From: Eric Hunt Date: Wed, 22 Jun 94 23:07:36 CDT The Birmingham News June 18, 1994 GAY USA STUDENTS SAY LAW BANNING FUNDING IS ILLEGAL Page 10A by Stan Bailey, News Staff Writer MONTGOMERY -- A lawyer for a homosexual student group at the University of South Alabama asked a federal judge Friday to rule unconstitutional a state law that has been used to deny the group funds from the school's student government association. Ruth Harlow, attorney for the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Alliance at USA, told U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson that the 1992 Public Funds and Facilities Statute violates GLBA members' constitutional rights. "The danger of a law like this is that it will be repeatedly used to infringe on the rights of other groups," Ms. Harlow, a New York attorney, told Thompson. "No one covered by the law can ascertain what is prohibited and what is not." The statute, signed into law by former Gov. Guy Hunt, bans the use of college funds and facilities by any group which "fosters or promotes a lifestyle or actions prohibited by the sodomy and sexual misconduct laws." USA officials have used the law to ban GLBA from maintaining a university bank account and from receiving money approved for the group by the SGA, Ms. Harlow siad. GLBA has been able to use university facilities, but is "fearful it may not be able to do that much longer," she said. Assistant Attorney General George Jones urged Thompson not to strike down the law, which he said is clearly written and does not violate the rights of GLBA members. "The statute does not make it a crime to be a homosexual," Jones told Thompson. "It's not a crime to be a homosexual, just like it's not a crime to be a drug addict." The law is aimed at seeing that campus funds and facilities are "used for the purposes for which they are intended," Jones said. The college also will not give money to groups that promote any sexual activities," [sic] he said. "But a group which has the name Gay Lesbian Bisexual Alliance puts a reasonable public official on notice that this group may foster, aid and abet violations of the sodomy laws," he said. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Please contact the News and let them know what you think of this story: The Birmingham News Reader's Opinions P.O. Box 2553 Birmingham, AL 35202 Fax: 205-325-3345 (Area code remains 205 after Jan 15, 1995) All Letters must include the writer's name, address, and daytime telephone number. The address and telephone number won't be published.