Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (March 15, 1993)
▼ in preparation for the annual Christmas pageant. March organizers were thrown into a panic, but the Park Service relented at the last minute and took down the barricades. Jaime Rodriguez, a member of the march’s executive committee, said that inquiries about this year’s march increased dramatically after President Clinton announced his plan to lift the ban on gay men and lesbians serving in the mili tary. “ People who were complacent were galva nized into confirming their plans,” he said. Bill Hileman, one of the national steering committee’s co-chairs, reported that during the first week in February, about 1,100 names were added to the March on Washington mailing list, almost double the number o f the week before. The number of events related to the march has grown from around 70 that took place during the 1987 march to over 125 scheduled for the 1993 march. At least 50 more events have not yet been added to the official list. Leading the march will be vehicles carrying people with AIDS, and others who cannot walk the route, followed closely by elder lesbians, bisexuals and gay men, signifying their seniority for civil rights. Next in line will be people with AIDS and HIV who are able to walk, followed by: gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered parents, teenagers, veterans; people of color; disabled and hearing-impaired gays; members of Parents and Friends o f Lesbians and Gays; Lesbian and Gay Bands o f America; and International Queers. Colorado and Oregon will have the first two state ■contingents in line, representing their vanguard position in the fight against the far right’s at tempts to deny gays and lesbians their civil rights. Approximately 50 M.O.W. information centers will be set up in store fronts and booths around the city over the weekend to disseminate information about the march, rallies, and related events. Volun teers are still needed to serve as certified interpret ers, security monitor and technical people. Quali fied individuals should con tact Michelle Crone (202) 628-0493 or Robin Tyler (818) 893-4075. Jim Hunger A S ampling O f E vents There are hundreds of March - related events. Here are just a few: ♦ I nformation P lease ü Region One (Pacific Northwest and Pacific Islands)— for literature, or to set up an information table— (206) 292-1444; in Portland, contact Bob, 625-5795. Housing/Accommodations— Starlight Holidays, (800) 343-9994. Check with Deb Reyes at the national office (202) 628-0493 if you’re interested in community housing. Names Project Information Line— (415) 403-3627. Lobbying specifically for West Coast states— Adrian Blum, Mobilization Against AIDS, (800) 245-6229. Prison Proxy Project—sponsored by the League o f Lesbian and Gay Prisoners. Call Darrell Taylor, (206) 938-8608. Direct Action Demonstrations— contact Aleksandr«, (206) 726-1915 or Michael, (206) 720-6963, both in Seattle. Child care—call national office by March 25, (202) 628-0493. M.O.W. Hearing-impaired line— TTY (800) 438-9506. Lavender Labor M ovement— (617) 4264)410. People o f Color Committee—contact Kay Tuckey, (916) 381-0570. Bisexuals’ information— contact Loraine Hutchins, (202) 7361755. ACT UP/D.Cv—contact Bryan Barr, (202) 667-8193, or Sean Bugg (202) 328-2437. NGLTF M akes P lans F or M arch O n W ashington T he National Gay and Lesbian Task Force has issued an urgent request that partici pants in the 1993 March on Washington not end their march at the Capitol door—but go in and demand that members of Congress assure the civil rights of gays and lesbians. April 21,22,23, 26 and 27 have been declared National Lobby Days by thel993M arch on Washington. NGLTF will be offering continuous training sessions— general and issue-specific, Capitol Hill orienta tion and guides and debriefing sessions. Grass roots queer lobbyists can make information they gather during their visits available to professional and citizen lobbyists working for gay and lesbian rights and issues at home. NGLTF is also seeking volunteers with lobby ing and organizing experience to fill coordinator positions, contact potential citizen lobbyists and help with training and debriefing. Special pro grams are planned for people of color, for persons with AIDS and on arts and censorship. NGLTF will hos*. a town meeting, “Fight the Right,” on Saturday, April 24, 4-7 pm, at the Washington Hilton Ballroom. On the lighter side, hot and dirty dancing: “Gay Rites,” 9 pm-3 am Saturday. April 24, at the Hilton Ballroom ($30); concert: Romanovsky and Phillips, Margie Adam a id Karen Williams, 8 pm, April 24, University of D.C. auditorium ($18); a id “Freedom Rings” dance: 9 pm-2 am, Sunday, April 25, at the Hilton 15 . 