New AIDS virus
evidence
Researchers in France and the United
States have recently discovered evidence that
a virus which attacks the white blood cells
that are defective or missing in AIDS and
pre-AIDS patients may be the cause of the
disease.
The scientists cautioned that the evidence
does not prove the virus is the cause of AIDS
but they feel that the evidence is very strong
because the virus appears in 80 percent to 90
percent of both AIDS and pre-AIDS patients.
The discovery of the cause of AIDS would
not constitute a cure but it is a necessary first
step that could speed the development of a
treatment of an anti-AIDS vaccine.
Lesbian wins Army
reinstatement
In what is believed to be the first ruling that
homosexual status alone is not sufficient
grounds for military discharge, a CI.S. District
Court judge ruled that a lesbian who was
“ disenrolled” in 1981 from the Army’s Re
serve Officer Training Corps at the University
of Maine must be reinstated.
Sergeant Diane J. Matthews of South Port
land, Maine was ordered to be reinstated in
the ROTC program from which she was dis
missed after she identified herself as a les
bian to her commanding officer.
Matthews has served for seven years in the
Army and has received many citations and
commendations for outstanding service.
Matthews’ trouble began when she asked
for a schedule change so she could attend a
meeting of a lesbian and gay student organiz-
tion. Her commanding officer asked why she
wanted to attend the meeting and she told
him she was a lesbian.
In a 41-page decision Magistrate D.B.
Hornby wrote that Mathews' ouster “as a re
sult of her declaration of homosexuality with
out any evidence of homosexual conduct”
did violate her First Amendment rights to
freedom of expression. Hornby also com
mented that a military regulation which al
lows the discharge of persons with "hom o
sexual propensity” is unconstitutional be
cause it violates the right to freedom of
expression.
Custody battle
results In jail
A Colorado fundamentalist Christian
woman is in jail for refusing to reveal the
whereabouts of her son whom she has hid
den from her gay ex-husband, the boy’s legal
guardian.
The Colorado Supreme Court denied the
woman’s petition to end her imprisonment
The seven justices voted unanimously and
without comment to let stand a lower court
order placing Betty Lou Batey behind bars
until she has church friends bring her son to
cou rt
The father, Frank Batey, has not seen his
son since his ex-wife disappeared with the
boy over 18 months ago.
Last week the boy, Brian, 12, appealed to
President Regan for help in his bid to live with
his mother. There was no comment from the
White House on the matter.
Hepatitis vaccine
breakthrough
A recently discovered viral protein, present
on the surface of the hepatitis B virus, may
provide a low-cost vaccine against the
disease.
The protein, or peptide, triggers the body's
natural defenses against the disease. Re
searchers at the New York Blood Center were
able to manufacture the protein in their
laboratory. If further experiments are
successful, the synthetic peptide could be
used as a synthetic vaccine at a fraction of the
cost of present immunizations.
Hepatitis B afflicts more than 1 million
people in the United States and is a major
health problem around the world.
Boy G eorge banned
Officials at Brigham Young University in
Provo, Utah, said last week that a student
band which had appeared last month under
the name The Club, featuring “ Guy George”
as lead singer had been banned from further
performances on the university campus. The
group was banned, according to a student
inform ation coordinator, because the
costume worn by Ray Carter (Guy George)
portrayed transvestism and homosexuality.
A student who had planned to use Culture
Club as a theme for her candidacy for a stu
dent office was told to delete from her poster
a photograph of herself posed with several
other people dressed like members of
Culture Club. An official of student programs
at BYU said the action was taken because
Culture Club promotes homosexualty.
And, Culture Club record albums were
pulled from the shelves of the BYCI Book
Store pending a review to determine whether
they are appropriate for sale to students.
BYCI officials said that the reference in the
name Culture Club is to “ a culture that is not
a normal culture.”
Just O ut. April 27-M ay 11