just news
Dutch person with AIDS jailed by INS
Portland lesbians to host national
conference planner
Six days in Minnesota jails and $10,000 bond
greets AIDS educator
interrogation shows intense and hostile ques­
tions about the traveler’s leather attire.
Marinus Bos was also asked if he had AIDS but
said, “ No.” He was ultimately detained on a
ans Paul Verhoef. 31, a civil servant
minor technicality. Bos flew back to Amster­
from the Netherlands who does public
education on gay and lesbian issues including dam and then Hew directly to Los Angeles
where INS was not bothered by his leather.
AIDS was released by United States Immigra­
As soon as Verhoef told INS inspectors that
tion authorities in Si Paul, Friday,
he
had AIDS, they slapped him in handcuffs
April 17. He flew immediately to San Fran­
and hauled him off to Scott County Jail.
cisco for the 11 th Annual National Lesbian and
Gay Health Conference. The 7th Annual Na­
Late Thursday afternoon INS District
tional AIDS Forum was a part of the conference,
Director Tom Schiltgen, announced that he
as well. Verhoef was six days behind schedule
would grant Verhoef the requested waiver
and the conference was nearing its close. Art
saying that, “ the criteria for adjudicating
Agnos, Mayor of San Francisco had responded
this waiver application is that the applicant
to Verhoef s unfathomable detention by
must show that: one) the danger to the public
declaring it “ Hans Paul Verhoef Day“ in San
health is minimal; two) the possibility of
Francisco.
spreading the disease is minimal and that three)
Judge Robert Vinikoor ordered Immigration
no costs are to be incurred by. the federal
and Naturalization Service (INS) authorities
government. Mr. Verhoef has met the
criteria.”
to release Verhoef for a business visit provided
he post $10,000 bond and leave the United
Richard E. Norton, Associate Commissioner
States promptly on April 28.
of INS in Washington, denied Verhoef s
Judge Vinikoor ruled that Verhoef be
request for waiver saying, “ The applicant
released as sewn as he posted bond and that
has no close relatives residing in the United
he should not be held further, pending an
States and he has not made any assertions
INS appeal.
there is substantial reason for desiring a
waiver. Although the Service is sensitive
Verhoef s dispute began when he landed at
to the needs of people who want to exchange
the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport on Sunday,
ideas, the Service has also, in these circum­
April 2. He had tickets to San Francisco for
stances, a legal obligation to protect the
the health conference and only expected to
health and safety of United States residents.
change planes in Minnesota. Unfortunately,
The risk of harm by an AIDS infected alien,
he had to go through customs before deplaning.
in the absence of humanitarian reasons
INS officials claim that they found Verhoef s
for permitting the temporary admission of
AZT and asked him if he had AIDS to which he
aliens, far outweigh the privilege of an alien
responded. “ Yes.“ INS also cited a letter
to enter the United States to participate in a
found on Verhoef in which he admitted he had
conference.”
AIDS and referred to othei “ documents” in
Friday afternoon the Verhoef matter was
which AIDS was mentioned.
Although INS officials deny any connection,
publieiy aired before Judge Robert Vinikoor
local observers speculate that Verhoef s leather
who ordered Verhoef released on bond while
any appeal was pending.
jacket, trousers, and his sexual toys were the
most obvious items in his luggage, serving as
Verhoef easily convinced the judge that the
red Hags to the INS.
risk was minimal.
Just weeks earlier, another gay Dutch visitor
On Wednesday, ACT UP sponsored protests
with leather in his luggage was detained by the
erupted in Amsterdam, San Francisco and
same INS officials. The transcript of that
Minneapolis-St. Paul.
B Y
T I M
C A M P B E L L
H
Baltimore AIDS
activist sued
Stuart Caplan, a registered nurse and AIDS
activist in Baltimore, Maryland has been slap­
ped with a muilti-million dollar lawsuit after
criticizing an AIDS testing clinic. The clinic,
AIDS Counseling and Testing (ACT) had
been distributing flyers promoting “ peace of
mind” by taking an “ affordable" $50 test and
offering a picture ID card to prove that the
cardholder is HIV-negative.
