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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1990)
MHfATH This space is the newsletter o f ACT- UP Portland and is made possible by a grant from the M acKenzie River Foundation and Just O u t Just who do we think we are? The Portland chapter of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP/ Portland) is part of an international and nationwide network of grassroots, democratic and militant organizations for AIDS activism. Our aim is to challenge the reluctant and inadequate response of the government and the public to AIDS; we desire to stimulate and create effective AIDS policies within all sectors of society through non-violent direct action and public protest. While the focus of ACT UP/ Portland is AIDS, the multiple issues surrounding the disease force us to act on several fronts at once. We haven’t been sleeping February 1990—We distributed condoms in Pioneer Square as part of Condom Awareness Day II. March 1990— A counter demonstration at the Oregon State Capitol with a coalition of other pro-choice groups against kick off campaign of common enemy Oregon Citizen’s Alliance’s ballot measure restricting abortion. April 1990— Demonstration against homosexual deprogramming at Hinson Memorial Baptist Church in SE Portland. 250 demonstrators gathered. Zap against US Senator Mark Hatfield. Alteration of two campaign billboards, one reading “Closeted Gay. Living a lie— Voting to oppress” and the other reading, “Making AIDS Deaths a Reality.” (See below). Fifteen ACT UP members marched for racial equality with Black United Front. Several ACT UP members demonstrated at Pacific University in support of a lesbian student who received death threats after posting advertising for the Portland Lesbian Choir. ACT UP/Portland called for national phone zap against New Dimensions M agazine (Published by Foundation for Human Understanding, based in Grants Pass, Oregon), after the publication of an issue containing misinformation about AIDS and antigay diatribe. Under pressure from ACT UP groups around the country. New Dimensions changed their 800 number and Andy Rooney, a contributor, pulled his column. ACT UP/Portland members joined ACT UP chapters from around the country in Chicago at a demonstration protesting insurance restrictions against PWAs and demanding national health insurance. Phone zap against Philip Morris tobacco conglomerate. (See below.) May 1990— Demonstrated with members o f Anti Racist Action (ARA), Skin Heads Against Racial Prejudice (SHARP), and Radical Women against performance by “comedian” oam Kinison, whose misogynist, anti-gay, racist “shtick” contributes to the attitudes that foster growing numbers of hate crimes reported in the Portland area. Coalition of groups (Bushwhackers) demonstrated during the Bush fundraiser for Frohnmayer campaign. June 1990— ACT UP marched at Lesbian and Gay Pride. Initiated postcard to the gay and lesbian stars campaign. Eight ACT UP members attended national ACT UP conference. International AIDS Conference demonstrations and boycotted against U.S. discriminatory policy of barring people with HIV from the U.S. ACT UP sponsored community kiss-in at > the Immigration and Naturalization Service over discriminatory immigration policies. ACT UP met with Police Internal Investigation Audit Committee over their homophobic policies: wearing rubber gloves when touching lesbians and gay men. Stay tuned- upcoming actions July activities include a benefit for ACT UP at the City Night Club with entertainment on July 29 at 9pm. Demonstrations and activities are usually very spontaneous. If you would like to be on our phone list for upcoming events, please call 232-1038 and we will keep you informed. Jesse Helms is the real Marlboro man for HIV antibody. (According to Immigration law it is illegal to enter the U.S. if you have the HIV virus.) Hatfield voted in 1987,1988 and 1989 to prohibit the use of federal funds for “AIDS eduction, information, or prevention materials and activities that promote or encourage, directly or indirectly, homosexual sexual activities.” The 1989 vote was also against language which would promote or encourage homosexuality or to use words stating that homosexuality is “normal,” “natural” or "healthy." The billboard zap followed Hatfield’s vote to change the District o f Columbia Human Rights Law to allow the local Big Brothers organization to bar gay men from participating in any program that “educates, coaches or trains any minor” or “holds out (a gay man) as a role model, mentor, or companion to any minor.” It is contemptible for a