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national briefs
CALIFORNIA
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By a margin of five to two, the city council in
A Gay and Lesbian Center will be part of San
Santa Cruz has approved a new ordinance ban Francisco’s new Main Library, thanks to a
ning employment or housing discrimination based $500,000 donation and the acquisition of over
on height, weight, sexual orientation, or physical 10,000 books, periodicals, and photographs. The
characteristics. The so-called “looks law” will donation was made by San Francisco civic leader
serve as “a statement that bigotry will not be James Hormel.
tolerated in Santa Cruz," said Corin Drummond,
IDAHO
a 23-year-old resident who said he was beaten up
Some of history’s most revered scientists have
recently because he is gay.
used science to justify racism, a Harvard Univer
▼ V ▼
sity professor of geology and zoology said re
The first Cookbook Against AIDS is scheduled cently during a speech at the University of Idaho
for publication in early 1993. It will be filled with in Moscow. Stephen Jay Gould, who has written
favorite recipes from members and friends of the more than a dozen books, said the human species
gay and lesbian community. Also included will is too young for genetic differences to have evolved
be various articles, photographs, and dedications, among the races. “That old clichés that differ
with proceeds going to AIDS research. Submis ences are only skin deep really turns out to be so,”
sions must be received by Dec. 31, 1992. They he said. “Humans are astonishingly similar in
may be sent to Cookbook Against AIDS, 16105- genetic makeup from one racial group to an
8H Victory Blvd., #346, Van Nuys, CA 91406. other....”
Interested persons also may call (818) 909-9805.
ILLINOIS
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The state legislature is considering two bills
Publication of BLK, the first monthly maga involving HIV disease. One, passed by a House
zine for African- American gays and lesbians, has committee in April, would require children under
been suspended until a new editor can be found to 18 to notify their parents before taking an HIV
replace Alan Bell. Bell, who was seriously in test. The other would require people convicted of
jured in a car accident in April, is still unable to patronizing juvenile prostitutes to be tested for
return to work, his doctors say. More information HIV. AIDS groups generally oppose such mea
can be obtained by wr iting to BLK Publishing Co., sures, favoring safe-sex education as the most
Box 83912, Los Angeles, CA 90083-0912, or by effective weapon against the spread of AIDS.
calling 1-310-410-0808.
NEW YORK
Vice President Dan Quayle reportedly was
red-faced after scrambling the alphabet soup of
AIDS drugs during a visit to Manhattan AIDS
ward. “Are they talking DDT?” Quayle asked
during the visit, to which his hosts responded that
he must mean AZT, DDC, or DDI. They pointed
out that DDT is a bug spray. “The effect of an
administration’s AIDS policies is much the same
as DDT,” said Gregory King, communications
director for the Human Rights Campaign Fund.
“Quayle may be more right than he realized.”
T ▼ ▼
The American Civil Liberties Union has asked
every major college and university president in
the country to join other leaders of higher educa
tion in signing aresolutioncalling for an end to the
military’s anti-gay policy. James Holobaugh,
coordinator of military issues for the ACLU, said
that gaining the support of these leaders is crucial.
The show of support from these educational lead
ers will be invaluable in changing opinions in
Washington among legislators and bureaucrats,”
Holobaugh said. “Under the weight of this con
crete evidence, the Pentagon will be forced to
retreat.” Each year, the Pentagon discharges
more than 1,400 men and women for homosexu
ality, at a financial cost to taxpayers of $300
million annually.
sands of people who responded to a question by
columnist Ann Landers: “Are you glad you are
gay, or would you rather be straight?” The man,
who was not identified by name, was among a half
dozen whose responses were published in the
nationally syndicated column. In his response,
the man said he had married and was the father of
two before realizing he was gay. He initially tried
to hide the reality, but eventually met another man
and today is “extremely happy.” Landers said of
the 75,875 responses received, about 30 to 1 said
they were “happy being gay.”
VIRGINIA
Fundamentalist television evangelist Pat
Robertson, who four years ago failed in his bid for
the Republican presidential nomination, has suc
ceeded in buying United Press International.
Robertson already is chief executive officer of a
media conglomerate that owns and operates a
number of broadcast and cable television fran
chises, including theconservativeChristian Broad
casting Network. Some UPI affiliates are worried
that reporting standards itiay have a conservative
bias under Robertson’s leadership. Robertson’s
empire is based in Virginia Beach.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
The Navy’s inspector general has issued a
OREGON
scathing report that describes in graphic detail the
A gay man from Portland was one of thou sexual molestation of 26 women at a 1991 con-
"Those of us in health care are v e r y h o p e f u l. ..w e've learned so much...
People living with HIV who are
long term survivors take an early
and active role in their treatment.
There are many effective treatment
options: anti-viral drugs like AZT
and ddl; acupuncture and herbal
medicines like Compound A ;
nutrition, exercise and a healthy
lifestyle. Treatment is available
even if you think you can’t afford
it or don’t have insurance.
CASCADE AIDS PROJECT
PREVENTION/OUTREACH SERVICES