ka iTe| RVenricahis Rare VR

Oo 2-o"a

in SAN MATEO

Rally and Leafleting to Overturn the Gag Rule

Saturday, September 28

10 AM-Kick-Off Rally at Central Park, San Mateo

11 AM - Neighborhood Leaflet Drop

Tell Congress to overturn the Gag Rule. Help get the word out by

distributing flyers and postcards on neighborhood doorsteps.

Sponsored by the San Mateo County Coalition to Overturn the Gag Rule.

For more information, call 415/571-783.

in SAN FRANCISCO

Pro-Choice March and Rally

Saturday, October 5

11 AM- Assemble Justin Herman Plaza, 12 noon- March on Market

' Street, 1 PM- Rally at Civic Center Plaza.

For more information: Bay Area Pro-Choice Coalition 415/255-1989

Social workers, medical personnel and

judges from states where parental consent

or notification laws are in effect will tes-

tify about the disastrous effect of such

laws on the physical, mental and emo-

tional health of teenagers who are forced

to confront unsympathetic parents or navi-

gate a difficult and complex procedure to

obtain a court order for abortion.

Physicians and sociologists will testify

about California's current system for

ensuring informed consent and the capac-

ity of adolescents to make decisions about

reproductive health care and the physical,

emotional, and social consequences of

teenage childbearing as contrasted with

abortion.

California's lawsuit became especially

important following the U.S. Supreme

Court's 1989 decisions in Hodgson v.

Minnesota and Ohio vy. Akron Center for

Reproductive Health, upholding parental

notification statutes in Minnesota and

Ohio.

With the departure of Justices Brennan

and Marshall from the United States

Supreme Court, and federal protection for

the right to choose in serious jeopardy,

pro-choice litigators are hoping that

American Academy of Pediatrics v.

Lungren will become an important state

constitutional precendent protecting repro-

ductive rights.

Over one million teenagers in the U.S.

become pregnant each year. Teenagers

are 24 times more likely to die from child-

birth than from a first trimester abortion.

The ACLU Reproductive Freedom

Project has just published an excellent

pamphlet, "Shattering the Dreams of

Young Women: The Tragic Conse-

quences of Parental Involvement

Laws," which is available for $2.00 a

copy from: ACLU_ Reproductive

Freedom Project, 132 W. 43rd Street,

New York, NY 10036; 212/944-9800 ext.

515.

Wanted:

Archive

he ACLU-NC maintains subject

Librarians

files on a wide variety of civil lib-

T erties issues. Volunteer librarian

Clara MacDonald organizes the subject

files and is looking for assistance. If you

have some library or research experience,

are interested in civil liberties documenta-

tion, and are available during office hours

on Wednesdays or Thursdays please leave

a message for Clara McDonald or

Elaine Elinson at the ACLU-NC, 415/

621-2493.

ACLU-NC

Board

Elections

he following candidates were

elected to serve on the ACLU-NC

Board of Directors (an asterisk

denotes an incumbent): James Blume*,

Luz Buitrago, David Drummond, H: Lee

Halterman*, Len Karpman*, Joanne E.

Lewis*, Ethel Long-Scott*, Davis

Riemer*, Zona Sage, and Richard Sevilla.

The Board members were elected for a

three-year term which begins in

September, 1991.

Great America Challenged ...

Continued from page |

ing black jackets, acid washed jeans and

caps.

The guard accused Navarro of "crip-

ping" his jacket, i.e., wearing it off his

shoulders. Both boys were frisked, told to

remove their Raiders caps and empty their

pockets, and searched with a metal detec-

tor. They were then told they had to leave

Great America because of their "gang

attire."

When Navarro's mother, Lillian

Garcia, came to pick the boys up, she was

told that her son had done nothing wrong

but "he fit the gang profile."

Garcia noted that many white youths

who were at Great America were also

wearing black jackets and acid washed

jeans- yet none of them were being

stopped by security guards.

Chiyuka Carlos, a twenty-two year old

African American, was excluded from the

park along with two other friends on

September 30 because they were all

- dressed alike. Their. "gang attire" was

green lounge suits with a billiard ball pat-

tern together with mismatched tennis

shoes.

"Colors"

At the press conference, Carlos

explained, "The security guard told us we

weren't allowed in because we were wear-

ing `colors,' I tried to get him to say which

colors he was talking about because I was

were wearing every one in the rainbow!"

pointing to a photo blow-up of the three

wearing the colorful outfits.

The civil rights groups noted that they

have received complaints from diverse

jurisdictions complaining about similar

practices by private businesses or law

enforcement agencies. For example, Latino

and African American youths were ejected

from the Dixon City Fair for wearing black

warm-up jackets. In Sacramento, a restau-

rant excluded two African American men

wearing the colors of the African National

Congress for suspicion of being gang

members. There have also been similar

problems at the Santa Cruz boardwalk and

Rohnert Park.

aclu news

8 issues a year, monthly except bi-monthly in January-February, June-July, August-

September and October/November.

Published by the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California

H. Lee Halterman, Chairperson

Dorothy Ehrlich, Executive Director

Elaine Elinson, Editor

Marcia Gallo, Field Page

ZesTop Publishing, Design and Production

1663 Mission St., 4th Floor

San Francisco, California 94103

(415) 621-2488

Membership $20 and up, of which 50 cents is for a subscription to theaclu news a 50

cents is for the national ACLU bi-monthly publication, Civil Liberties.

aclu news

aug - sept 1991 3

War Protestors, Victims of Videotaped

he ACLU-NC filed a lawsuit in

` San Francisco Superior Court on

June 11 on behalf of three anti-war

protestors who were beaten by California

Highway Patrol officers during demonstra-

tions on January 16 and 17.

Two of the plaintiffs, Aaron Lamberti

and Eli Rosenblatt, were captured on vide-

otape being beaten by officers as they par-

ticipated in a non-violent demonstration

on Highway 101 near the Vermont Street

exit in San Francisco. The tape shows a

CHP officer swinging a side handle baton

at two seated protestors, fracturing the leg

of Lamberti and causing severe lacerations

and bruises to Rosenblatt.

The third plaintiff, Moira McFadden,

was knocked breathless by a_ baton-

swinging officer on the lower deck of the

Bay Bridge during a large demonstration

on January 16.

The injured demonstrators are being

represented by ACLU-NC staff attorney

Alan Schlosser and ACLU cooperating

attorneys Edward P. Davis, Jr. and Judy

Alexander of the San Jose office of

Pillsbury, Madison and Sutro.

