[The Dallas Gay Political Caucus News, Volume 2, Number 9, October 1978] Page: 3 of 4
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Vol. 2, No. 9 Page 3
(Copied from UPFRONT, Sept. 1)--Not too
many years ago hepatitis was not included on lists
of sexually transmitted dieseases by the medical
community even though it had become obvious to
most Gay people that it should be. Sexually ac-
tive urban gay males have a one in two chance of
becoming infected with hepatitis. In recent studies
in New York markers for type B hepatitis were
found in 50% of gay men examined in contrast to
30% in the general population.
There are essentially two kinds of hepatitis,
Type A or "infectious" and Type B generally
called "serum". Recent evidence suggests that
there may be still a third type known as "non
A/non B". Although it is generally assumed that
the risk of contracting Type A is greatest among
gay men recent studies indicate that is not entire-
ly true. Dr. Dan Williams, director of research
and analysis for New York City's Bureau of V. D.
Control has noted that Type B poses the greatest
problem for gay men followed by non A/non B
and more distantly by Type A.
Type A is the mildest form of hepatitis and per-
sons having it are infectious for only a brief time
just before and after the onset of sypmtoms. How-
ever, intimate contact with an infected person
during that period can result in transmission.
The incubation period for Type A may run from
two weeks to a month after contact.
Type B hepatitis is a severe disease and can
frequently be fatal. The incubation period can be
as long as six months after exposure and people
can carry the disease without symptoms for years.
Type B can be transmitted via serum, saliva,
semen and urine and possibly through droplets
in the air. The risk of infection is extremely
high for anyone having intimate contact with an
infected person. Frequently hospital personnel
and doctors contract the disease through patient
contact. Almost 30% of the general population are
carriers. Someone being the recipient in anal inter-
course with an infected person runs a very high risk
of contracting the disease. Recent evidence has
shown that the non A/non B strain can be transmitted
during blood transfusions as well as venereally.
The initial symptoms of hepatitis are vague and
non-specific and include loss of appetite, extreme
fatigue, fever, muscular aches and pains and
frequently severe depression. Eventually jaundice
or yellowing of the whites of the eyes and the skin
appears. A bilirubin count which is a measure of
the amount of bile in the blood confirms the diagno-
sis and gives an indication of the severity of the
disease.
OMMITTEES from page 2.
charitable (and tax deductible) organization as
one in which "no substantial part of the activ-
ities. .. is carrying on propaganda, or other-
wise attempting to influence legislation, and
which does not participate in, or intervene in
(including the publishing or distributing of
statements), any political campaign on behalf
of any candidate for political office. " Needless
to say, DGPC is engaged in many of these act-
ivities and cannot be tax deductible, but we
can support our cause by membership in DGPC
and by contributions to the "United For Equal
Rights" (P.O. Box 50171, Dallas 75250).
If you have topics you would like to see dis-
cussed in this committee column, let us know
here at the Newsletter. We want to respond to
your needs through the avenues of competence
and know-how which our committees can pro-
vide directly or seek out for DGPC members.
Write to us and let us know your needs!Proper sanitation may protect to some extent
against Type A hepatitis and exposed persons
should have a gamma globulin shot. The shot
may help prevent development of the disease or
at least lessen the severity of it if it does de-
velop. Avoiding contact with fecal matter also
is protective of Type A. Although there is a
program underway to develop a vaccine for Type
B so far there is no definite preventitive measures
that can be taken short of never having any in-
timate contact with anyone.
There are no drugs which can cure hepatitis.
One simply has to have complete bed rest for a
long time depending on the severity of the case.
High protein diet and avoidance of any medica-
tions or alchohol are essential. The liver is
seriously damaged by the disease and therapy
is aimed at restoring normal liver function. A
person with Type A may be instructed to give up
alchohol for a year while after B one may have to
give up drinking altogether.
Blood tests can be done to determine if you are
a carrier. Such tests are more complicated and
expensive than routine screening for syphilis but
are available at public health centers or through
your physician.
