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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1985)
AIDS paranoia invades workplace by W.C McRae Availability o f the AIDS antibody test is al low ing AIDS hysteria, recognized by m any as unwarranted, to be channeled, under the guise o f public safety, into advocacy o f the ju dicio us need — or threat — o f testing indviduals fo r the AIDS antibody. Even though no evidence exists to support the fear that AIDS can be transm itted by casual con ta c t the antibody test has hastened the entire AIDS issue into the sphere o f em ploym ent especially in the food service industry, educa tion, and the military. An em ployee o f one local restaurant claim ed he had already been “taunted" twice about having to take the test by the m anage m e n t "It looks like that's the way things are going," he was told. Two other em ployees of the same restaurant gave notice in protest when requirem ent o f the test was rum ored. W hen asked o f six locally-owned Portland restaurants, one restaurateur adm itted that requiring the test of its em ployees had been a “ to p ic o f thought and discussion,” and two others indicated that if other restaurants were to begin requiring the te s t they would follow LAP cookbook seeks recipes Between the pages o f many a cookbook there m ust be dozens o f well-worn recipes ju st aching to be recognized. Those favorites can now com e o u t The Lesbian Aging Project (LAP) is co m piling a cookbook o f recipes from the com m unity. The projected date fo r publication of the cookbook is Internatinal W om en’s Day. “ We’re looking for any kind o f recipe,” says Jesse Jordan, LAP Board member. "W e’d really like a good mix, favorite potluck dishes, ethnic dishes, whatever. And people can send us as m any as they wish. The more, the better." Recipes subm itted to the LAP cookbook should include the follow ing inform ation: in gredients and process o f preparation, tim e involved in preparation, num ber o f servings and cost. And, o f course, the name of the person subm itting the recipe. The deadline fo r subm issions is January 6,1986. “ W e’d also like to know the origin o f the recipe," Jessie added, "Especially if there is a story behind it I know that lots o f people have good stories to go with their favorite recipes. Recipes should be sent to LAP, C ook book, PO Box 13074, Portland, OR 97213. Recipes may also be given to any LAP Board m em ber. s u it O ther restaurants surveyed were either not considering testing, or were unaware of any reason to do so until forced by the county. S tating that "custom er safety is our first concern," one restaurant manager, who spoke on condition that he and the restaurant not be identified, said that "N o paranoid re sponse is needed," but if a connection between AIDS and the food service industry were to be found, em ployees w ould “ very definitely” be required by the restaurant to take the te s t For the m om ent, they will wait fo r the county to m andate testing. B ut confusion still exists in m any m inds about what the test fo r HTLV-II! virus anti bodies (the presence o f w hich in the blood m ay indicate exposure to AIDS) does and does not p re d ict and what use should be m ade o f the test results. Charles Shade, M ult nom ah C ounty Health O fficer, says the county has no plans to institute the test as a requirem ent for food handlers, o r for anyone else. “ We try to do things that are rational, and try not to do things that are irrational," claim s Shade, adding that although it would be w ithin the power o f the county to require the te s t there is no reason to, since AIDS is not food-transm issible. And the HTLV-III antibody test does not test fo r infectiousness, but sim ply fo r the presence o f the antibody, which in alm ost 90% o f the positive tests doesn’t de velop into AIDS. There are between 20,000-25,000 food Men and women athletes, "Come out, come out, whoever you are" all, or ju st the restaurant’s gay employees w ould be required to take the te st B ut can a private em ployer legally require a confidential AIDS antibody test as a condition o f em ploym ent? The restaurant manager questioned knew that it was illegal in Los Angeles, but thought it m ight be legal in O re gon. One lawyer warned, “ let them go ahead and try if they want to lose a lot o f money.” B ut along with an alm ost w illful indiffer ence to inform ation about AIDS and the AIDS test, there is the darker spectre o f the “ Medically-warranted’’ discrim ination and the venting o f perennial hom ophobia. The in terim S uperintendent o f Schools in San Francisco last m onth said that he planned to