The ACLU filed damages claims

against the State of California on behalf of

Lamberti and Rosenblatt on March 27 and

on behalf of McFadden on April 2.

Although two of the officers involved,

Reginald Redmond and _ Nicholas

Chouprov, were suspended for miscon-

duct, the state Board of Control notified

ACLU attorneys that it was recommend-

ing rejection of the claims, thus necessitat-

ing the lawsuit.

The suit asks for substantial damages

against the individual officers for the beat-

ings and against the California Highway

CHP Beatings, File Suit

"The legal basis for this action is quite

simple. Peaceful acts of civil disobedience

can never justify the use of violence by law

enforcement agencies."

CHP Officers beating anti-war demonstrators, as seen on videotape.

Deborah Shaffner

Patrol and State of California for failing to

provide adequate crowd control training

and supervision.

According to Davis, "The legal basis

for this action is quite simple. Peaceful

acts of civil disobedience can never justify

the use of violence by law enforcement

agencies.

"The acts of brutality are all the more

disturbing because the most fundamental

Doctor with AIDS

Can Sue FBI for Discrimination

midst the clamor for forced disclo-

A sure of HIV test results of health

care workers, the U.S. Court of

Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled on

August 1 that a medical doctor with AIDS

can sue the FBI after he refused to disclose

his HIV status. .

The ruling that the doctor can sue

under the federal Rehabilitation Act came

in the case of Dr. John Doe v. FBI which

was filed in U.S. District Court in 1989 by

attorneys Matthew Coles of the ACLU-

NC, JoAnne Frankfurt of the Employment

Law Center of the Legal Aid Society of

San Francisco, and cooperating attorneys

Kirke M. Hasson and Christopher Byers of

the Pillsbury, Madison and Sutro. AIDS is

considered a disability under the federal

Rehabilitation Act.

The ruling was hailed as a victory by

Dr. Doe's attorneys who said that it estab-

lishes that disabled persons can hold the

federal government accountable.

"No one who is fighting for life should

also be forced to fight for a job. No

employer - particularly our own govern-

ment - should deem itself above the law

against disability discrimination.

FBI's actions were medically uninformed

and morally reprehensible," Frankfurt said.

Coles said that the ruling may provide

a much needed chance to establish the

principle that most health care workers can

not be forced to disclose their HIV status

to patients. "All the experts in this case

agree that routine physicals, like most non-

surgical procedures, present no risk of HIV

transmission at all. Now that we can pro-

ceed, we should be able to establish that

where there is no risk, there can be no

- forced disclosure.

"Tt's important that we get a court rul-

ing on this now because of the fury about

the dentist in Florida and the exaggerated

The: -

fears many people now have about health

care workers with HIV," Coles added.

Coles argued in May 1990 before a

three judge panel of the Ninth Circuit that

the doctor should be allowed to sue the

Federal Bureau of Investigation because it

stopped sending its employees to him for

physical examinations.

Dr. Doe, whose identity and place of

business are protected by court order, had

performed routine physical exams on FBI

employees since 1984. In 1988, when the

FBI learned that Dr. Doe had been diag-

nosed with Kaposi's sarcoma, an AIDS-

related illness, it stopped sending employ-

ees to him because he would not agree to

disclose his condition to the agency.

Both Dr. Doe and the hospital at which

he examined patients assured the FBI that

his patients faced no medical risk. When

the FBI refused to change its policy, Dr.

Doe brought suit in federal court.

During the U.S. District Court trial in

1989, numerous medical specialists

explained that there was no danger of

transmission of HIV (the virus that causes

AIDS) from Dr. Doe to his patients during

the course of routine physical examina-

tions. Dr. George Rutherford, then head of

the Office of AIDS at the San Francisco

Department of Public Health, testified that

_ ahealth risk was "vanishingly small."

Judge Charles Legge, however, ruled

that Dr. Doe's only remedy was to file an

internal administrative complaint with the

Justice Department. He could not sue

under the Rehabilitation Act, Judge Legge

ruled.

Coles explained that Dr. Doe appealed

the ruling because "lengthy administrative

remedies, such as the one suggested by

Judge Legge, are particularly inappropri-

ate for people with AIDS. The process can

go on longer than a person with AIDS

may be able to keep working," he said.

"There is a whole class of people, like

Dr. Doe, who are discriminated against by

the federal government. The 1978 amend-

ments to the Rehabilitation Act were

designed by Congress to put the federal

government on a par with agencies that

receive federal funding and which can be

_ sued directly," Coles said.

rights guaranteed to us by the Constitution

are at issue here- those rooted in the First

Amendment. These rights are placed in

serious jeopardy when excessive force is

employed against those expressing contro-

versial points of view- even when those

viewpoints are being articulated through

peaceful acts of civil disobedience," Davis

added.

Plaintiff Rosenblatt said that the CHP

officers' actions came "without warning

that we might be arrested or that they were

going to use force. It was a complete vio-

lation of our civil nghts, a brutal harass-

ment."

Lamberti added, "This was an unneces-

sary and improper use of force. We

weren't even on the highway, the CHP

was out of control and was randomly vio-

lent."

McFadden, who joined a group of 30

protestors who sat down on the bridge to

demonstrate their desire to avoid a violent

confrontation, was prepared to be

arrested- but not beaten. A line of 15-20

CHP officers, without warning or provoca-

tion, began brutally jabbing and beating

individual protestors with batons.

No effort was made to arrest any of the

protestors and no warning was given that

force would be used.

After McFadden was jabbed so hard in

her left breast that she was knocked

breathless, she attempted to flee from the

bridge. As she fled off the bridge, petrified _

and in tears, she was struck again on the

hip and taunted by the officers.

McFadden said, "Their treatment that

night was horrendous both physically and

mentally- and mine was not an isolated

incident. The scariest thing for me to

accept was that it was not one or two offi-

cers but a whole group of them beating on

seated, obviously passive, protestors.

Their violence against us was completely

unprovoked and showed no foresight or

evaluation. "This kind of tactic must be

checked and that's why I'm pursuing this

legally," she added.

Attorney Schlosser noted, "Individuals

are entitled to compensation when they are

the victims of police brutality and lawless

conduct that deprives them of their consti-

tutional rights.

"The ACLU and our clients share the

goal of insuring that such outrageous bru-

tality does not happen again. The behavior

of these officers indicates a failure in train-

ing and supervision that must be addressed

by the CHP," Schlosser added.