Because the local health department was
offering free HIV testing and because ID cards
are not an effective AIDS reduction tool,
Caplan wrote letters to various government
officials demanding an investigation of ACT.
ID cards are misleading and counter-productive
because they are good only for the moment the
blood is taken. It can take up to fourteen
months after infection for HIV antibodies to
appear.
As a result of his activism, Caplan was sued
by ACT for $6.5 million in US District
Court. National Gay Rights Advocates has
agreed to defend Caplan and on Friday,
March 31, 1989, filed a Motion for Summary
Judgment, requesting that the court dismiss
the suit.
“ We are asking the court to protect Mr.
Caplan’s free speech rights under the first
amendment. While we are in the midst of this
epidemic, it is crucial that every one be encour­
aged to speak out against unscrupulous AIDS
profiteers,” said Leonard Graff, legal director
of the NGRA.
“ We will not allow ACT to escape respon­
sibility for their opportunism by filing
intimidating suits against our community."
said Jean O'Leary. NGRA’s executive
director.
Regional meeting will create goals and agenda for national
meeting in Atlanta
50 percent of the steering committees, speakers
and performers. Disabled and older lesbians
also will have full representation, organizers
say.
Colorado said local organizers want to insure
ortland will host the second planning
full involvement in the Portland planning
meeting for a historic national lesbian
conference, which is expected to draw several meeting, as well.
thousand lesbians to Atlanta in 1991.
The Durham gathering agreed to set spring
The Portland meeting, scheduled for this
1991 for the conference date. Participants also
July, will be the only one on the West Coast.
agreed Atlanta would provide higher national
Women interested in organizing the Portland
visibility than “ safer" cities, such as Wash­
meeting are encouraged to attend a meeting at
ington, DC. or San Francisco, Colorado said.
Local organizers say they need women to
I pm. May 2 1, in Room 403 of Portland State
University’s Cramer Hall.
help coordinate the July planning meeting,
including setting an agenda, creating a volun­
The Atlanta conference is planned as a
teer network, and reaching out to women
ground-breaking gathering to educate and
entertain lesbians, as well as clearly demon­
throughout the Northwest. Housing may also
strate our diversity and commitment to equal
be needed for women traveling from other
cities and states.
rights to the nation.
“ Lesbians have a tendency to be the doers
Women interested should attend the May 21
and we do everything for everybody — except
meeting, or send their name, address and tele­
ourselves,” said Amanda Colorado, who
phone number to Portland Host Committee,
attended the first national planning meeting
2208 NE Multnomah # 7 , Portland, 97232. ▼
earlier this spring in Durham, NC, and is
helping organize the Portland meeting.
“ For once, we’re going to do it for our­
selves,” she said.
The Portland planning gathering almost
What have you done lately
didn't occur when leaders of the Lesbian Com­
to stop the spread
munity Project decided against doing the
of homophobia?
organizing as a group. Instead, individuals
plan to organize all facets of the meet ing, in
keeping with the national emphasis on grass­
roots participation.
The planning meetings are intended to create
goals and an agenda for the national con­
ference. Topics for the national conference
haven't been set, but will cover such issues
as lesbian legal rights, job security, women and
•Residential, HUD Properties,
AIDS, youth and aging, day care, racism, and
Business Opportunities/
establishing a national lesbian organization.
Commercial.
During a sometimes stormy weekend,
participants at the Durham planning meeting
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agreed that women of color should represent
B Y
A B B Y
H A I G H T
P
Bridgetown Realty
Mark Lane, an attorney affiliated with
Liberty Lobby, an ultra-conservative, Wash­
ington, DC, political group is representing
ACT.
Edward Wolf, of Arnold and Porter, is
NGRA’s co-operating counsel. Arnold and
Porter is one of Washington DC’s largest and
most prestigious law firms.
The court will hear the case on May 19 in
Baltimore, Maryland.
Process, Earnest Money
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ATTORNEY AT LAW
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(5 0 3 ) 273-9146
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just out ▼
11 ▼ May 19X9