Gay Group Endorses 7 For Council

A new Cambridge lesbian and gay organization made its first political move Thursday night by endorsing seven candidates who courted their support for City Council, but it explicitly did not back Mayor Alfred E. Vellucci.

The endorsements followed last week's Cambridge Lesbian and Gay Alliance (CLAGA) candidates forum, where group members grilled the politicians about discrimination in housing and hiring, the rights of AIDS victims to receive treatment at city hospitals, and community education about the problem facing gays.

Ten council hopefuls responded to CLAGA's invitation and were present at the meeting last Thursday. CLAGA members "highly endorsed" incumbent councilors Saundra Graham and David E. Sullivan, and challenger Alice Wolf, all running on the liberal Cambridge Civic Association (CCA) slate. CCA incumbents Francis H. Duehay '55 and David A. Wylie got regular endorsements as well as challenger William L. Durette-'85.

The candidates, who left the CLAGA forum without an endorsement were Vellucci and challengers Richard Branson and Francis Budryk.

CLAGA officials said they did not endorse Vellucci because the mayor neglected to fill out one of the questionnaires included with his invitation, even though the group sent him three copies.

"Some people were suspicious, because if he didn't want to put his views in writing, how would he act when it came time to vote," Hugh Russell '64, a member of the CLAGA steering committee, explained.

Vellucci was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Russell added that the other two candidates not endorsed "did not adequately support our cause."

The group also backed five school committee candidates. Frances Cooper, Daniel Leclerc and Rena Leib got high endorsements David Entin and David Kennedy secured regular endorsements.

Members of CLAGA who were registered to vote in Cambridge and who were at last week's meetings were eligible to vote on the endorsements. About 25 voted Thursday, CLAGA coordinator Jonathan Handel '82 said yesterday.

To qualify for a "high endorsement," candidates needed the support of two-thirds of the voting members. Regular endorsements required a simple majority.

Although the city's gay community has held political caucuses in the past, CLAGA is the first group to combine politics with social and emotional support, said Handel.

In addition to endorsing candidates, the group plans to hold quarterly meetings, publish a newsletter and sponsor house parties. CLAGA is modeled on a similar group in Boston.

Influence in Question

Russell admitted last week that his group would not be a great factor in the election because of its recency, but he estimated the size of the gay comminity at 7000 members and that 2000 would be at the polls.

Under Cambridge's Hare Proportional system of voting, a candidate needs about 10,000 votes to be elected.

"I'm very gratified by the endorsement," Sullivan said yesterday.

He added that he could not see the endorsement hurting him in any way, even among the more conservative of his constituents. "In general, coming out against discrimination in any form is not seen as radical anymore," Sullivan said.

Wylie agreed, "So many people now know someone who is gay that it is accepted as part of the landscape," he said.

CLAGA plans to publicize its choices in both gay and non-gay media, including its own newsletter, Handel said.

But beyond that, it is up to individuals, he added. "A lot of openly gay individuals are working on political campaigns, although CLAGA is not officially involved," Handel said