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SOUTHERN VOICE OCTOBER 2 1/19 9 3
Elton John helps open Grady clinic
Grady IDC dedicated in
ceremony last week
Atlanta—Music superstar Elton John, joined
by a crowd of 500 invited guests, officially
opened Grady Memorial Hospital’s new Infec
tious Disease Clinic last Thursday, an outpatient
AIDS-trcatmcnt facility described by one speaker
as “unparalleled in the United States.”
“This is such an amazing achievement—
eight years of hard work,” said John, a part-time
Atlanta resident, who added that “1 wish this
facility didn’t have to be here.”
John, who started the Elton John AIDS Foun
dation, based in Atlanta, last year, pledged that
he would continue his involvement in the fight
against HIV/AIDS.
“This is a monumental task ahead of us, and
we all have a role to play,” he said.
The Grady IDC, designed to provide care to
people with HIV/AIDS who don’t have access
to private medical care, was started in 1985 at
the hospital’s main facility downtown. At the
time, it served less than 100 patients. As as the
caseload grew, the small, cramped facility was
overwhelmed, prompting complaints and pro
tests by HIV/AIDS activists that people were
not getting sufficient care.
Two years ago, Grady officials bought the
vacant Presbyterian Center on Ponce de Leon
Avenue and announced plans to renovate it into
a comprehensive, state-of-the-art AIDS treat
ment facility. Some businesspeople in the Ponce
de Leon corridor objected and tried to slop the
project, but it was eventually approved.
At last week’s ceremony, the pressure pul on
by the activists was cited as helpful to the pro
cess by one speaker. “I never thought I’d say
this, but I would like to say a special word of
thanks to ACT UP,” said former Fulton County
Commission chairman, and mayoral candidate,
Michael Lomax.
The new facility, staffed by 150 people,
serves 5,000 patients and is expected to serve
7,000 patients by 19%. It includes medical treat
ment facilities for people with HIV/AIDS of all
ages, as well facilities for dental treatment, so
cial service support, educational programs, a
pharmacy and daycare. _
Despite the difficulties in getting the facility
approved, “I believe we can now get consensus
that the result was well worth the effort,” said
Donald Snell, acting president of Grady.
However, Dr. Sumner Thompson, the IDC’s
medical director, reminded the crowd that a treat
ment facility alone is not enough.
“In the midst of this celebration of treat
ment, we must remember prevention because
that is our only salvation,” he said.
RICHARD SHUMATE
John calls IDC “an amazing achievement.”
GAPAC recommends Myrtle Davis lor mayor
Lesbian!gay political group
fails to find openly gay
candidate Andy Loftis
acceptable
Atlanta—The release of GAPAC’s candi
date ratings for the 1993 elections has unleashed
a firestorm of controversy, particularly over the
gay/lesbian political action committee’s ratings
in the races for mayor and the 6th District seat
on the City Council.
For mayor, GAPAC gave its highest rank
ing, “recommended,” to Myrtle Davis, who was
in third place among the three major candidates
in a recent poll. And in the 6th District, GAPAC
gave no ranking at all to openly gay candidate
Andy Loftis, while recommending his straight
opponent, incumbent Mary Davis.
The group gave a “recommended” rating to
two other openly gay candidates, Eric Spivey in
District 2 and Carolyn White in District 1.
In a written statement, Loftis lashed out at
the organization, saying that his campaign was
“baffled and gravely disappointed that the lob
byists on the committee could not distinguish
leadership from political expediency.”
The decision in the mayor’s race stunned
some supporters of candidates Bill Campbell
and Michael Lomax, who were rated as “accept
able” by GAPAC. But GAPAC co-chair Ed
Stancell defended the ratings, saying that Davis
had the edge based on candidate interviews, a
position questionnaire and a candidate forum.
“[Davis] was perceived as a very detailed
person,” Stancell said, “And we thought that
would pay off in a hands-on leadership style.”
Stancell added that both Campbell and
Lomax were very good on lesbian and gay is
sues, but that Davis’ experience pushed her over
the top.
“There was a distinct feeling that Atlanta
needs some change, which we felt [Davis] rep
resented,” he said, “She has supported us in the
past, and we don’t expect any difference in the
future.”
GAPAC’s political committee, whose mem
bers interviewed the candidates and reviewed
their questionnaires, made the decisions as to
how candidates should be rated. It then issued
one of three rankings—recommended, accept
able or not acceptable—or no ranking tit all.
