/
Insurance company
forced to withdraw
discriminatory
guidelines
National Gay Rights Advocates, Concerned
Insurance Professionals for Human Rights,
and the California Department of Insurance
have successfully forced the Munich Ameri
can Reassurance Company to withdraw their
underwriting guidelines for AIDS. These
guidelines had singled out unmarried appli
cants, those who choose beneficiaries other
than a spouse or child, or those who lead
“illicit lifestyles” for discrimination. NGRA
had challenged the guidelines before the
California Department of Insurance and had
threatened to sue Munich American if they
were not withdrawn.
"This is a landmark victory,” declared Ben
jam in Schatz, Director of NGRA’s AIDS Civil
Rights Project “This is the first time that an
insurance company has been forced to re
vise its entire underwriting approach to AIDS
in all 50 states."
“The insurance industry has been put on
notice that the gay community will fight for its
rights — and win,” said NGRA Executive
Director Jean O ’Leary. “W e’re pleased that
the California Department of Insurance joined
with the gay community in taking a strong
stand against discrimination,” she said.
Gay multi-interracial
group forms
Men of All Colors Together (MACT), a gay
multi-interracial support group for couples
and singles, will hold its first meeting on
Saturday, May 3 at 7:00 p.m. at Metropolitan
Com munity Church, N.E. 24th & Broadway.
The Portland chapter will seek affiliation with
the National Association of Black and White
Men Together: A Gay Multi-racial Organiza
tion For All People, which was founded in San
Francisco in Janaury, 1980.
The National Association of Black and
White Men Together is a gay interracial or
ganization committed to fostering supportive
environments wherein racial and cultural
barriers can be overcome and the goal of
human equality realized. To these ends we
engage in educational, political, cultural, and
social activities as means of dealing with the
racism, sexism, homophobia, and other ine
quities in our communities and in our lives.
The Portland meeting will feature personal
introductions, poetry readings, and the airing
of a rap record about AIDS. The record, en
titled R esp ect Yourself, was created in large
part by BWMT/Philadelphia and was funded
by the G.S. Conference of Mayors. Informa
tion about the National Association will be
distributed.
National Co-chair Tim Wilson, who
recently moved to Portland, says that the
number one priority of the group will be to
provide AIDS education to people of color.
AIDS education is often neglected for people
of color since most AIDS organizations are
run by gay white males and the condition is
erroneously seen by blacks to be a “white
m an’s disease.” Statistically, AIDS is twice as
prevalent among blacks as whites.
Wilson stresses that each chapter of the
organization is autonomous and activities of
the groups are determined by the interest of
the members. Some chapters are more polit
ical (and have succeeded in some cities in
bringing court cases against — and eventu
ally closing — bars with racist policies), and
others are more socially oriented.
Wilson says a retreat is already planned
this fall for the Portland and Seattle chapters.
Just O ut, M ay 1986
Affirmation sets
SF conference
for June
Affirm ation/Gay and Lesbian Mormons, a
national, non-profit educational, social and
fellowship organization, recently concluded
its winter leadership meeting in San Jose,
California. In attendance were national offi
cers, Chapter representatives from Seattle,
San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, San
Jose, Phoenix and Dallas, and other interest
ed members and friends.
A new national educational outreach pro
gram was announced to acquaint Church
leaders and members with Affirmation s
purposes and goals. Church leaders will
especially be targeted for outreach so that
they can better counsel their homosexual
members.
Plans were also announced for the 6th an
nual Affirmation international conference to
be held in San Francisco June 27,28, and 29,
1986. Each year members of Affirmation,
from around the world, gather to discuss is
sues of importance to the Lesbian and Gay
Mormon. The conference is planned this year
to coincide with the annual San Francisco
Gay Freedom Day Parade and celebration on
June 29th.
The chosen theme of the Conference
“One in Ten — A Family Matter," will focus on
the reality that one in ten people in America is •
gay or lesbian, and therefore part of most
American families. It will also focus on the
ways in which lesbian and gay people can
and do contribute to both traditional and
non-traditional family groups. Many addi
tional seminars will be conducted through
out the weekend including topics of interest
for LDS parents of Gay or Lesbian children.
For further information, please contact
Conference chairperson Ron Kershaw at
(415) 641-4554 or write to the San Francisco
Chapter of Affirmation at P.O. Box 26302,
San Francisco, CA 94126.
Benefit
AUCTION/DANCE
for A W om an’s Place Bookstore
and Lesbian and Gay Pride ’86
SATURDAY May 10th
PINE STREET THEATRE
7-8 p.m. Silent Auction
8-9 p.m . Oral Auction
9 p.m.-1 a.m . DANCE
$10 Admission will include
$5 in Auction Scrip
1 Glass of Champagne or Sparkling Cider
1 Door Prize Ticket
Items to be A uctioned:
TRAVEL
ART
ENTERTAINMENT
ANTIQUES
WARDROBES
FINE & CASUAL DINING
MUCH MORE!
M .C .
Auctioneer
Music by
Dance by
Ticket Outlets
Dora Jar
LaVerne Lewis
Acoustic Guitarist Mark
The Blues Sisters
Artichoke Music
A Woman’s Place Bookstore
D ance only tickets a v a ila b le for S5 after 8:30 p.m.
Please call 233-1169 for more ticket outlets.
•>-
**
Out of the
Closet opens
O u t of the Closet is open for business at
2857 SE Stark (next door to Starky's 3.) Out
o f th e C loset, a thrift store, is managed by
Phoenix Rising’s Fred Menard and will benefit
Portland’s gay and lesbian non-profit
organizations.
Fred Menard has been long involved in the
antiques and retro business; he was also the
manager of a thrift store. Fred says that Out
of the Closet will specialize in vintage clo
thing and antiques, but "we are soliciting any
thing and everything saleable. All donations
are tax deductible."
O u t of the Closet is modeled after a store
in San Francisco which disperses funds to
227 non-profit organizations. In Portland so
far. O u t of the Closet has garnered interest
from Cascade AIDS Project, CHESS/PAL
Project The Brinker Fund, Portland Gay
M en’s Chorus and others. Any organization
with a 501 (c)(3) tax exempt status is eligible
to apply for funds.
To get O ut of the Closet off the ground,
Phoenix Rising is holding a drawing at Les
bian and Gay Pride Rally on June 21. Prizes
include a trip to Palm Springs for 2, dinner for
four at a local restaurant among other
numerous gifts.
For more information about O ut of the
Closet, call 223-8299.
BO O KS, BOOKS AND M ORE BOOKS!!
We are filled to capacity. Over 10,000 books and no space to display them!
But moving costs money and we need your help.
Become a sustaining member of A Woman's Place Bookstore. You can help the bookstore
move while giving yourself a discount on all the books and records (except sale items and
consignments) you purchase over the next twelve months.
Simply fill out the coupon below drop it by the bookstore or mail it with your check to
A Woman's Place Bookstore, 2349 S.E. Ankeny, Portland, Oregon 97214.
, ,
, .
,
,
■ Yes, I w ant to help the bookstore move!
Mail or drop by A Woman's Place Bookstore
2349 S.E Ankeny
Portland, Oregon 97214
$25.00 Sustaining Membership
Receive a 10% discount over the next 12 months
$50.00 Matron Membership
Receive a 20% discount over the next 12 months
NAME
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE, ZIP
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