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NEWS IN BRIEF
Kaposi's Sarcoma
On The Decline
The number of people with AIDS who
develop the cancerous Kaposi's Sarcoma has
dropped substantially since the early years
of the epidemic, according to a study of San
Francisco cases reported in the March
edition of the Journal of Infectious
Diseases.
The incidence of Kaposi's Sarcoma,
more prevalent in gay and bi-sexual PWAs,
has dropped from 60% in 1981 to 20% in
1987. Scientists are uncertain why this
dramatic drop has occurred, but some
speculate that the decline in the use of
poppers, an inhalant common to the gay
men's community, may contribute to the
phenomenon.
St. Louis Votes
To Protect Gays
Saint Louis-A hate crimes bill that
includes gays and lesbians as a protected
category was signed into law in Saint Louis
by Mayor Vincent Schoemehl, February 22.
The new law includes additional penalties in
cases where it is proven that a crime was
bias-motivated and calls for victim
Assistance services, statistics collection and
regular reports to the city's Civil Rights
Enforcement Agency so that the data may
be analyzed.
The new law went into effect
immediately upon the mayor's signature. It
was passed unanimously by the city board
after public hearings were held in which
"gay-bashing" was amply documented.
Saint Louis and national activists hailed
the law as the most comprehensive city hate
crime law in the country. Kevin Berrill,
director of the National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force's Anti-Violence Project called
the law "historic".
Madonna’s Latest,
’’Like a Prayer,"
Includes AIDS Info
A one-page fact sheet on AIDS has been
included in all five million copies of
Madonna's new release, "Like a Prayer."
Entitled "The Facts About AIDS," the
information stresses that the disease can
strike anyone-regardless of age, race, or
sexual orientation-and that no one should be
discriminated against because they have the
disease.
"The simple act of putting on a condom
can save your life," reads one part, and a
phone number is listed for people to call for
more information about AIDS.
Warner Brothers Records has offered the
fact sheet to other artists for inclusion in
their albums, but so far Madonna is the best-
known to take them up on it, according to
The Washington Blade.
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Loulan Charges
NOW With
"Throwing Bones"
Nationally known sex therapist JoAnn
Loulan strongly criticized mainstream
feminist organizations for "throwing a
bone" to lesbians in order to keep them
quiet, and urged lesbians to join gay men in
financially supporting gay/lesbian
organizations. Loulan was speaking at a
fundraising reception for the National Gay
and Lesbian Task Force on April 7,
according to reports from the Washington
Blade.
Pointing specifically at the National
Organization for Women, Loulan said the
only reason NOW put "a couple of lesbians
on the dais (at the March For Women's
Equality, Women's Lives) was because a lot
of lesbians called up and complained."
"They're afraid of identifying lesbian
rights with women's rights," she said. "It’s
time to start seeing who’s serving lesbians,"
she added.
JoAnn Loulan
NOWs national lesbian coordinator,
Nancy Buermeyer, defended her
organization's commitment to lesbian rights
as being central to the group's purpose.
"Lesbian rights has been one of NOWs
four priority issues since 1975, has been
speaking out on lesbian rights since 1970,
and has had a lesbian coordinator since
1980," Buermeyer said. "Why don't those
who criticize NOW put more pressure on
the other progressive organizations to do
more?" she added.
30 Women Strip
Searched After
ACT UP Protest
New York City-A preliminary
investigation instigated by an article in The
New York Times revealed that at least 30
women were subjected to illegal strip
searches after they were arrested for
participating in a major civil disobedience
action March 28, according to reports in the
Washington Blade.
The women, quoted in the Times article,
also said they were subjected to verbal
abuse by police department employees
relating to their sexual orientation and AIDS
in general. The women were arrested for
taking part in an AIDS Coalition to Unleash
Power (ACT UP) action that closed down a
major entrance into New York City during
rush hour traffic and "took over" City Hall.
Department regulations limit police
authority to conduct strip searches to cases
where an initial pat down creates a
"reasonable" belief that drugs or weapons
might be hidden. In cases where such a
belief is held, permission to conduct the
strip search must be obtained from the
precinct desk officer or other commander.
No such permission was revealed by the
preliminary investigation.
Police department spokeswoman Alice
McGillion said that the preliminary
investigation revealed that the strip searches
had taken place at two precincts and the
civil employees involved will face formal
charges before the City's police board.
An unknown number of the women who
were illegally searched said they plan to file
lawsuits and complaints with the Civilian
Complaint Review Board.
Texas Judge Will
Face Charges
Formal charges will be filed by the Texas
Commission on Judicial Conduct against
state District Judge Jack Hampton.
Many gay and civil rights groups called
for Hampton’s removal from the bench after
he told a newspaper in December that he
gave a lighter sentence to a convicted
murderer because the victims were gay.
The Commission will ask the Texas
Supreme Court to appoint a special master
to conduct formal hearings to decide
whether Hampton should be removed from
the bench.
A spokesman for the Texas Human
Rights Foundation said he was pleased with
the direction the Commission's investigation
had taken since their action was the most
serious one they could take in this situation.
Sexual Behavior
Survey Stalled by
Helms, Right Wing
A $15 million federal survey on sexual
behaviors which could help determine the
rate of AIDS infection in the U.S. has been
successfully stalled by right wing activists,
according to TWN in Horida.
Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC) and Rep.
William Dannemeyer (R-Fullerton, Calif.)
have led efforts to have the survey
postponed by objecting to the questions
about anal and oral sex included in the
study.
The survey would investigate the sexual
practices of 20,000 adult volunteers and
trace their sexual histories since childhood.
Questions would cover the sex of partners
over the past five years, experiences with
oral and anal sex, sex with prostitutes, rape,
contraception and sexual abuse as children.
This would be the first such
comprehensive survey of American sexual
practices since the 1948 Kinsey studies,
which estimated that 10 percent of the U.S.
male population is gay.
After receiving several phone calls on
the study recently from Helms and
Dannemeyer, the director of the Office of
Management and Budget opted March 28 to
postpone approval of funds for the study for
six to eight weeks.
CRNDLER
PRRK
SPRING FESTIVAL
Saturday, May 20
An all-day event filled with
music, games, food, drink,
arts and crafts, flea markets,
and much much more!
Don't Miss These Special
Events:
•The Most Unusual Dog
Show
• Splash Vour Favorite
Candidate
(Invited include: John
Lewis, Mary Davis,
Michael Loman,
Maynard Jackson, and
more)
• Not-Out-For-Blood-
Uolleyball Tournament
• "Cash In Vour Trash
Parade" at 2PM
(Begins at Elmira O’
McLendon)
All Day Entertainment
Features:
• ■ ■ ' ; r ^, •. • i
Elise LLPi11 & The Small
Family Orchestra, Ann
Duckworth Band, Joyce
O' Jacque, The Nent City
Comedy Troupe, Kristen
Hall, O' Saturnalia.
And don’t miss the concert
on Friday night before the
festival.
Musicians include
Gypsy Heart, Rngela
Motter and Joyce O'
Jacque.
First Existentialist Church.470
Candler Park Drive. 8:00 PM
$6, available in advance at Charis
Books
Sponsored by: the Candler Park
Neighborhood Association, the First
Existentialist Church, Fourteen West
Realty, the Little Five Points Business
Community and the Inman Animal
Hospital
Rain Date: Sunday, May 21