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1 SOUTHERN The Names \ tnirr Project Quilt Comes to Atlanta See Schedule & Map in Vv/Lv/i^ Our Special Insert Vol. 1, No. 7 Taking Pride in Our Culture May 26,1988 News in Brief - He's heeerre Pat Swindall mouths off agaii this time he says he doesn't want your vote. On other fronts, Eastern Bloc gays and lesbians come out of the closet, add poofster to the list of insults, and AMTRAK recognizes gay/lesbian relationships. Page 2. Lesbian and Gay Pride Week '88 - Organizers this year are planning a fun-filled week capped off with a "Celebration of Life" march that ends up in Piedmont Pari Come join the party! Page 11. Democrat Ben Jones is questioned on AIDS and lesbian/gay civil rights issues Not perfect, he is "willing to listen and be educated." Be an informed voter. Page 6. Higher Ground: Voices of AIDS premieres May 29th at the Georgia World Congress Center in conjunction with the NAMES Project Quilt. Based on interviews with more than 40 PWAs, PWARCs amd others directly afected by the crisis, Higher Ground reflects the current shift to the more positive aspects of living with AIDS. Page 7. Health and Healing, a new feature, kicks off with an article by Atlanta psychotherapist Franklin Abbott. This Grief details Abbott's concept of living life in a healing manner. Page 13. Keep Refrigerated, or at least chilled. Martia Proba reads your stars, Charles Haver reads your past, and Alison Bechdel reads your beads. Local PWA's and PWARCs and others rehearse for the May 29th premiere of Rebecca Ranson's new play Higher Ground: Voices of AIDS, to be shown in conjunction with The Names Project Quilt at the Georgia World Congress Center. See story on page Uhotos by Rhonda Mensen WGST's Tammy Lloyd Angers "Names Project" Supporters Tammy Lloyd, the controversial host of a call-in radio show on WGST, angered supporters and organizers of the ’’NAMES Project" visit to Atlanta with her criticism about the timing of the exhibit The "NAMES Project," a huge quilt honoring people who have died from AIDS, is scheduled for display in Atlanta over Memorial Day Weekend, as part of a 20-city U.S. tour that follows its first showing at the March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. Ms. Lloyd charged on a recent show that it is inappropriate to honor AIDS victims on Memorial Day, a day which was set aside to pay homage to the country's war dead. She says AIDS groups are trying to confuse the issue by honoring those who have died from the disease on the day we're supposed to remember, according to her, only those who fell fighting for their country. "Names Project" Volunteer Coordinator for Atlanta, Richard Davis, heard Ms. Lloyd's remarks and was angered by them. Davis says it was obvious that she had not taken the time to learn the facts about the Project He explained that the timing of the exhibit’s stop in Atlanta has nothing to do with the fact that it is Memorial Day. Atlanta will be the tenth city on the tour and, notes Davis, the quilt stopped in different cities at different times. For example, it visited another city on Mother's Day, and there was no particular meaning behind that, either. Southern Voice contacted Ms. Lloyd to confirm her position. The talk-show host reiterated her views and stridently refused to listen to the explanation offered by Mr. Davis to Southern Voice. When asked whether she knew the reason for having the quilt in Atlanta on Memorial Day, she admitted she didn't and, eventually, asked for the previously shunned explanation. Still, Lloyd fired back, saying "It's hard to believe it's an accident," citing another event honoring AIDS victims which was staged on the same holiday a year ago, as proof of her point In her view, nothing at all should happen on Memorial Day, except events dealing exclusively with those who died in wars fighting for their country. This is not the first time Tammy Lloyd has raised the ire of community members. On a February 11th show on gays in the military, she made jokes about gays in the service and made remarks that, many agreed, could only be deemed homophobic. This time, however, she claims to support fund-raising efforts for people with AIDS, and says she does not object to honoring the dead as long as it's not done on this day. "Maybe there could be an AIDS day," she suggests. The "Tammy Lloyd Show" began on WGST after host Ed Tyll was fired, following complaints made by representatives of several minorities in the city to the station's management, charging Tyll's statements espoused bigotry and racism. The brand of radio journalism practiced by Till, Lloyd and others has been dubbed "shock radio." It tries to flare up passions and tempers to create intensity and, in some people's opinion, more exciting programs. In this case, Ms. Lloyd's remarks, which were admittedly made with the purpose of bringing audience response, did not generate any calls. With or without Tammy Uoyd's blessing, the "NAMES Project" will be in Atlanta on May 29th and 30th, at the World Congress Center. Everyone is invited to visit the exhibit -F.G. Kennedy Bill Passes The U.S. Senate voted 87 - 4 on April 28th in favor of the Kennedy bill which gives Congress control over how the administration spends its AIDS dollars. The AIDS Research and Information Act (SB 1220) will cut through red tape and force accountability from agencies like the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and NIH (National Institutes of Health). It also mandates a national advertising program; hires more government scientists and funnels up to $ 100 million for home and community-based care for people with AIDS (PWAs). But lobbyists and lesbian and gay activists are angered that Senator Jesse Helms (R-NQ succeeded in extending his October ban against federal funding for education materials that "promote homosexuality." The October ammendment dies with the current fiscal year on Sept 30th.The new amendment makes the restriction permanent. There is hope, however, that a counter amendment proposed by Kennedy will dilute the most harmful effects of Helms' victory. The counter amendment states that no section of the bill shall be interpreted as restricting distribution of educational materials to those at risk for AIDS. Activists are also pleased that twenty- two senators voted against Helms. Only two voted against the amendment in October, less than a week after the much underplayed National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. In reaction to an anti-gay propoosal from Oklahoma's Don Nickles (R), Kennedy's counter amendment also says that government materials should stress the health benefits of monogamous relationships, abstinence outside of such relationships and the avoidance of I.V. drug use. But it does not mention marriage or sexual orientation. In arguing against the counter-amendment Helms said that it would only encourage gay men to "shack up, but one at a time." Bill co-sponsor Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) replied, "That would be a good thing to do." Most activists say that the passage of Kennedy's counter-amendment by a vote of 62 to 29 stopped Helms from introducing any more right-wing amendments to the bill. The 29 senators voting against Kennedy were mostly Republicans, but 10 senators did not vote. Activists say that some senators simply lost nerve beacause Helms had threatened to use against them a federally-funded film made by the Gay Men's Health Crisis in New York, with brief moments of explicit gay sex. Continued on Page 3 Sen. Edward Kennedy Photo by Dennis DeSilva