Ex-Council Chair Heads Gay Lobby

A former gay campus leader and Undergraduate Council chairman was recently elected vice-chairman of the Boston Lesbian-Gay Political Alliance, one of the largest homosexual lobbying groups in the country.

Michael G. Colantuono '83, formerly of Quincy House, was secretary of the Gay Students Association at Harvard and became the first head of the University's new student government after he helped write its charter in 1982.

Colantuono became involved with the Alliance after graduating from Harvard. He recently headed the Alliance's lobbying efforts to place gay people in appointive city jobs.

The organization, which boasts a membership of more than 400, routinely surveys candidates for city offices to late their sensitivity to gay concern.

"The Alliance was conceived in 1982 by a group of people who wanted to increase the cloud of gay people on the local political scene" said Richard Burns, a member of the group's 19 member steering committee.

Burns added that Colantuono is "seen as a young, coming up leader of the [gay] community."

Colantuono, a Boston resident, could not be reached for comment yesterday.