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SOUTHERN VOICE NOVEMBER17/1994
Pedro Zamora, AIDS Educator, Dies At 22: pe^
Zamora, known to thousands of teens for his speeches and appearances on MTV’s “The
Real World,” died on Nov. 11. He was 22 years old. Zamora, who fled Cuba at the age
of 8 during the Mariel boatlift in 1980, became infected with HIV as a freshman in high
school. He began speaking publicly to groups of young people about AIDS soon after
learning of his own infection. An
advocate of safe-sex education,
Zamora in July told members of
Congress, “I am frustrated with
programs that are more concerned
with offending people in the gen
eral public than with saving lives.”
He joined the cast of MTV’s “The
Real World” in January and his
health began to fail in August,
after filming was complete. The
Zamora family has established the
Pedro Zamora Memorial Fund at
AIDS Action Foundation. Dona
tions may be made by calling
(800) 790-2332 or (202) 986
1300, ext. 29.
'Scott Doe' Settles Case,
Reveals Identity: The hiv
positive lawyer who sued his
former employer for discrimina
tion in Philadelphia has settled his
suit out of court. Scott Burr, who
revealed his true name two days e ro amora
after the settlement was announced (he was “Scott Doe” during the trial), and the law
firm of Kohn, Nast & Graf reached the settlement after three weeks of court testimony.
Terms of the settlement were not announced, but attorneys observing the case estimated
it was at least $1 million. Burr charged that the firm fired him in March 1993 after his
boss learned of his HIV status. Kohn, Nast & Graf, under the confidential terms of the
settlement, continue to deny Burr’s charges. Burr said that he was revealing his identity
as a “final step into the light.”
Australia Votes To Override Tasmanian Sodomy Law: The Australian
House of Representatives on Oct. 19 passed a bill designed to override a Tasmanian
state law banning sex between consenting adult men, the Washington Blade reported.
Chris Miles, a Tasmanian social conservative and member of the Australian Liberal
Party, resigned from Parliament after abstaining from the vote. The Human Rights
(Sexual Conduct) Bill passed by a vote of 114 to 4. Justice Minister Duncan Kerr said he
was pleased by the vote because it rejected the efforts of anti-gay organizations in
Tasmania and “stood up for the human rights of Tasmanians, the right to privacy.”
Tacoma Man Admits To Faking Vandalism: One of three housemates charged
with insurance fraud for “vandalizing” their rented house in July has admitted he helped
trash the house and then blamed the act on anti-gay bigots. Erick Lee Brovold, 24,
pleaded guilty October 31 to first-degree theft related to insurance fraud and malicious
mischief for causing extensive damage to the home. Anti-gay graffiti was scrawled on
the walls, and police initially thought the vandalism was a hate crime. Brovold is to be
sentenced Dec. 7. At press time, his two housemates were awaiting trial but were
expected to plead guilty.
Paris Bus Drivers Strike Over Syringe Attack: striking French bus drivers
shut down half their service in the Paris region Nov. 2, demanding more security after
attackers stabbed a bus driver with a syringe they said was tainted with HIV. The driver
in question was attacked and robbed by three assailants who escaped. The syringe was
not found. The attack was the latest in an increasing number of violent attacks on the
Paris bus system. The Paris transit authority, RATP, said it would soon add 20 guards to
the lines most affected by the violence, and that buses on those lines would be equipped
with protected driver stalls next year.
Israel Stunned By PWA's Campaign Of Vengeance: HIV-infected professor
Yeshauahu Demner spent the last year of his life advertising for sex, spreading the virus
and videotaping the men he slept with, police say. Demner was found murdered two
weeks ago; police suspect the engineering professor—described by students as a re
served, kindly man—was bludgeoned to death by a man he infected with HIV. Police
sources said Demner offered partners money to forgo use of condoms. “There is no
doubt he wanted to extract revenge for getting AIDS, that is made clear in his diaries,”
said a police detective in Demner’s hometown of Haifa. Anula Shamir, spokeswoman
for the pro-gay Society For Personal Rights, said the case “has done gays and lesbians
here great harm, strengthening a stereotype of the homosexual as dangerous to society, a
corruptor of young people.”
Stone Fired Employee For Being Lesbian, Suit Changes: A former I.
Magnin employee accused of stealing said she was fired because she is involved in an
interracial lesbian relationship. Sharris Davis, a former cosmetics saleswoman, and her
girlfriend, Myra Williams, former head of security at the chain’s Oakland store, have
filed a $1 million lawsuit for lost wages and emotional distress. Davis, who is black,
claims in her suit that store security searched her Oakland apartment, which she shares
with her girlfriend, in November 1993 and then fired her because she is a lesbian. The
suit alleges that I. Magnin secretly investigated the women, including installing a secret
video camera in Williams’ office, when other employees at the store discovered the
couple lived together. Spokeswoman Shirley Wilson said the department store had not
yet seen the lawsuit and could not comment on it.
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