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9th and 10th Senators
Join Fight for
Gay/Lesbian Rights
Washington, D.C.-Two more senators
have signed on as co-sponsors of the Gay and
Lesbian Civil Rights Bill now making its way
through the U.S. Senate.
The new co-sponsors, Senators Barbara
Milkulski (D-Md.) and John Chafee (R-R>I>)
bring the bill's sponsors in the Senate to a total
of ten. Introduced by Sen. Alan Cranston (D-
Calif.) in early 1987, the bill would give gays
and lesbians legal protection against
discrimination in employment housing,
public accommodations, and federally assisted
programs.
"Equal opportunity must be guaranteed to
all Americans," said Senator Chafee, the
second Republican co-sponsor of the bill. "To
discriminate against individuals because of
race, sex, age or sexual orientation is to deny
them their civil rights."
Eric Rosenthal, political director of the
Human Rights Campaign Fund, praised both
senators for signing on as co-sponsors, saying,
"We now have 10 percent of the U.S. Senate
signed up for civil rights protection for 10
percent of America - the millions of gay men
and women who deserve to be treated with
full equality."
International AIDS
Conference Offers No
New Answers
Stockholm-The Fourth International
Conference on AIDS held in Stockholm this
month yielded no breakthroughs but offered
several important progress reports in the fight
against HFV.
Robert C. Gallo of the National Cancer
Institute reported that the human herpes virus
HHV-6 appears to accelerate the cell-killing
effect of HIV. Gallo speculated that anti
herpes drugs might play an important role in
therapies against AIDS. (Many physicians
already routinely prescribe the anti-herpes
drug acyclovir [Zovirax] to persons taking
AZT.)
More than 90 studies were presented on
AZT, the only drug approved against AIDS in
the United States. Several studies confirmed
the growing belief among some researchers
that the earlier AZT is administered in the
course of HIV infection, the more benefits
patients might possibly derive from it. Dr.
Anthony J. Pinching of St Mary's Hospital in
London concluded that AZT "seems to delay
the onset of more severe immunodeficiency".
Studies also indicate that persons may
receive the same benefits from a significantly
lower dose of AZT as from the currently
prescribed large dose, thus potentially
lessening side-effects such as anemias
requiring blood transfusions. This is
promising news to researchers who advocate
"early intervention" treatments for persons
positive for HIV but not yet ill (such as
persons with steadily declining T-cells).
And scientists at the Cetus Corporation
have developed a test using gene amplification
that can identify HIV infection in infants as
young as two-days-old. As drug therapies are
developed the test will permit doctors to
begin treatments immediately.
-Terry Francis
Successful Anti
Homophobia
Conference Spurs New
Activism
Chevy Chase, MD -The first Global
Conference to End Homophobia, held here in
late May, brought together more than 100
leaders in the field of homophobia education
to discuss the problem.
Organized by the Campaign to End
Homophobia, a group made up of members
of the National Organization for Changing
Men, the conference drew together activists,
educators, media professionals, clergy and
others to share ideas and strategies for
promoting more positive images of gays and
lesbians.
"The solution to the problem of
homophobia is education," said Joe Norton, a
longtime gay activist and original board
member of the National Gay Task Force. "It
always has been and always will be. But it's
not enough to simply identify the solution -
something has to be done to effect it. Now it
becomes important to send the message and
expand the work worldwide."
Plans are now underway for a second
conference to be held next summer.
Immigration and AIDS
Bills Duck Latest
Republican Attacks
Washington, D.C. -A bill which repeals
anti-gay and lesbian immigration provisions,
and two designed to improve federal AIDS
policy are now ready to be heard on the floor
of the House of Representatives.
All three bills survived attempts by
Republican legislators to attach hostile
amendments to them while in committee.
H.R. 4227, the immigration bill, repeals
provisions used to prevent gays and lesbians
from visiting or immigrating to the U.S.
Rep. William Dannemeyer (R-Calif.)
proposed an amendment which would have
continued to allow immigration authorities to
keep "sexual deviants" - i.e, gays and
lesbians - out of the country.
A bill called "AIDS Counseling and
Testing," which would provide $400 million
per year for three years to fund confidential,
voluntary counseling and testing, was the
target of eight proposed Dannemeyer
amendments, including ones calling for
mandatory name reporting, prison testing,
notification of spouses, and reduced breach of
confidentiality penalties. All were defeated,
although he did succeed earlier in attaching
an amendment barring recipients of funds
from providing counseling that promoted
"homosexual activity."
The "AIDS Research" bill, H.R. 4850, is
similar to the research portion of the Senate's
recently passed AIDS Research, Education
and Care Act, which reduces bureaucratic
delays and authorizes spending for AIDS
research, education and care. Rep. Edward
Madigan (R-Ill.) proposed an amendment
which would have cut the bill's provision for
additional federal AIDS research personnel,
but was defeated.
Human Rights Campaign Fund
communications director Robert Bray called
the results "a three-way win for the gay and
AIDS community."
Gay/Lesbian Rights
and AIDS Issues
Included in Democrats'
Platform
Washington, D.C. -As Democrats put the
finishing touches on their 1988 party
platform, Human Rights Campaign Fund
communications director Robert Bray called
the document "a victory for the gay and
lesbian community."
HRCF and other gay/lesbian groups had
feared that Democratic Party Chairman Paul
Kirk's insistence on a shorter platform than in
1984 would leave their issues out in the cold.
The platform is now near its final form,
except for some minor tinkering, and runs
only 13 pages, but covers civil rights for gays
and lesbians, and the AIDS issue.
On the subject of civil rights, the platform
says, "We believe that equal access to
government services, employment housing,
business enterprises, and education should be
assured in this multi-cultural.society to every
citizen, regardless of race, sex, national origin,
religion, age, handicapping condition, or
sexual orientation."
The platform's position on AIDS is "about
as detailed as you can gef" Bray said. "We
were very pleased with how comprehensive
and detailed it is."
Specifically, it says, "We believe that the
HIV/AIDS crisis must be recognized as a
public health priority requiring increased
support for expedited research on treatments
and vaccines, comprehensive education and
prevention, compassionate patient care,
adoption of the public health community's
consensus on voluntary testing and
counseling, and protection for civil rights of
those suffering from AIDS/ARC or testing
positive for the HIV antibody."
Disappointments for activists included the
absence of the words "gay and lesbian” from
the document and its failure to address other
issues such as hate crimes and legal
sanctioning of gay and lesbian relationships.
Although Bray admitted "we wanted more,"
he said the groundwork had been laid.
"What we have is a good foundation upon
which to build future successes for other
issues," he said. "The Democrats, and the
Republicans, arc listening to us, hearing what
we have to say. I think this platform proves
that the gay and lesbian community is making
very strong progress in mainstream American
politics." -David Tucker
Interracial Newsletter
Begins Publication
San Francisco - A new newsletter for gay
men interested in interracial and cross-cultural
relationships is now being published here.
Called tire Quarterly Interchange, the
newsletter will publish personal
advertisements, as well as articles on subjects
such as interracial experiences.
For more information, write to Quarterly
Interchange, P.O. Box 42502, i>an Francisco,
CA 94101.
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