EEOC Upholds

Workers' Challenge to

English Only Rule

n response to a complaint by two

Spanish-speaking _ women workers

against an English only rule at the

Spun Steak Company in South San

Francisco, the U.S. Equal Employment

Opportunity Commission determined that

the rule constituted discrimination based

on national origin and that the women

were subjected to retaliation.

Maricela Buitrago and Priscilla

Garcia, along with United Food and

Commercial Workers Union Local 115,

represented by attorneys Ed Chen of the

ACLU-NC and Christopher Ho of the

Employment Law Center of the Legal Aid

Society of San Francisco, filed their com-

plaint with the EEOC on May 6. The .

EEOC conducted an investigation at the

meat plant, and issued their determination

on July 5.

In a 5-page memo which reported the

results of its investigation, the EEOC

stated, "Based on the evidence, there is

reasonable cause to belive that the

Respondent violated Title VII of the Civil

Rights Act of 1964 with respect to its

adoption of an English-only rule, and with

respect to retaliation when the Charging

Parties complained."

The company, however, has refused to

rescind the regulation which requires

workers to speak only English at the

worksite.

On June 26, attorneys Ho and Chen

filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court

(Garcia et al. v. Spun Steak Company)

seeking an injunction to prohibit further

use of the English only rule and an end to

the harassment of the women workers.

A hearing in the lawsuit was held on

September 6 before U.S. District Court

Judge Robert Schnacke in San Francisco.

aclu news

aug - sept 1991

harcoal sketches of Japanese

American children flying a make-

shift kite over barbed wire fences

at a desolate internment camp. White-

haired veterans of the Abraham Lincoln

Brigade revisiting a battlefield in Spain

where they fought more than half a cen-

tury ago ... and marching down the streets

of San Francisco to protest the Persian

Gulf War.

These powerful visual images- the

first from Steven Okazaki's Oscar winning

film "Days of Waiting" and the second

from Judith Montell's documentary

"Forever Activists" -opened the first ple-

nary of the 1991 Annual ACLU-NC

Conference and underscored its theme:

"The Courage of Their Convictions -

Recognizing the People who have

-Struggled for Our Rights."

Veteran ACLU activist Richard Criley

and ACLU-NC Chair H. Lee Halterman

carried the historical perspective into a

sharp contemporary focus by noting that

the role of the U.S. Supreme Court in pro-

tecting civil liberties has dramatically

changed in the past decade. With the resig-

nations of Justices William Brennan and

Thurgood Marshall, civil liberties activists

must look even harder for other venues in

which to fight for our rights the ACLU

leaders told the 200 supporters gathered at

the Clark Kerr Conference Center on July

19-21.

Their challenge echoed through the

weekend as panelists and workshop lead-

ers spoke of new and creative ways of

fighting against race discrimination, arts

censorship and police abuse, protecting

gay and lesbian families, preventing the

criminalization of pregnant women and

tackling the unlawful activities of govern-

ment intelligence agencies.

Chairing the plenary on "Rights not

Given but Fought for - Filling in the

Gaps in the Bill of Rights,' ACLU-NC

Executive Director Dorothy Ehrlich noted

that in this "cold, gloomy time for civil

rights it is important to reflect upon past

struggles."

Grassroots struggles

U.C. Santa Cruz American Studies

professor Marge Frantz traced the devel-

opment of civil liberties and civil rights

through grassroots struggles - from the

Wobblies to the fight for the women's suf-

frage to current labor and civil rights

Police officer Earl Sanders (at mike) joined by ACLU-SC Communications Director

Joe Hicks, ACLU Legislative Director Margaret Pena, and attorney Jim Chanin (1.

to r.) spoke of the public response to the videotaping of the police beating of Rodney

King.

Union Maid Photos

U.C. sociologist Andrew Barlow analyzes the impact of the civil rights movement on

a panel with ACLU-NC Executive Director Dorothy Ehrlich and attorney Howard

Moore.

T. Rocamora

1991 ACLU-NC An

`The Bill of Rights - Celel

movements. "Because of the Warren

Court, people get the idea that the

Supreme Court is a front line defender.

Not so!" said Frantz. "The rulings are of

vital importance, but the front line is actu-

ally activists with their endless meetings

and marches.

"T urge you to join me in my non-

discouragement," said Frantz. "The fire

burns briefly so we have to be the pilot

lights."

Frantz was joined on the panel by

attorney Howard Moore, who traced the

evolution and importance of the

Fourteenth Amendment, and UCC.

Berkeley sociology professor Andrew

Barlow.

"The remarkable thing is not that there

was a civil rights movement," said

Barlow, "but that the federal government

actually moved and the Supreme Court

became a refuge. After slavery in the

Constitution, Jim Crow laws, and Japanese

American internment how was it possible

that the civil rights movement was able to

make the inroads it did at that time?"

Barlow analyzed the civil rights move-

ment in the context of the period of "Pax

Americana" - the U.S. had just fought a

war against racism, newly independent

countries in the Third World were looking

to the U.S. as a democratic model and

finding segregation, and the accelerated

industrialization in the newly-prosperous

U.S. found Jim Crow laws an impediment

in the development of the Southern econ-

omy.

In the current, more conservative cli-

mate where the government is rolling back

the clock on social equality, Barlow urged

activists "not to lose heart, but to recon-

nect to the movements which gave birth to

us. We are debating the blueprint of the

future," he said.

That blueprint was further defined in

the following plenary where

ACLU-NC staff members from the

SS

SS

Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade featured in

Attorney William Turner, who argued

KQED-TV's case for televising execu-

tions, said, "The decision belongs to the

journalist, not to the government. We have

all seen a great many executions on TV -

in Iraq and Kuwait, for example - what

makes it different when it is our govern-

ment doing the executing?"

However, Scharlette Holdman of the

California Appellate Project was appalled

at the idea, even if the condemned person

agrees. "An execution is a public event, a

demonstration of the government's stupid-

- ity - but let's not forget that there are real

people involved," she said. "Society

chooses the least among us to execute.

They're always poor and often mentally

legal, legislative, field, public infor-

mation and development depart-

ments spoke about adapting the

fight for civil liberties to the '90's.

The newest effort, the Howard A.

Friedman First Amendment

Education Project, a five-year pro-

gram to make the Bill of Rights

come alive for high school students,

was described - in "rap" - by

Project Director Marcia Gallo.

The new ACLU strategies were

further developed in workshops

where activists gained practical tips

on lobbying, media work, fundrais-

ing, chapter building, running a

complaint line, and speaking to stu-

denis.