seek authority to mandate AIDS testing for food handlers in the schools, public school teachers, and other district employees. A ccording to Health O fficer Shade, if the m ilita ry requires the AIDS antibody test o f the 2,157,456 men and w om en in the Arm ed Forces, and if, as in the general populace 10% o f them are gay — 210,000 servicemen and w om en — then he estimates that about 40.000 o f all those tested would test positive fo r the antibody. O f these, ten percent or 4.000 w ould be likely to get AIDS. But what about the other 36,000 who do not develop AIDS? W hat w ill the m ilitary do with the in for m ation they garner? Q uite apart from the m oney that testing w ill cost (and it will have to be done frequently unless the m ilitary now gay bars and restaurants to solicit donations fo r the Cascade AIDS Network. The elves w ill be led by inim itable and fab ulous (her words) Donita Closette, a one-time lounge singer from Scio, O regon who hooked up with the boys back in '81. Last year they raised over 300 m uch-needed dol lars fo r C A N . requires celibacy), Shade finds the entire en terprise “ mindless.” "There may be a good reason fo r the testing, and I have an open m ind, but until I have occasion to hear what purpose it serves, I can’t im agine it" says Shade, w ho makes the com parison, '“m ilitary m edicine is to m edicine as m ilitary m usic is to m usic." A ccording to Shade, AIDS is not "the great unknow n anym ore," even if people want to pretend so. And what is known is that it is not transm itted by casual co n ta ct handlers licensed in M ultnom ah County, ac cording to A rt Bloom , Program Manager fo r M ultnom ah C ounty E nvironm ental Health. The AIDS antibody test is currently free, but if the county were to require the test o f any segm ent o f the w ork force, then the person tested w ould probably be forced to pay for it, since the county "doesn't have the kind o f funds necessary" to pay for mass testing. If private em ployers were to begin to require the te s t one county epidem iologist said that the em ployer would first be counselled as to w hether the requirem ent were legitim ate, and secondly be told that the county w ouldn’t care to be responsible for funding privately required testing. The restaurant that was considering the test did not indicate whether it would pay for the test, o r whether that would be up to the individual. It was also not made clear whether So if you're out and about on this fateful Saturday night be sure and help out C A N . w ith a donation to the elves. The elves are also available if you’d like to have them drop by your holiday party. For further inform ation contact Brown McDonald at 22 3-5907 or Howard Beirbaum at 236-2536. by Dan Pillers Gay Games II is only 10 m onths away, th a t’s still enough tim e to get in shape to represent the City o f Roses in the greatest sports and cultural festival to be held in the gay com m unity. Teams from Portland are organizing now fo r this historic event Any interested persons should write: Portland Gay Gam es Team II, P.O. Box 06811, Portland, O regon 97206 o r call: Dan 777-8309, Shaun 284-7691 or Ken 227-0592. In 1982, 700 men and 600 wom en came to San Francisco from around the world to participate in Gay Games I. Twenty-five men fro m Portland took part in the first gay athletic games, but no women were represented. Let's no t let this happen again in 1986. Men and w om en o f Portland, stand together and show the w orld your strength! O ur 4th m onthly m eeting will be held at 4 p.m ., Sunday, Decem ber 8th at The Primary D om ain located at 1033 N.W. 16th. All in terested athletes, coaches, teams, and volun teers should attend. Let’s send a fair repre- . sentation o f Portland’s gay athletic com m un ity to Gay Games II, Trium ph in '86. COME VISIT OUR NEW EXPANDED STORE! Ask about our w in e ta s tin g s t h r o u g h o u t the m onth of D ecem ber. Correction The dates for the National Convention of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays have been changed to Septem ber 19,20, and 21,1986. The change was made so as not to co n flict with Yom Kippur, which falls on the dates previously set for the convention. For further inform ation contact Thelm a M cDonald, Convention Coordinator, PO Box 230266, Portland, OR 97223. Just Out, December. 1985 cyvt .-team -.>eG A'O t*ul The Elves are coming! ’ The second annual appearance by the Elves Against AIDS w ill take place on Satur day, Decem ber 21. At this tim e Santa's gay little helpers will go around town to various 3731 S .E . H a w th o rn e P eter de G a rm o D on O m an P o rtla n d , O re g o n 97214 (503) 232-1010 5