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SEATTLE GAY NEWS
VOLUME 6, ISSUE 10
June 8, 1979

Mayor Charles Royer proclaimed June 24—July 1, 1979, to be Lesbian/Gay Pride Week. Royer signed the proclamation June 7. [...] Royer cites discrimination and prejudice against gays as one reason for the proclamation, recognizing that Seattle has historically been a leader in guaranteeing employment and housing rights for all its citizens.

Long an open supporter of gay rights, Royer has appeared at many social functions of the gay community. During the fight to vote down Initiative 13 last year, his wife, Rosanne Royer, actively worked to help defeat the initiative.

Editorial: This March is Going to be One Hell of a March
Mayor Charles Royer has made it official — Seattle will have Lesbian/Gay Pride Week in recognition of the efforts of gays throughout the nation to enact gay rights legislation.

With Royer's support, and the support of The Dorian Group and the Royal Court, this year's gay pride march promises to be the largest and best march Seattle has ever seen.

We hope that Carter may take a lesson from the Mayor of Seattle and the mayors of other cities, who have the courage of conviction to stand up in support for what they believe is right. Mayors in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Minneapolis are all expected to proclaim Gay Pride Week, if they have not done so already.

Last year both The Dorian Group and The Court kept a low profile during the march because they felt it better served the fight against Initiative 13 to do so. This year, rising from the resounding defeat of 13, both gay organizations are making plans to march proudly, to show Seattle that there is no longer any need for gays to pass themselves off as straights.

This year more than any other year gays are organizing together to commemorate Stonewall '69. With a gay rights bill before the national legislature, gays on radio, in the streets, on TV and in Time, our visibility has never been as great as it is this year.

To further increase this visibility and attract attention of the straight press, the local march is planning to make a considerable donation of canned food to the Food Bank. The committee is asking everyone coming to the march to bring food to show Seattleites that gay people can make a very real contribution to the quality of life in the city.

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