1903 ▼ 15 Ballroom ($25). For more information, contact NGLTF , 1734 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20009-4309, or phone (202) 332-6483. S pecial Q uilt D isplay P lanned T he Names Project has announced a special display featuring panels received during the weekend o f the March on Washington to commemorate those who have died of AIDS, and to motivate those who continue to fight the epi demic. Over 2,000 new panels are ex pected to cover the Washington Mall between 13th and 14th streets in front of the Na tional Museum of American History. T his display will repeat the size and shape of the quilt’s debut at the 1987 March on Washington, but it won’t be exactly the same. Visitors to previous quilt displays left notes to those they lost on panelsofclolh. On April 24, volunteers will unfold 240 of those panels. The new panels will gradually be added during the weekend. “N e aly everyone going to the m a c h has watched friends suffer through a losing battle with AIDS,” said Names Project Co-founder Mike Smith. “Many of us had planned to attend the m ac h with a lover or friend who didn’t live long enough to see i t This display is a way for us to include those lost friends in an historic event, the largest gathering of lesbian and gay people ever.” For more details call (415) 403-3627. Jim Hunger Lobby Days—coordinated by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the Human Rights Campaign Fund. Briefing on April 21, with congressional office visits scheduled for Thursday and Friday, April 22-23, and Monday and Tuesday, April 2 6 2 7 . L etter Lobbying— NGLTF will sponsor a letter-writing campaign for those who can only stay in town for the weekend. Lesbian Action B reakfast— NGLTF’S regu lar monthly Lesbian Action Breakfast will be expanded to welcome out-of-town guests. Fri day. April 23, at 8 am, at NGLTF offices. Names Project Interactive Q uilt Display— Saturday morning, April 24, volunteers will un fold “signature squares’’ from previous quilt dis plays, and march participants will be invited to bring newly-made panels to be incorporated into the quilt. N G LTF Open House— Friday, April 23, 11 am-4 pm, NGLTF offices. H ands A round the C apitol— ACTUP/D.C.- sponsored massive political demonstration. Par- licipanLs will link hands around the Capitol to call for additional funding for AIDS research and care. Noon Saturday, April 24, at the Capitol. H arm onic Convergence— A Gay and Les bian Choral Mini-Festival— Saturday, 2pm and 8pm, at Lisner Auditorium. Asian and Pacific Islan d er D inner and So cial— Saturday at Tony Chang’s Restaurant, 619 H Street, $45 at the door. Call Gil Anrcllano (301) 345-1230. Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf Conference and W orkshops—Saturday. Contact Jules Nelson (301) 270-5484 voice and TTY or Kent Babson (301) 649-4332 T T Y . T ransgender National M eeting— Saturday. Contact Princess (206) 329-9474. Bi E vents P lanned F or DC M arch hile in Washington, D.C. for the m ach , bisexual activists and allies can check in with peers nationally. BiNet USA, a national political and educational group, will have its annual meeting on Friday, April 23. The National Conference on Bisexuality is scheduled for Saturday, April 24. The march itself is on April 25. The conference is a joint effort of BiNet USA, East Coast Bisexual Network, Inc. and the Alli ance of Multicultural Bisexuals. All three groups arc based on the east coast. Proceeds from the events, including a dance on April 24, will pro vide the seed money for the International Confer ence on Bisexuality in New York City. That event will be part of Stonewall 25: International M a ch on the United Nations scheduled for June 1994. According to organizers, the bisexual events at the m a c h a e a learning opportunity for every one “from non-bis, through those just coming out as bi, to long-time bi activists.” The national conference will provide workshops and network ing opportunities. A local planning meeting sponsored by M a ch on Washington-Portland and BiNet-Oregon is scheduled for April 2. For more information, call 2363229. W Irene K. His top