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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1992)
Jmmt o u t ▼ M w a b « r 1 9 0 2 ▼ 9 HIV-positive prisoners on medication strike More than 100 HIV-positive prisoners in Vacaville, Calif., are risking their lives in a medi cation strike to protest what they charge is dis criminatory treatment and severely inadequate medical care from prison staff and authorities. The inmates of the T and U wings of the California Medical Facility prison at Vacaville decided to begin the dangerous strike on Sept. 19 after six prisoners with HIV died in less than one week. ACT UP San Francisco held a press confer ence outside the gates of the Vacaville prison on Oct. 1 to bring attention to the situation inside. Activists read letters from HIV-positive inmates describing the conditions inside. One prisoner said he was writing in order “to share the absolute wonder of how this has been allowed to continue for so long. Dear people of great consciousness, without you we are doomed, for the powers that are in place now have a carte blanche to treat us as lepers, miscreants...and being allowed to disre gard the fact that we are human beings. “We have an administration of medical doc tors that somehow believe that this is a punish ment from God,” the prisoner continued. Talking about a fellow prisoner who died in his cell, he said, “This poor soul walked the hallways for over four days. He was complaining of severe head aches, nausea, dizziness and a host of other ail ments. The medical technician told him he had to wait to see a doctor. On either the fourth or fifth day, this man was found dead in his cell. And I have to ask why? Why was this man allowed to live and die in such torment? And why was his death not considered to be of consequence? Who can help us?” The inmates charged that the HIV unit at Vacaville is understaffed. Three AIDS doctors have left within the past few months, and the prisoners charge that those doctors who remain do not have the expertise or the caring to provide adequate services. Dr. Jan Diamond, one of the three AIDS doctors who left the prison in the past few months, acknowledged that the facility does need more medical staff. “I feel like the biggest problem is we need more AIDS-competent physicians. I think there have been some problems. Some very well- meaning physicians are doing the best they can. Some get jaded and don’t have supportive atti tudes toward patients,” she said. “If someone finds us a physician who is AIDS-sensitive and is willing to work for the Department of Correc tions, they’d roll out the red carpet.” The HIV-positive prisoners say they are also being discriminated against. They report being segregated from HIV-negative prisoners and double-celled in an area of the prison that has no electricity, which means that there are no fans or ventilation. The temperature rises as high as 100 to 110 degrees inside the cells. The striking prisoners presented their demands to prison authorities in a meeting on Sept. 30 and were not promised that any would be met. Their demands included: the hiring and reten tion of AIDS-experienced doctors, timely diag nosis and treatment of HIV and AIDS, no forced segregation, an end to double-celling, access to phase 2 and 3 clinical trials, equal visitation rights, voluntary and anonymous HIV testing, immediate release for prisoners with late-stage disease and no reprisals against striking prison ers. Solange Books, a communications represen tative for the California Department of Correc tions, confirmed several of the prisoners’ com plaints. Brooks admitted that the HIV-positive prisoners are, in fact, segregated, that HIV testing is not anonymous and that the prison system’s compassionate-release program is very limited. She said that in order to qualify for compas -800 GET LILY sionate release, a prisoner must have less than six months to live, must not have committed a violent crime and must be deemed “not to pose any danger to society.” If the prisoner passes those three tests, his or her case is processed for six weeks at the CDC headquarters in Sacramento and then goes to the courts. Brooks admitted that the least amount of time it has ever taken any prisoner to be released was four months, leaving him or her two months to live outside the prison gates. “There is a lot of misunderstanding and misin formation out there about our program. I would say we’re on a par with the medical service provided to the outside population. And we’re a lot better than other places.” Brooks clarified that she thinks the treatment at Vacaville is as good as the treatment at San Francisco General Hospital. Though representatives from San Francisco General Hospital refused to comment on Brooks’ statement, members of ACT UP and CHAIN, the California HIV Activist and Inmate Network, pointed to the fact that prisoners with AIDS in California live only half as long as people with AIDS on the outside and questioned why the more than 100 HIV-positive prisoners at Vacaville would risk their lives if the care meets the stan dards of the hospitals outside. Rachel Timoner Look who’s coming to the House (and Senate! A record number of African-Americans, other people of color and women are expected to be seated in Congress next year, thanks in part to the current desire for change in government. Redis tricting in some states has helped to concentrate the strength of “minority” voters also. “It will be the most dramatic increase in the number of women and people of color in the history of Congress at one time,” said Rep. John Lewis, D- Georgia. Carrie Meeker, granddaughter of en slaved people and daughter of a sharecropper, will become Florida’s first African-American in Congress since 1876. Illinois Democrat Carol Mosely Braun appears likely to become the first African-American woman ever to be elected to the U.S. Senate. Political analysts estimate that an additional 12 African-Americans and five Latinos are likely to be elected this fall. Jim Hunger Two millionaires challenge Studds U.S. Rep. Gerry Studds, D-Mass., one of America’s two openly gay congressmen, faces two millionaires in the Nov. 3 election, one of whom targeted Studds with “family values” rheto ric last time around. In 1990, Independent Jon Bryan knocked Studd’s victory margin down from 1988’s 68 percent to only 53 percent. Stopping short of direct gay-bashing, Bryan told voters Studds’ “permissiveness” was sicken ing and that it was time to put “a family man” in office. Last month, Bryan wrote his campaign an other personal check for $100,000 and warned, “We are going after [Studds] 1,000 miles an hour.” Studds also faces millionaire Republican Dan Daly, former state undersecretary for economic affairs, who also has the resources of liberal Republican Gov. William Weld behind him. “The race is likely to include relentless, nega tive, personal attacks against [Studds],” says spokesman Will Woodruff. The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, the Wash ington group that funnels money to lesbian and gay candidates, has thrown its resources behind Studds. Rex Wockner Buy any of Lily's classic videos! Buy the entire collection and receive FREE as a bonus a piece of the woman we all adore.* ‘A lock of Lily's hair captured forever in a crystal inspired plastic pendant. Be the envy of all your friends!! Not available in any Jewelry Store anywhere!! 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DIVISION For More Information: Call Doug, 331 -0745 TH E CO M E O U T FO RU M A Discussion & Resource Group (All levels of “outness" welcomed & desired) 8:00 pm THURSDAYS $4/person to defray cost of space & refreshments $2/person for any graduate of Carol Steinel’s Come Out Gass Facilitated & organized by Carol Steinel CO M E O U T CLA SSES A six week course to come out without losing your house, your job, or your mind. FOR EVERYONE FOR LCP MEMBERS ONLY THURSDAYS, 7-8 pm MONDAYS, 7-9 pm 11/12/92- 12/18/92 11/16/92- 12/21/92 (11/26 class moved to 11/25 due to Thanksgiving) Call LCP 223-0071 $30 for six sessions (includes dues for Come Out Sliding Scale $15-30 Forum attendance following class sessions) No one turned away for inability to pay. CALL C arol S tein el at 3 7 1 -3 7 4 8 for in fo, p la ce, & registration A R E N A IS S A N C E W O M A N P R O D U C T I O N