Emergency Alert
by jerry west
New York (September)--The National Gay Task
Force (NGTF) has issued an Emergency Alert re-
garding the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) policy change with reference to minorities.
Presently Gays are included in the phrase "and
other minority groups", a situation which allows
local broadcasters the option of ignoring Gays when
considering local programming. NGTF is request-
- ing that Gays write to the commission requesting
that Gays be listed as a separate specified minor-
ity. This change would require local area broadcas-
d ters to seek out concerns of Gay people when consid-
ering programming under emphatic guidelines as
part of the mandatory "community ascertainment
process."
The FCC needs input from the Gay community be-
fore considering the proposed change. Write in re-
ference to: BC Docket No. 78-237 and encourage
them to list Gays as a specified minority. Write to:
Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications
Commission, 1919 M Street N. W., Washington, DC
20554.
DGPCNEWSlouise young
jerry west
mike gianoplos
carl allen
gary decker
jerry diggin
norman lowery
nathan wyll
phil johnson
bo daviseditorial director
editor-in-chief
associate editor
news editors
circulation manager
production managerPlease address all comments, editorials, or articles
to DPGC News, P.O. Box 5094, Richardson TX,
75080.
All other mail not intended for DGPC News should
be addressed to DGPC, P. O. Box 50171, Dallas TX,
75250.
DGPC phone number is 214/528-4233.Caucus Distributes
Two New Brochures
by carl allen
The Education Committees have completed
and are now distributing 2 DGPC brochures,
Chairperson Floyd Baker said.
A general brochure tells what the Caucus is
all about, the purpose of its existence and the
various committees which are available for par-
ticipation. It also includes a membership appli-
c aton.
The Speakers Bureau brochure will be dis-
tributed to area colleges and universities and
religious institutions during October. It is de-
signed to make people aware of DGPC's exis-
tence and its willingness to make speakers a-
vailable to anyone who wants to discuss the
homosexual question further.
Persons interested in the Speakers Bureau
should contact Baker through the DGPC answer-
ing service at 214/528-4233.
National Gay Switchboard
by charles adler
The Gay National Education Switchboard, a
24-hour WATS-line service staffed by 75 high-
ly trained volunteers, opened October 1st.
A project of the Human Rights Foundation
in San Francisco, the switchboard will give
free, accurate, non-judgmental and confiden-
tial information about the sexuality and life-
styles of Lesbians and Gay men.
The switchboard will concentrate on re-
sources in areas which do not have their own
Gay switchboard. Callers will be referred to
resources in their own communities by switch-
board volunteers.
Call National Gay Switchboard at 800/227-
0888.
Gay World Series
Ejects Team
by bo davis
A case of reverse discrimination was experienced
by a San Francisco softball team at the Second An-
nual Gay World Series. It was thrown out of the
tournament because it had too many Straights on its
squad.
Jerry Pritikin, spokesman for Oil Can Harry's
Oilers, a predominantly Straight ballclub, said,
"This just proves that Gays can be just as bigoted
as the people they claim have been holding them
down. I guess there's a thin line between Gay
bigotry and Gay pride. "
Pritikin, who is Gay, continued, "When you play
for Oil Can Harry's, youhate to think of people as
Gay or Straight. We play softball. " He said team
members had flown to the competition with "their
kids, fans, cheerleaders, wives and lovers of both
sexes."
Manager of the host Eagles Nest team, Rich Diez,
said the Oil Can Harry's team, sponsored by a Gay
disco by that name, was challenged because word
had traveled across the country, apparently from
disgruntled members of a losing Gay club. Diez
said, "We asked them and they admitted it. "
With the rumors confirmed, managers of the
other teams voted not to play the Oil Can Squad.
That left representatives fi m New York, Milwau-
kee, Toronto and Los Angeles to battle out the
round-robin series.I
Page 3
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Dallas Gay Political Caucus. [The Dallas Gay Political Caucus News, Volume 2, Number 9, October 1978], periodical, October 1978; Dallas, TX. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1787985/m1/3/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.