closeted gay man as powerful as Mark Hatfield to perpetuate the lie that all gay men are child molesters who prey on innocent youth. ACT UP groups around the country have planned a series of actions designed to bring attention to the fact Philip Morris, Inc. is the single largest corporate contributor to the election campaigns of Senator Jesse Helms, (R-N.C.). Since 1986, Helms has had 29 chances to vote on issues that directly affect the lives of lesbians, gay men and people with HIV. On eight votes, Helms blocked efforts to provide AIDS information materials specifically targeted to prevent HIV infection. During the same period Helms tried to invoke mandatory testing four times. Philip Morris Political Action Committee, (PHIL-PAC) has been the top corporate contributor ($21,000) to Helms’ campaigns since at least 1977. They have also contributed $200,000 for the Jesse Helms “museum” and library scheduled to open at Wingate College in 1992. ACT UP/Portland’s long awaited t-shirt was designed by local graphic artist Reed Darmon. Marty thanks, Reed! It is a black shirt with an exploding pink triangle over which is written, ACT UP FOR YOU LIFE! If you would like to buy one ($10), call us at 232-1038. Marlboro boycott Dear Santa ACT UP/Wash. DC called for an international boycott of Philip Morris, Inc.’s Marlboro brand which has 26.3 percent of the domestic cigarette market. If Marlboro drops even one percent, Philip Morris would stand to lose more than $250 million. ACT UP urges you to boycott Marlboro. ACT UP/Portland received notice that the opening reception of the Democratic Party Campaign School (held in Newport, Ore., June 8-10) was sponsored by Philip Morris. One call to Peter Toll at the Senate Majority Office was all it took to get information materials distributed at the conference. The Senate Majority Office had not known of Philip Morris’s support of Jesse Helms. We hope that the gay and lesbian community will join us to fight AIDS, homophobia, racism, sexism and classism. Whether you join ACT UP, join us in coalitions or lend support with contributions, we want you to know we appreciate your support. ACT UP/Portland stays busy pointing out what’s wrong and demanding what’s right. We need money to keep our efforts going. No one in ACT UP gets paid, we have no office and no staff. Every dollar we receive goes directly into fighting the AIDS epidemic through meetings, demonstrations and actions. Help us stop the dying. Give what you can and help keep us acting up! If you have old but working items we also could use: stapler, copy machine, office supplies and file cabinets. ‘News’ in the Oregonian? Several large newspapers have run stories on ACT UP/Portland’s billboard zap against Senator Mark Hatfield. If the Miami Herald, Seattle Post Intelligencer, Oakland Tribune, San Francisco Examiner and the Washington Times can run the story (as well as National Public Radio and three local television news stations), why can’t the Oregonian? All of you who think that “at least Mark is a ‘liberal Republican’,” must think again. Senator Hatfield was on the honorary committee of a Jesse Helms $1000 per head . cocktail party fundraiser held in Washington, DC on June 14. It is not too late to call the senator and tell him that Oregon voters will not tolerate his support of the anti-civil rights hate campaign of Jesse Helms. Call 326-3386 (Portland) and 399-5731 (Salem). Just for the record June 1987— Hat ¡field voted for an amendment that sought to test all immigrants 3731 SE Hawthorne Portland. OR 97214 ___________ (503) 232-1010__________ • Perms • • C olors • • Cuts • Full Service Salon Featuring: Focus 2.1 Mastey Oggi Pink triangle explodes in Portland Mark Hatfield update «' Fresh pasta and sauces, salads, prepared foods, cheeses, fine oils and vineg a rs; g re a t values in imported and domestic wines. Meeting schedule We meet the second and fourth Wednesdays in July only at 7pm. Please join us. Metropolitan Community Church at the comer of NE 24th and Broadway, enter through basement door on Broadway. TAKE A SUN BREAK Key West 8 days/7 nights R/T air, hotel, transfers cont. break, daily form $495 p.p.d.o. RUSSIAN RIVER 4 days/3 nights R/T air, hotel, car from $470 p.p.d.o. ALOHA Waikiki 8 days/7 nights, taxes welcome breakfast, R/T air, transfers, hotel from $616 p.p.d.o. Call Norm for all your travel needs - still quality and caring, new location. * ACT UP/Portland, PO Box 6352, Portland, OR 97228. Please write or call Laura White at 775-4763 with questions or comments regarding this newsletter. Travel INC 656-4881 1 - 800 - 255-5387 just out ▼ 2 7 V July 1990