A wine and strawberry recep-

tion hosted by the Bill of Rights

Campaign launched that grassroots

fundraising drive with a raffle and

an enthusiastic recruitment pitch by

Campaign Chair Marlene De

Lancie.

Televising executions

A debate on the televising of

executions threw into sharp focus

the conflict between the First

Amendment and the right of pri-

vacy of the condemned. Debate

moderator Pat Clark, Executive

Director of Death Penalty Focus,

said that the decision of her organi-

zation to support the televising of

executions, with the permission of

the condemned person, because it

would show just how horrible capi-

tal punishment is and lead to greater

opposition, spurred a great deal of

surprise and criticism from interna-

tional abolitionist groups.

Drawing of a winter day in a WWII Japanese American inte

film "Days of Waiting."

aclu news

aug - sept 1991 5

=

nnual Conference

-brate It. Defend It. Use It'

Richard Bermack

ired in "Forever Activists."

infirm. They have no freedom - no free-

dom to make decisions, even the hypothet-

ical one about the televising of their own

execution, or the real one about whether or

not they want to die.

"The camera can not possibly record

the slow killing of the individual, the deg-

radation that accompanies the execution

process. We can't let it become a media

event. We must protect their last shred of

dignity," Holdman argued.

A Saturday evening discussion on

"What's Behind the Current Controversy

over `Politically Correct' Attitudes and

Speech on Campuses", run in a Donahue

Show-type style by ACLU-NC Board

member Barbara Brenner, sparked a great

deal of debate as Sumi Cho of the UC

Berkeley Minority Students Project, UC

Berkeley Sociology professor Todd Gitlin,

San Francisco State Humanities Dean

Nancy McDermid, Santa Clara Law

School professor Margaret Russell, UC

Berkeley Business professor David Vogel

and ACLU-NC Board member and attor-

ney Anne Jennings grappled with hypo-

thetical - and some actual - incidences

of racial and sexual harassment on cam-

puses.

The final plenary "On the Line -

Police Abuse in California" featured Joe

Hicks of the ACLU of Southern

California, San Francisco police officer

Earl Sanders, ACLU Legislative Director

Margaret Pena and Jim Chanin, former

Chair of the B-A-R-K Chapter.

Police abuse

Hicks, who has played a major role in

exposing the extent of brutality against

minorities by the Los Angeles Police

Department in the wake of the Rodney

King incident, noted that the problem of

police brutality in Los Angeles is wide-

spread and that "three of the four officers

who actually beat King had been named in

prior complaints."

Sanders, who has served over 20 years

in the San Francisco Police Department

and a founder of Officers for Justice,

talked about overt racism by the police. "If

I'm black, regardless of who I am or what

letters I have after my name, I am subject

to the same treatment as Rodney King," he

said.

"Police powers are frightening," he

said. "I do not want more power for my

fellow officers. We already have the

power we need to enforce the law."

The conference ended with another

powerful visual image - the youthful and

exuberant performers of the NUBA

Dance Theater closed the confer-

ECC

re

Me

ORY

OTA RET

Sy TT

Aa

EET

ence with an energetic perfor-

mance, dramatizing the struggle

against apartheid in South Africa.

At the closing session, proclama-

tions from San Francisco Mayor

Agnos and resolutions from the

ACLU-NC Board of Directors

were presented to Marcia Gallo for

organizing the last decade of

ACLU-NC Conferences, and retir-

ing Board Chair H. Lee Halterman

and Field Committee Chair Dick

Grosboll.

The Conference was organized

by Field Director Marcia Gallo,

Field Representative Nancy Otto

and the 1991 Conference Planning

Committee co-chaired by Richard

Grosboll and Fran Strauss; mem-

bers of the Planning Committee

included Bill Carpmill and Marlene

De Lancie of the North Peninsula

Chapter, Teresa Friend of the Gay

Rights Chapter, Joanne Lewis of

the ACLU-NC Board, Nancy

McDermid, Dean of Humanities at

San Francisco State University,

Philip Mehas of the San Francisco

Chapter and Tom Sarbaugh of the

B-A-R-K Chapter.

The hardworking Conference

Crew, the team which enabled the

whole weekend to run smoothly,

included Program Assistant

Michele Hurtado and volunteers

Mary Christian, Joan Demarest,

Karin Guenther, Jeff Orgill, Bao

Cuong Pham, Robert Pogue, and

Lan Truong. Childcare was done

by Vanna Maria Kalofonos, and

sign-language interpretation by

an internment camp by Estelle Ishigo, fe

atured in the

Estelle Ishigo

Catherine Anderson, Phil

LaBarbera, and Robin Mills.

A commemorative T-shirt, with a

Bicentennial of the Bill of Rights logo

designed by Michael Cox, became a popu-

lar conference souvenir. The white shirts

with red logo are still available. To order,

send $12.00 (per shirt) with your size spec-

ifications to ACLU-NC Conference T-

shirt, 1663 Mission St., #460, San

Francisco, CA 94103.

The workshop on "Artists as Activists: Fighting for Freedom of Expression"

addressed the particular problems faced by minority artists in an age of increasing

censorship.

T. Rocamora

ACLU-NC Death Penalty Action Campaign Chair Nancy Pemberton (foreground)

and Field Representative Nancy Otto share lobbying strategies with chapter

activists.

T. Rocamora

Conference co-chairs Fran Strauss and Dick Grosboll.

T. Rocamora

aclu news

aug - sept 1991

No

=

--

EA

L

TL

---_-_-_-_

IGH

Let freedom Rag! S

Oo

n

Bill of Rights Campaign Launches

Bicentennial Celebration

he ACLU-NC Bill of Rights Campaign will honor the 200th anniversary of the

` Bill of Rights with a gala "Spirit of 91" kick-off party on September 23. For the

next 12 weeks volunteers at ACLU-NC chapters throughout Northern California

will host a series of "Phone Nites" to raise $110,000 in financial support for the ACLU's

RB i-

|

a

Tuesday, October 15

ACLU Office, San Francisco

Phone Nite Schedule

legal and public education programs.

If you would like to volunteer or would like more information about the Phone Nite in

your area, please call Development Associate Sandy Holmes at 415/621-2493, or write to

ACLU-NC, 1663 Mission Street, Suite 460, San Francisco, CA 94103.

EE

Fran Strauss and Sandy Holmes honor Marlene De Lancie, (I. to r.) for her

fundraising efforts during the Bill of Rights Campaign reception.

