— —■
March on
Washington
proceeds apace
ens of thousands of lesbians and
8 gays will gather at the Capitol in
Washington, D.C., on October 11,
1987, to bring an urgent message to the
people of this nation: The enemies of gays
and lesbians are threatening the entire
community and its values; they are push
ing an agenda of hatred, fear and bigotry
against us and against freedom.
“ For Love and for Life,” the theme of
the March on Washington, encompasses
more than threats to the rights of lesbians
and gay s. The agenda for the October 9-15
weekend includes these seven demands:
• Legal recognition of lesbian and gay
relationships.
• The repeal of all laws that make sodomy
between consenting adults a crime.
• A presidential order banning anti-gay
discrimination by federal government.
• Passage of the congressional lesbian
and gay rights bill.
• An end to discrimination against people
with AIDS, ARC, HIV positive or those
perceived to have AIDS. Massive in-
creae in funding for AIDS Education,
research, and patient care. Money for
AIDS, not for war.
• Reproductive freedom, the right to con-
■
trol our own bodies, and an end to sexist
oppression.
• An end to racism in this country and
apartheid in South Africa.
Related events taking place over the five
days are highlighted by:
National Lobby Day (October 9).
Delegations from around the country meet
with their senators and members of
Congress.
March Against Death and Violence
(October 9-11). For 40 hours people carry
ing the names of those who have died of
homophobic violence or AIDS will move
in single procession past the White House
and the Capitol.
The Wedding (October 10). A non
sectarian union ceremony to celebrate
same-sex relationships to emphasize the
demand that gay and lesbian domestic
partners are entitled to the same rights and
privileges as married heterosexual couples.
AIDS Memorial Project (October 11).
Thousands of 3’x6’ fabric panels, each
bearing the name of someone lost to
AIDS, will be assembled into a massive
expanse and displayed across the Capitol
Mall. (Names Project, PO Box 14573, SF,
CA 94114 or call (415) 626-5725.)
Veterans Memorial Service (October
11). Prior to the March, a memorial
service at the Tomb of the Unknown Sol
dier in honor of gays and lesbians who
have given their lives as members of the
U.S. Military.
National Lesbian and Gav Rights
Congress Planning Meeting (October
12). Proposals fora nationwide Congress
of gays and lesbians in 1988.
Civil Disobedience for Lesbian and
Gay Rights (October 13). A non-violent
action at the Supreme Court.
As the organizing efforts increase in
scope, a housing bureau is being coordi
nated through the national March on Wash
ington office to make hotel accommoda
tions available at specially negotiated
group rates. Several thousand hotel rooms
have been secured throughout the metro
politan D.C. area.
A brochure is available from the Na
tional Housing Bureau, March on
Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights,
P.O. Box 7781, Washington, D.C. 20044.
For more information and to join the
local effort contact Evee Smith, PO Box
1339, Corvallis, OR 97339, phone
752-0595; or March on Washington Com
mittee, PO Box 7781, Washington D.C.
20044. phone (202) 783-1828.
•
PGMC offered
challenge grant
A
“ challenge” grant offered to the
Portland Gay Men’s Chorus will
match contributions to the Chorus
made between now and June 15, up to
$2,000.
If the goal is met, it will add a total of
$4(XX) to the group's operating funds.
“ Here is a chance for friends of PGMC
to double their money,” said Scott
Eckelman, business manager.
The grant was offered to the Chorus
unsolicited, by anonymous private
sources, Eckelman said.
“ This offer has come at a good time,”
he said. “ The funds will strengthen our
financial position as we prepare for our
first full season in the new Portland Center
for the Performing Arts.”
The move into the new Performing Arts
Center will make individual concerts more
expensive to produce, but it is hoped that
the prestige of being a major tenant in the
new halls will boost support for the Chorus,
and will be a source of pride for the com
munity as a whole, both gay and straight.
PGMC derives a larger portion of its
annual budget from ticket sales than most
arts organizations do, but it is still neces
sary to apply for public grants and to rely
on individual donors to make up the
difference.
Contributions should be postmarked by
June 15 to qualify for the matching funds.
Checks may be made to PGMC or Rose
City Performing Arts, Inc., and mailed to
P.O. Box 3223, Portland, OR 97208. The
Chorus has full non-profit tax status; con
tributions are deductible.
•
ANAL SEX
AND AIDS
After four years of studying
thousands of cases of AIDS, the
evidence is becoming increasingly
clear: anal sex is the number one
cause of AIDS transmission in
America.
Several epidemiological studies
conducted independently in several
different cities, involving thousands
of gay and bisexual men, have
produced essentially the same find
ings—the most significant difference
between gay men who get AIDS, and
gay men who don’t get AIDS, is the
amount and kind of Unsafe anal sex
they have engaged in.
Unsafe anal sex includes anal
intercourse without a condom, rim
ming. scat, fisting and fingering, and
the sharing of dildoes and other
insertive sex toys.
So our message is very7 simple.
If we as a community are to
survive this epidemic, unprotected
anal sex has to cease to be a part of
our gay male lifestyles until a
medical solution for AIDS is availa
ble. The risks are just too great for
both tops and bottoms.
lubricants.)
It takes practice to use condoms
correctly. However, condoms are
readily available, inexpensive, and
when used properly, are good
protection. If you insist on anal sex,
insist on condoms. Learn to use them.
UNSAFE SEX PRACTICES
Anal Intercourse Without Condom
Rimming
Fisting
Blood Contact
Sharing Sex Toys or Needles
Semen or Urine in Mouth
Vaginal Intercourse Without Condom
Unprotected anal sex is extremely
dangerous for both partners.
Human anal tissue is richly sup
plied with blood vessels and is
surprisingly fragile. Small tears
open tiny paths to the bloodstream.
The bottom is exposed to preseminal
fluid, which may contain the virus,
and to semen, which can contain
huge quantities of the virus. The
anal canal has almost no specific
immunological defenses.
The top is exposed to blood and
feces on his penis, and probably on
his fingers and hands. Bloody feces,
even in small quantities, can contain
Let’s protect one another.
Let ’s end all Unsafe Sex practices
in Portland until this epidemic is
over. Gay men are too important to
lose.
the virus (and can also contain
intestinal parasites, a probable co-
factor for AIDS). Tops have gotten
AIDS through unprotected anal sex,
just as they have gotten other
sexually transmitted diseases.
Condoms can help.
Condoms are capable of stopping
the AIDS virus. Anal intercourse
with a condom is still considered
“possibly safe’ because of the risk
of breakage through misuse. (The
major causes of condom breakage
are air inside the condom, not
enough lubrication, old or mistreat
ed condoms, or the use of oil-based
c A S c A D E
S
A
1
D
P R 0 J E C T
408 S. W. Second Ave.
Suite 420
Portland, Oregon 97204
(508) 223-5907
Call for more information.
This material is published with the permission
of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
A portion of this ad donated by lust Out.
T W W 'ï i 'j i *
Our 9 Jum
'C