When word of what the committee had de
cided started to leak out to campaigns, rumors
began spreading in lesbian/gay political circles
that Campbell and Lomax supporters were try
ing to get GAPAC’s board of directors to over
rule the political committee.
Stancell said that the board did review the
decision to recommend Myrtle Davis and agreed
with what the political committee had decided.
The decision in the 6th District race has
causing even more conuoversy. Mary Davis was
given a “recommended” rating. No rating—not
even an “acceptable” designation—was given to
either of her two opponents, Loftis and attorney
Joe Kelly.
“Mary has a proven record on our issues and
other community issues,” Stancell said. “She
stood out above the others in her grasp of the
issues and on her record.”
In his statement, Loftis said, “The public
deserves an opportunity to review candidate ques
tionnaire responses, so that they can better un
derstand the opinions of the GAPAC ‘leader
ship.’”
But Stancell countered that GAPAC’s rat
ings were based not only on the questionnaire,
but also on interviews with the candidates and
their appearance at a GAPAC-sponsored candi
date forum. .
“The forum helped us clarify our decision
on this race and on a number of other races in
that we were able to access a candidate’s ability
to speak on the issues,” he said.
Loftis also announced in his statement that
he had been endorsed by a previously-unknown
political group called the Atlanta Lesbian and
Gay Ballot.
Campaign manager Tris Castaneda told
Southern Voice that he did not know who was
involved in the organization and referred a re
porter to an activist he “thought” was involved.
That activist denied any involvement. As of press
time, Southern Voice has been unable to find
any information on the group, including how
long it has been in existence, who its organizers
arc or what criteria and methods were used to
come up with its endorsement.
KC WILDM00N
Decatur candidates talk gay issues
Decatur—For the third time during this elec
tion season, candidates for public office voiced
strong support for lesbian and gay rights at a
GAPAC-sponsored forum.
A racially-diverse, sometimes emotional au
dience heard from candidates for Decatur’s
school board and City Commission at last
Thursday’s gathering. Commission candidates
vowed to stop hiring discrimination, while school
board contenders offered support for lesbian and
gay students and teachers.
“I’ve been a minority for 56 years, and I
teach in the public system,” said school board
candidate Mary Nell Thomas. “Counseling is
essential. I’ve seen students who didn’t recog
nize (their gay ness) and they didn’t have any
body to talk to, anybody who would understand.”
Thomas, who is seeking the District 2, Post
A seat, also said she “definitely” supports a non
discrimination policy for lesbian and gay teach
ers, as well as gay-themed books in the schools.
“We can get rid of ignorance, on many issues,
through education,” she said.
Board candidate Cydne Nash (District 2, Post
B) also clearly supported a non-discrimination
CONTINUES ON PAGE 8
District 2 City Commission candidate Anne
Branscome was one of the candidates ap
pearing at the GAPAC forum.
LAMBDA
RISING
Effort to build community
center building momentum
Atlanta—The effort to acquire and main
tain a Lambda Community Center for the
gay and lesbian community is building mo
mentum, slowly but surely.
The center’s board held one of its quar
terly town hall meetings last Monday at the
14th Street Playhouse to gel some input and
feedback from the community. Despite a
turnout of only about 25 people, a good
dialogue brought some concerns and wishes
for the center to the surface.
“We need to get things out of our
houses,” said co-chair Annie Archbold, ad
dressing representatives from several orga
nizations who hope to play key roles in the
center’s development. “We need a space
where we can all sit down, find out what’s
happening.”
The consensus of those in attendance
was that minimum expectations for the cen
ter include office, storage and work space
for volunteer organizations, a day-area for
senior adulLs and a large space for meetings
and special events—all of this in a secure,
well-lit location.
The open discussion generated ideas for
some unique services that ideally would be
included, such as childcare, a youth pro
gram and luncheon services for gay and les
bian senior adults. Loftier visions for such
things as a media center, a sound stage and
recording studio within the center were also
tossed out.
“Once we have this space, we can do
anything with it,” Archbold said.
Wish lists from organizations were de
tailed, calling for luxuries from a secretary,
computers and a piano to an acoustically
sound performance space and an outdoor
gardening area.
“In our hearts, we want something that’s
CONTINUES ON PAGE 20
ADAM TAYLOR