Union Maid Photos

SEPTEMBER

Monday, September 23

Gala Campaign Kick-Off

ACLU Office, San Francisco

Tuesday, September 24

Mt. Diablo Chapter

Santa Clara Valley Chapter

Thursday, September 26

North Peninsula Chapter

Monday, September 30

Gay Rights Chapter

OCTOBER

Tuesday, October 1

Earl Warren Chapter

Sonoma County Chapter

Thursday, October 3

Mid-Peninsula Chapter

Monday, October 7

North Peninsula Chapter

Sacramento/Y olo Chapters

Tuesday, October 8

San Francisco Chapter

Mid-Peninsula Chapter

Wednesday, October 16

Mt. Diablo Chapter

Saturday, October 19

ACLU Office, San Francisco

Monday, October 21

Earl Warren Chapter

Fresno Chapter

Tuesday, October 22

Santa Clara Valley Chapter

Wednesday, October 23

ACLU Office, San Francisco

Monday, October 28

San Francisco Chapter

Wednesday, October 30

Mid Peninsula Chapter

NOVEMBER

Tuesday, November 12

Earl Warren Chapter

Gay Rights Chapter

Sonoma County Chapter

Wednesday, November 13

North Peninsula Chapter

New Planned Giving Program

Benefits Donors, ACLU-NC

he ACLU Foundation of Northern

California recently launched a

T planned giving program designed

to help our donors achieve the most tax-

advantageous means of providing a gift to

the ACLU. Jan DeJong, a financial consul-

tant experienced in planned gifts, has been

hired to provide ACLU-NC members with

information about the benefits the various

life income gifts can offer and assist mem-

bers in making their gifts.

"Planned giving is a form of investing

in the ACLU's future," said deJong.

"What is commonly called a 'planned gift'

is a charitable gift arrangement in which

the donor gives away a piece of property,

stocks or a sum of cash, while still receiv-

ing income from the gift during their life-

time, much like an investment," he

explained. "On the donor's death, the

charity keeps the property or original cash

gift, thus fulfilling the donor's charitable

intent.

"The ACLU Foundation becomes the

final beneficiary, yet our donors benefit

from their gifts by receiving annual

incomes for life,' he added. DeJong

explained that not only can the donor

receive significant annual payments, in

some cases greater than the donor may

have previously been receiving from the

asset, but the donor also gains the benefit

of a tax deduction.

There are several types of planned gifts

that offer life income, each particularly

suited to what the donor would like to

achieve in the way of income or long term

investment. Each is tailored to specific

assets such as real estate or highly appre-

ciated stock. For example, one donor may

prefer to invest low-yield assets but bypass

the capital gains taxes- a_ significant

advantage with charitable life income gifts.

Another donor may wish to use a strategy

called the tax exempt life income trust to

build up future retirement income. Other

forms of planned gifts can be used to pro-

vide present or future income for family or

friends while realizing both estate tax and

gift tax savings.

First Amendment

Fund Awards Criley

ichard Criley, veteran ACLU-NC

activist and President of the

Monterey County Chapter of the

ACLU-NC, was honored by the New

York-based Fund for Free Expression with

its prestigious Lillian Hellman-Dashiell

Hammett Award for "writers anywhere in

the world who have been victimized by

political persecution." This year, the

$10,000 honor was presented to 21 writers

from countries around the world-Criley

was one of only three in the United States

to receive the award. |

The annual award goes to writers who

have been victimized by political persecu-

tion. Criley, who has been a target of

McCarthyism and the FBI, is the author of

the recently published The FBI v. the First

Amendment, whose publication the FBI

tried to prevent.

The FBI v. the First Amendment,

which was reviewed in the latest issue of

the Civil Liberties, the national newsletter

of the ACLU, exposes the history of FBI

spying on law-abiding citizens. The book

focuses primarily on the surveillance of

76-year old civil liberties Frank

Wilkinson, who, as a result of 1980 law-

suit by the ACLU of Southern California,

Continued on page 8

DeJong noted that Ethel Sanjines, a

long-time supporter of the ACLU, is one

of a number of ACLU members who have

made substantial gifts through the new

planned giving program. "By arranging for

such a gift now, she does not forfeit or

reduce her present or future income, but is

actually realizing increased life income

and the additional advantage of an income

tax deduction that will give substantial tax

savings. At the same time, Mrs. Sanjines is

accomplishing her goal to make a major

gift that will benefit the ACLU Foundation

in years to come," he said.

DeJong explained that the simplest

form of planned gift is the provision for

the ACLU Foundation of Northern

California in a will. "Every year we are the

grateful recipient of generous bequests

made in support of our work. to protect

civil liberties. We are enormously grateful

to those who have told us they have

already planned such a future commitment

from their estates. Often we find that those

who have chosen to name the ACLU

Foundation in their wills become the same

supporters who later consider the other

forms of planned giving through one of the

life income arrangements."

DeJong welcomes the opportunity to"

talk with donors and explore the best struc-

ture for a planned gift that meets individ-

ual financial and charitable goals. If you

would like additional information, call the

ACLU Development Department at 415/

621-2493 or drop Jan deJong a line at the

ACLU-NC office. All inquiries are han-

dled confidentially, and there is no obliga-

tion to proceed with the gift. (c)

aciu news

aug - sept 1991 7

Spurred by Videotaped L.A. Beating

Police Bills Flood Legislature

_ by Margaret Pena

ACLU Legislative Director

ndy Warhol once said that every-

A one will be famous for fifteen

minutes. That has certainly come

true for police officers - not only in this

state, but also nationwide. In the aftermath

of the police beating of Rodney King in

Los Angeles, more and more attention has

been focused on police practices involving

the unnecessary use of force.

While the press and public remain

focused on excessive force, police groups

have been busy in Sacramento for the sec-

ond year in a row sponsoring legislation

which would greatly expand their rights in

disciplinary actions and create more

secrecy around documents which are part

of citizen complaints. Although the legisla-

tion seems unrelated to the King incident,

in fact it has a direct impact on frustrating

the prevention of such occurrences in the

future.

Code of silence

Perhaps the most dangerous of these

measures is AB 2067 (Floyd) which

would reinforce the code of silence sur-

rounding internal police investigations

where misconduct is involved. Among

other things, this bill would require 24-

hour written notice to any officer by his or

her superior before the officer could be

questioned about any matter under investi-

gation. This would give officers time to

compare stories and make sure their

accounts of certain events were consistent

with one another. In the beating of Rodney

King, the officers involved filed false

police reports after the incident.

