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DARRELL HOGGATT
ACT UP/Atl member Dave Whifier
urged customers to join the boycott
against Circle K.
ACT UP: "Circle K
Sells Death!"
Boycott Pressures Increase
Atlanta-The boycott against Circle K
convenience stores has entered its third week
here, while Phoenix-based corporate officials
continue to ignore the public outcry against
their insurance policy on AIDS.
The AIDS Coalition To Unleash
Power/Atlanta (ACT UP/Atl) has taken the
lead in the local protests against Circle K,
vowing to "keep up the pressure" until the
policy is cast aside, according to Linda
Meredith, Circle K project coordinator for
ACT UP/Atl.
Meredith led 21 other ACT UP/Atl
members September 3rd in their second week
of "zaps" at metro area Circle K locations.
Chanting "AIDS Is Your Problem Too!" and
"Circle K Sells Death!", the group circled the
store at 4271 LaVista Road, just outside the I-
285 perimeter.
Contrary to the reception they received at
last week's protests closer in to the city, the
activists were confronted by an extremely
AIDS-phobic and homophobic public.
Customers and passersby repeatedly insulted
the group.
Circle K has been under attack by ACT
UP/Atl and other direct action groups
nationwide since an internal policy on
insurance and AIDS was leaked to the press
and civil rights groups. The policy
announced that Circle K's in-house insurance
plan, KareChoice, would no longer cover .
medical expenses resulting from "personal
lifestyle choices" because of AIDS infection,
alcohol or drug abuse, and self-inflicted
injuries.
Company officials suspended the policy
indefinitely after the public furor reached the
headlines of all major news outlets less than
one week after it was revealed. The fact that
Circle K has not yet disavowed the policy
completely, however, causes some activists
to worry that the company is merely biding
its time till the spotlight is directed elsewhere.
Circle K officials have repeatedly stated
that outside influence has never affected any
of their decisions, and they continue to refuse
to meet with representatives of groups
affected by the policy.
Ray Cox, vice-president of human
resources for Circle K, said in an interview
this week that the boycott has had no effect
on the company or the decision making
process.
Meredith responded that ACT UP/Atl
planned to increase the call for a boycott. She
added, "It seems that the whole policy,
according to Circle K, was one that was
wrought for economic reasons. So we would
like to show them that it is more
economically feasible for them to go ahead
and do what's right than try to save money on
this issue.”
ACT UP/Atl is also conducting an
ongoing "phone tie-up" of Circle K's district
headquarters here in Atlanta every Monday.
People are encouraged to call the Atlanta
offices repeatedly to express their displeasure
with the policy. Meredith said that the
receptionist at Atlanta headquarters has
complained to the Phoenix offices that it is
impossible to get an outside line on
Monday's.
Circle K's Atlanta offices may be reached
at (404) 9964003.
-Chris Duncan
Gay Center
Cont'd from Page 1
area. Mrs. Sally Baker, a resident of Parkway
Drive, explain©! her opposition saying "What
they do is their business, I lock my door. But
there are a lot of children and I don’t think it's
good." She pointed out that "those people" are
going to knock on our doors locking for
directions. Paula Calhoun, principal of the
elementary school, limited her statements to: "On
behalf of die parents, we're opposed to having an
ADS clinic." Nan Orrock, a state legislator
representing the area, pointed to the long struggle
to preserve the residential character of the intown
neighborhoods saying "At some point you have to
draw the line." She offered to assist the Cento - in
finding a suitable commercial location near the
neighborhood. Zoning Board member Michael
Tyler recognized that homophobia had played a
part, noting 'Tve heard the anti-gay sentiments."
Still, he voted against the request. Only A1 Knox
voted for the permit, calling it "an opportunity to
do some good," and saying he was appalled by
the statistics quoted by Mrs. King regarding how
widespread AIDS is among blacks.
The Board voted 6-to-l against application
U-88-23 by the Atlanta Gay Center. The
application now goes to the Zoning
Commission on September 26, and the City
Council will take it up on October 3. Bill
Gripp of the Gay Center vows "Well pursue
this until we can’t go any further."
-F.G.
WENDY MORSE
Bedford-Pine residents oppose the
special use permit sought by the AGC
with a show of hands. The meeting was
called by Atlanta City Council
members Bill Campbell and Rob Pitts
to seek input from the predominantly
black neighborhood.
MACGLO Groups To
Participate in Hunger Walk '88
A contingent of gays and lesbians will be
led by DeKalb County activists Dick Rhodes
and Melinda Daniels in Atlanta's Hunger
Walk '88 on September 25th. The Hunger
Walk is a benefit hosted by the Metro Atlanta
Hunger Walk Foundation for the Atlanta
Food Bank.
The Atlanta Food Bank distributes food to
but asks that the subject matter be restricted
to aspects of hunger. "We are trying to be the
top fundraiser and reach out to the
community (at large) and help all people in
need," explained Rhodes.
Hunger Walk '88 is a 10K (6.2 mile) event
that will begin at Bedford Pines Park, behind
the Atlanta Civic Center, wind through
agencies serving the hungry and the homeless.
Inman Park, and finish back at Bedford
Dick Rhodes, recent candidate for the
Georgia House of Representatives, hopes to
have a large showing of gays and lesbians
walking with he and Daniels behind a banner
representing the Metropolitan Atlanta Council
of Gay and Lesbian Organizations
(MACGLO). Daniels served with Rhodes as
Georgia's first two openly gay or lesbian
delegates to the 1988 Democratic National
Convention, and is currently spearheading a
voter registration drive in DeKalb County.
Rhodes said that the Hunger Walk
Foundation encourages individuals and
groups to carry identifying signs and banners,
Pines. Walkers will gather donations prior to
the walk in support of the cause, rather than
gather pledge amounts based on the length of
the walk.
Registration for Hunger Walk '88 is from
1:00 - 2:30 PM. Prizes for a Most Decorative
Shoe Contest will be awarded at 2:00. Other
contests for the day include the youngest and
oldest walkers, group with the most
participants, and the individual and group that
raises the most money. "Walk-time" is 2:30
PM.
For more information, call Dick Rhodes at
636-5410 or Melinda Daniels at 289-6358.
Lesbian Murder
Cont'd from Page 1
Jacqueline Powers, editor of the Ithaca
Journal, said the paper merely reported the
facts in an "objective manner."
Nancy Bereano, a lesbian activist in
Ithaca, called the article "a total violation of
Brenner's right to privacy." "The reporter
sensationalized the issue by making the sex
central and failing to put the story in the
context of homophobic violence," she said.
Andrea Clardy, spokesperson for Brenner,
said the goal of the demonstration was "to
show the world neither violence based on
homophobia nor a homophobic defense" will
be tolerated.
"What Claudia (Brenner) has been
through was horrible enough," said Clardy.
"Then the story came along clearly blaming
the victim."
Carr will be tried next month in Adams
County, Pennsylvania on charges of first-
degree murder, third-degree murder,
attempted murder and aggravated assault
District Attorney Roy Keefer said he plans to
seek the death penalty.
-Gay Community News
Donations to the Claudia Brenner Fund can
be sent care of Family and Children
Services of New York, 204 North Cayuga
Street, Ithaca, New York, 14850.
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