Through the intervention of Assembly

Public Safety Committee Chair John

Burton, working with the ACLU, the

measure was a made a two-year bill and

will not be heard until next year.

AB 1417 (Friedman) would have

allowed all disciplinary actions involving

police officers to be decided through bind-

ing arbitration. The ACLU argued that dis-

ciplinary actions arising out of citizen

complaints should be exempt because such

complaints should be decided by persons

who are familiar with and sensitive to the

needs of the community. An arbitrator may

be from outside the community and not

knowledgeable about the special needs of

a particular community and why certain

conduct may be offensive. Once again, the

ACLU, through the assistance of

Assembly Members Burton, Tom Bates

and Barbara Lee, was able to get an

exemption in the bill for citizen com-

plaints.

Veil of secrecy

In the area of public access to police

records, AB 2221 (Floyd) was introduced

for the second year in a row. This bill

would make an individual subject to a

$5,000 civil penalty for release of a police

record which is deemed "confidential"

under the penal code. The. problem with

this measure is that there is great confusion

over the definition of what is and is not

confidential.

Police groups maintain that the results

of.an investigation of a citizen complaint

or the type of disciplinary action if any

taken against an officer are "confidential."

The ACLU, on the other hand, believes

that this is public information and should

be released.

The imposition of a $5,000 penalty will

only create a chilling effect on the release

of documents. Thus the public will be

-denied valuable information about how cit-

izen complaints are handled and the kind

of discipline departments use against their

officers who have been found to have

engaged in wrongdoing. If police depart-

ments are to be responsible to the commu-

nities they serve, there must be civilian

review of their practices. AB 2221 would

frustrate civilian oversight. Like AB 2067,

AB 2221 was made a two-year bill and

will also be heard in 1992.

Crowd control

On a more positive note, AB 183

(Ferguson) would prohibit the use of pain

compliance techniques on peaceful demon-

strators who are not resisting arrest.

Assembly Member Ferguson, working

with the ACLU, removed all potential First

Amendment problems that were in the

measure and redrafted it so that it complied

with the San Francisco Police Department

Manual dealing with crowd control. Even

so, police groups have come out in opposi-

tion to the measure and kept it bottled up

in the Assembly Ways and Means

Committee.

The police claim that this measure

unnecessarily ties their hands and would

force the state to spend thousands of dol-

lars to retrain officers. The ACLU is in full

support of this measure and assisted

Ferguson in gaining passage of the meas-

ure in the Assembly Public Safety

Committee.

There has also been an influx of bills

whose origins can be directly traced to the

Rodney King incident. Perhaps the most

significant of these is SB 1261 (Davis),

which, in its original. form, would have

made it a felony for a peace officer not to

intervene when another officer is using

felonious unnecessary force. This measure

is strongly opposed by police groups who

have been successful in substantially nar-

rowing the bill so that it requires only the

reporting of felonious unnecessary force-

not intervention. Failure to report such

conduct could result in a misdemeanor and

loss of police officer status. As the author,

Senator Ed Davis, is the former Police

Chief of Los Angeles, he is viewed as an

authority on police practices and is firmly

committed to passage of this measure.

In direct response to the King incident

and in an attempt to regain the public's

confidence in the police, the police groups

formed an alliance and sponsored AB 401

(Epple) which would establish a commis-

Noonk

Protect S.F. Domestic

Partners Law

n_ initiative to repeal San

A Francisco's Domestic Partnership

law, which was written and

passed with the help of the ACLU-NC,

has qualified for the November election.

Proposition K on the November ballot,

if approved, will repeal the law passed by

the voters last November which allows

two people who live together and who are

legally responsible for each other's basic

living expenses to register as domestic

partners (that law was also "Proposition

K;" in the last election, "Yes on K" passed

the domestic partnership law; in this elec-

tion, "No on K" will keep it from being

repealed).

The ACLU-NC is officially opposed to

the repeal of the Domestic Partnership

law. All five mayoral candidates have also

announced opposition.

The repeal is sponsored by a group of

Christian fundamentalists. They claim that

the repeal is aimed at the City's health

plan, which was amended last year to

allow the Domestic Partners of city

employees to purchase coverage, just as

the spouses of city employees may.

However, according to ACLU-NC

staff attorney Matthew Coles who

authored the Domestic Partner law, "while

the arguments of those pushing the repeal

focus on the health plan, the initiative

itself will have no effect on the health

plan at all.

"Instead of repealing the ordinance

which permitted domestic partners to join

the health plan, it instead repeals the law

which allows all San Franciscans to regis-

ter as domestic partners," he said.

The backers of the repeal have also

charged that the law could cost private

businesses for expanded benefit plans.

"However," Coles explained, "the

Domestic Partnership law doesn't require

anyone to provide any benefits to domestic

partners; it simply allows couples to regis-

ter. All the costs of the registration are

paid by the fees charged for it. _

Supporters of the Domestic Partners

law, the "No on K" campaign, plan a "bare

bones" campaign similar to the one run

last year. Until October 7, the campaign

will focus on voter registration and

endorsements. After that, it will be aimed

at getting out the vote on election day. The

campaign is being run almost entirely by

volunteers, and the tactics (phone banking,

literature drops, information tables, etc.)

are labor intensive. Help is badly needed.

The ACLU-NC Gay Rights Chapter

is recruiting volunteers to work on the

campaign - contact: Alissa Friedman

at 510/272-9700. Volunteers can also call

the No on K campaign headquarters at

415/252- 5638 or stop by the office at

1586 Market Street (between Van Ness

and Franklin) for phone _ banking,

tabling and precinct walking.

sion to study the use of excessive force in

California. It is interesting to note that AB

401 in its original form would have created

a new crime for filing a false complaint

against a peace officer. The new misde-

meanor crime would have covered verbal

compplaints as well. The bill was gutted

after the King incident.

This commission to be established in

the new version of AB 401 would be made

up primarily of persons from law enforce-

ment and would be responsible for making

recommendations for correcting the use of

excessive force only.

Although on its face its seems a great

idea, the irony is that these are the same

groups which support cutting back on citi-

zen oversight and propose measures which

truly frustrate real improvements in police

practices. If police records are not accessi-

ble in citizen complaints, then there is no

citizen oversight. If a department cannot

discipline a bad officer because of the offi-

cer's extensive due process rights, then the

public suffers. Unfortunately, the press and

public have yet to realize that this method

of solving the excessive force problem will

only put a band-aid on what is already a

widespread infection.

Lesbian

Wins

Major Step

in CIA Suit

I associations will be considered in the

same manner as heterosexual conduct and

associations" in deciding on a security

clearance for a lesbian applicant.

In the June settlement, the CIA declares

that treating lesbian and gay applicants just

like heterosexual applicants is part of the

"whole person" concept which it uses to

review all security clearance applications. (c)

This is the first time the agency has ever

committed itself to a non-discriminatory

policy.

The settlement, which was negotiated

in part by ACLU-NC staff attorney

Matthew Coles, culminates a decade- long

battle by technical illustrator Julie Dubbs

of Santa Clara.

Dubbs, a lesbian working at SRI

International in Silicon Valley, lost a

chance to transfer within her company

because the CIA rejected her security

clearance nine years ago. At that time, the

CIA said her sexual orientation could make

her "susceptible to blackmail."

With the assistance of attomey Richard

Gayer, Dubbs sued the CIA in U.S. District

n a landmark settlement, the CIA has

| Court. Although her suit was originally

dismissed in 1986, the Ninth Circuit Court

of Appeals reinstated the case, sweeping

aside the CIA's contention that govern-

ment agencies should not be subjected to

judicial review of their employment meth-

ods.

`When the case returned to the District

Court, the ACLU-NC joined as amicus. In

response to a government motion todis-

miss, the ACLU filed briefs arguing first,

that government discrimination against les-

bians and gay men should be considered

"suspect," and later, at a minimum, that the

_ government should be forced to present

evidence in support of its rationales.for dis-

crimination. The District Court accepted

the latter argument and refused to dismiss

the case.

This settlement allows Dubbs to seek a

new security clearance review without

regard to her sexual orientation.

aclu news

aug - sept 1991

The ACLU-NC Gay Rights Chapter

presents

Jon Davidson

Staff Attorney, ACLU-Southern California

speaking on the

Gay Boy Scout Case

Sunday, September 29,

2- 4PM (formal program begins at 3 PM)

263 Castro Street, San Francisco

Jon Davidson, ACLU-SC staff counsel, represents Tim Curran who was expelled

from the Boy Scouts because he is gay. Earlier this year, a Superior Court in Los:

Angeles upheld the Boy Scout's discriminatory decision. The ACLU has appealed

the ruling. Mr. Davidson will speak on the Curran case and other gay and lesbian

rights litigation.

All ACLU members and friends are welcome. The program will be stimulating,

the company charming, and food and drink excellent. Admission is free.

For more information, call Teresa Friend at 415/272-9700.

Gay Rights Chapter Membership

Chapter, please check to see that the

3-letter code "CNG" is printed above

your name on the ACLU News mailing

label. If not, please notify the ACLU-NC

Membership Department to double check

that you are listed as a Gay Rights mem-

ber. We want to make sure that you

receive all the Chapter notices and special

I f you are a member of the Gay Rights

announcements.

If you are an ACLU member in

Northern California and would like to join

the Gay Rights Chapter, call or write the

ACLU- NC Membership Department at

(415) 621-2493, 1663 Mission Street, San

Francisco, CA 94103. Please mention your

membership number which is located on

the newsletter mailing label.

San Francisco Chapter

Launches Action Line

by Kent Miller

ave a minute to fight for civil lib-

erties? The newly-installed

action information line of the

San Francisco Chapter advises ACLU sup-

porters on how they can affect key civil

liberties measures on the local, state and

national level.

Activists can call the Chapter's voice-

mail number 415/979-6699 for informa-

tion about specific action alerts. Chapter

Chair Philip Mehas urges members to .

"seize the moment" and write one letter or

make one phone call per month in support

of civil liberties legislation.

"The voice mail is part of our broad

effort to reach out to the 4,900 members

who live in San Francisco in S.F.," said

Mehas. "The number carries information

on chapter meetings and grassroots lobby-

ing efforts."

Board member Marcia Perry is coordi-

nating concerted letter-writing campaigns

in favor of the Racial Justice Act of 1991

and in support of measures to overturn the

"Gag Rule" on government-funded family

planning clinics. The Board is also writing

letters in opposition to the administration

policy of keeping HIV-infected aliens out

of the country.

Following a_ successful Annual

Meeting in Apmnil, with guest speaker

National ACLU Executive Director Ira

Glasser, the Chapter elected new officers

in June. Vice-Chair April Lee said that a

current priority is broadening the member-

ship of the Chapter-Board to represent the

racial and ethnic diversity of San

Francisco. "We're looking for good people

with fresh ideas. We want to shake things

up a little," said Lee.

All members are welcome to attend the

Board's monthly meetings on the third

Monday at 7:00 PM at the ACLU-NC

office. Check the Field Calendar in the

ACLU News for meeting dates and special

activities. The next meeting is on October

Pale

Kent Miller is the treasurer of the San

Francisco Chapter

Criley ...

Continued from page 6

forced the FBI to release its 130,000 page

dossier on him.

At the 1985 ACLU-NC Bill of Rights

Day Celebration, Criley was honored by

the ACLU- NC with the Earl Warren Civil

Liberties Award; he was a_ featured

speaker at the July ACLU-NC Annual

Conference in Berkeley where he also led

a workshop on "Controlling _ the

Intelligence Agencies."

The FBI v. The First Amendment by

Richard Criley is available from The.

First Amendment Foundation, 1313 W.

8th Street, Suite 313, Los Angeles, CA

90017 for a tax-deductible donation of

$7.50.

FBI critic Dick Criley sharing secrets

with Amy Chen Mills of "CIA Off

Campus."

Union Maid Photos

Field Program Monthly

Meetings

Chapter Meetings

(Chapter meetings are open to all

interested members. Contact the chapter

activist listed for your area.)

B-A-R-K (Berkeley-Albany-Richmond-

Kensington) Chapter Meeting: (Usually

fourth Thursday) Volunteers needed for

the chapter hotline -- call Florence

Piliavin at 415/848-5195 for further

details. For more information, time and

addresss of meetings, contact Julie Houk

at 415/848-4752.

Earl Warren (Oakland/Alameda

County) Chapter Meeting: (Usually

second Wednesday). Meetings on

Wednesday, October 9 and Wednesday,

November 13. The Earl Warren Chapter

will be sponsoring a high school essay

contest this fall. For more information,

time and address of meetings, please call

Bill Lisker, 415/832-6388 or Abe

Feinberg, 415/451-1122.

Fresno Chapter Meeting: (Usually third

Monday) Phone Nite for the Bill of

Rights Campaing on Monday, October

21 at the Fresno Planned Parenthood

office. New members always welcome!

For more _ information, call Nadya

Coleman at 209/229 (days) or AJ. Kruth

at 209/432-1483 (evenings). /

Gay Rights Chapter Meeting: (Usually

first Thursday) Meet Thursday, October

3 and Thursday, November 7 at 7:00 PM.

at the ACLU Office, 1663 Mission, 460,

San Francisco. Annual Meeting on

Sunday, September 29 from 2:00 PM to

4:00 PM at 263 Castro Street with guest

speaker ACLU-SC staff attorney Jon

Davidson on the challenge to the Boy

Scouts. For more information, contact

Teresa Friend, 415/272-9700.

Marin County Chapter Meeting:

(Third Monday) Meet Monday, October

21 at 7:30 PM, Westamerica Bank,

Community Room, Strawberry Shopping

Center, Mill Valley. For more informa-

tion, contact Debbie Turrieta at 415/892-

0139.

Mid-Peninsula (Palo Alto area)

Chapter Meeting: (Usually first

Thursday) Meeting on Thursday,

October 3 at 7:30 PM at 480 San Antonio

Road, Palo Alto. Annual Meeting and

Dinner on Wednesday, November 6 at

6:30 PM at the Holiday Inn, Palo Alto.

Dinner and Reception cost is $28-$30.

Guest speaker is PC pioneer and pub-

lisher and ACLU-NC Board member

David Bunnell on Computers and

Technology: Implications On Civil

Liberties For The Next Generation.

ACLU-NC Executive Director Dorothy

Ehrlich and Friedman Education Project

Director Marcia Gallo will also speak.

New members welcome! For more infor-

mation, contact Harry Anisgard, 415/856-

9186.

Monterey County Chapter Meeting:

(Usually first Tuesday) Meet on Tuesday,

October 1 and Tuesday, November 5 at

7:30 PM at the Monterey Library,

Community Room, Pacific and Madison

Streets, Monterey. Annual Dinner and

Ralph Atkinson Award Ceremony on

Sunday, October 27. at the Classic

Residence (formerly the Park Lane), 200

Glenwood Circle, Monterey. Bill

Melendez, long-time leader of the

Hispanic Community in Monterey

County, will be honored. For more infor-

mation, contact Richard Criley, 408/624-

7502,

Mt. Diablo (Contra Costa County)

Chapter Meeting: (Usually fourth

Thursday) Meetings on Thursday,

September 26 and Thursday, October 24.

For more information, contact Mildred

Starkie, 415/934-0557.

North Peninsula (San Mateo area)

-Chapter Meeting: (Usually third

Monday) Meet Monday, October 21 at

7:30 PM at the offices of Planned

Parenthood, 2211 Palm Avenue, San

Mateo. Note: The North Pen Chapter

has a new Hotline number: 579-1789.

For more information, contact Emily

Skolnick, 340-9834.

North Valley (Shasta, Siskiyou,

Tehama, and_ Trinity Counties)

Chapter Meeting: (Fourth Wednesday)

Meetings on Wednesday, September 25

and Wednesday, October 23 at 7:00 pm

at Harry's Restaurant, Cypress and Hilltop

in Redding. For more information con-

tact Frank Treadway, 916/365-4336 or

916/241-7725.

Sacramento Valley Chapter Meeting:

(Usually second Wednesday) Meeting on

Wednesday, October 9, at 7:00 pm at

Hearing Room 1, Sacramento County

Offices, 700 H Street. Annual Meeting

on Friday, November 1 at the Unitarian

Church on Sierra Blvd. will feature a

panel on Police Abuse. For informa-

tion, contact Ruth Ordas, 916/488-9956

San Francisco Chapter Meeting:

(Usually third Monday) Meet Monday,

October 21 at 7:00 PM at the ACLU

Office, 1663 Mission Street, 460, San

Francisco. For more information, call the

Chapter Information Line at 415/979-

6699.

Santa Clara Valley Chapter Meeting:

(Usually first Tuesday) Meet Tuesday,

October 1 and Tuesday, November 5 at

7:00 PM. at Commerce Bank Building,

111 West St. John Street, 2nd Floor

Conference Room, San Jose. We are co-

sponsoring a Walk for Choice on

Saturday, October 12, starting at 10:00

AM from Plaza Park, San Jose. Contact

John Holly, 408/554-9478, for further

information.

Santa Cruz County Chapter Meeting:

(Usually second Wednesday) Meet

Wednesday, October 9 at 7:15 PM.

Chapter will continue to work on combat-

ing Hate Crimes.. Contact Keith Lesar,

408/688-1666, for further information.

For legal matters call Bob Taren at 408/

429-9880. Special meeting with Ira

Glasser, Executive Director of the

ACLU, Thursday, November 7 at the

Star-of-the Sea Church, 515 Frederick St.,

Santa Cruz. For time and additional

information, contact Olga Euben, 408/

426-2186.

Sonoma County Chapter Meeting:

(Third Thursday of the month) Meet

Thursday, October 17 at 7:30 PM, 821

Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa. All mem-

bers welcome. Contact Leonard Bronstein

7071527-9018, for further information.

Stockton Chapter Meeting: For infor-

mation contact Beverly Ford 209/948-

6759.

Yolo County Chapter Meeting: (Third

Thursday of the month) Meet Thursday,

October 21. For more information, con-

tact Alan Brownstein at 916/752-2586.

Field Action

Meetings

(All meetings except.those noted will

be held at the ACLU-NC Office, 1663

Mission Street, Suite 460, San Francisco.)

Student Outreach Committee:

(Usually third Saturday) For more infor-

mation, call Marcia Gallo at the ACLU-

NC 415/621-2493.

Civil Rights Committee:

(Fourth Saturday) Meetings on Saturday,

September 28 and Saturday October 26

from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM. RSVP to

Nancy Otto at the ACLU-NC 415/621-

2493.

First Amendment Committee:

(Fourth Saturday) Meetings on Saturday,

September 28 and Saturday October 26

from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM. RSVP to

Nancy Otto at the ACLU-NC 415/621-

2493.

Pro-Choice Action Campaign:

(Third Tuesday) Meeting Tuesday,

October 15 from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM.

RSVP to Nancy Otto at the ACLU-NC

415/621-2493.