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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1993)
ju st out ▼ a u g u s t 1. 1 9 0 3 ▼ 7 national news Cabinet secretary speaks at gay-pride forum U.S. Secretary ofTransportation Federico Peña and Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy issued separate anti-discrimination policy statements during the past two months aimed at protecting gay and lesbian workers at the two federal depart ments. Peña, formerly mayor of Denver, Colo., went further by agreeing to speak at a gay-pride forum in June sponsored by the Department of Transportation Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual Em ployees. He was the first U.S. Cabinet secretary to speak at such an event. Espy’s statement, issued on April 15, insists on aggressive enforcement of existing nondis crimination policies as well as an enthusiastic commitment to diversity within the Department of Agriculture. Similar policy statements protecting sexual minority workers were produced during the Bush administration by officials of the General Ser vices Administration and half of the 10 regional offices of the National Park Service. Gay and lesbian workers note, however, that the earlier statements were initiated by department or agency officials and did not reflect the views of the Bush White House, unlike the Clinton administration’s friendlier and more forthcoming support. Courts block discrimination In a ruling announced July 19, the Colorado Supreme Court voted 6-1 to continue the injunc tion against enactment of Amendment 2. Accord ing to human rights advocates everywhere, this ruling is heralded as a tremendous victory. In making the ruling, the court said that there was a strong likelihood that Amendment 2 would be declared unconstitutional because a citizen’s fun damental rights may not be submitted to a vote. Lawrence Pacheco of Equality Colorado ex pressed the local feeling best when he exclaimed, “Obviously we are very excited about the Su preme Court’s ruling that confirms what we have been saying all along, that Amendment 2 ex cludes lesbians, gay men and bisexuals from the United States political process.” Some people in Colorado arc protesting the court ruling by shout ing, “Majority rules! What happened to majority rules?” “It is wonderful to see that the court is actually ruling by the constitution to administer justice and not to be swayed by popular public opinion,” continued Pacheco. “I think that this ruling sets a persuasive pre cedent for people in other states who are going to be facing similar legislation in 1994,” said Pacheco. “I hope it will help people out. It’s important to note that despite this ruling, we need to remain vigilant in our struggle for justice. We know that here in Colorado we are going to be facing another discriminatory initiative in 1994. The Colorado for Family Values organization has already started a million-dollar fundraising cam paign.” The state of Colorado announced on July 20 that it was going to appeal the stale Supreme Court’s July 19 ruling. Colorado’s attorney gen eral is challenging the ruling to get it into the U.S. Supreme Court, where it is thought Amendment 2 may have a chance of surviving. This is a predictable strategy and one that the Oregon Citi zens Alliance has failed to fulfill in Oregon. ‘That’s if the U.S. Supreme Court decides to take the case. It may not take it because Amend ment 2 has not gone through a full trial," said Pacheco. Whether or not the U.S. Supreme Court takes the case won’t be known until the end of the year. In the meantime, Colorado’s attorney gen eral has asked Judge Bailiff to postpone hearing the civil challenge to Amendment 2, which was scheduled to begin in October. “We’re not out of the water yet. We must remain vigilant,” finished Pacheco. Gebbie formed an advisory committee that pro posed and pushed enactment of standards provid ing for confidentiality and informed consent for persons who were tested for the AIDS virus. “She’s put in her time,” says Mica Smith, executive director of Cascade AIDS Project in Portland. “She’s not afraid to stand by her deci sions.” Former Governor Bob Straub, who hired Gebbie to the Oregon Health Division in 1979 from her job as a St. Louis hospital administrator, said that Gebbie was known for “ruffling feathers. She was very determined to increase our efforts to deal with the AIDS problem,” he added. Some people were “annoyed” with what they perceived as Gebbie’s excessive concern over an issue that Straub says at the time was not thought “serious.” While in Oregon, Gcbbie sought to improve AIDS - testing standards in the state and to prevent dis crimination against those who tested HIV-posi tive, work considered pioneering at the time. ACT UP/Seattle and ACT UP/Colunibia don ’ t see her in this light, however. Luke Sissyfag of ACT UP/Seattle stated recently, “Gebbie needs to hit the ground running.” Activists are angered that, contrary to Clinton’s promise, the appoint ment is not a Cabinet-level position. They charge j “She needs to hit that during Gebbic’s 11-year tenure as adminis trator of the Oregon Health Division, she en dorsed mandatory reporting of names of those the ground running” who tested HIV-positive, ard they pointed out A former top health official in Oregon and that she introduced no new programs in her four Washington, as well as a professor of nursing and years as secretary of the Washington State De public health, Kristine Gcbbie is now the nation’s partment of Health, but only oversaw budget cuts first federal AIDS czar. She was appointed to the in AIDS prescription drug and insurance continu post by President Bill Clinton after the job was ation programs. Sissyfag describes the slate of the turned down by other candidates, including Rep. Washington health department after Gebbie’s Jim McDermott, D-Wash., and New York health departure in February as “a shambles.” ACT UP/ commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg. Seattle and ACT UP/Columbia are calling for In the White House Rose Garden, Gcbbie at immediate action from Gcbbie in the areas of his side, the President stated his belief that the lifting the HIV-immigralion ban, expediting de new AIDS czar “will bring to our administration velopment of a "Manhattan research project” as years of experience in the AIDS field. She’ll promised by Clinton and implementing the 30 work hard to make sure our nation no longer recommendations issued in the 1991 report of the ignores an epidemic that has already claimed so National Commission on AIDS. many of our brothers and sisters, our friends and No one would disagree that Kristine Gcbbie our colleagues.” Gebbie’s job will include over has a very big job on her hands. seeing and coordinating the government’s some times scattered campaign agaiast the AIDS epi New AZT recommendations demic, as well as confronting complaints about what is seen by many as inadequate sex education A government-created independent panel of on AIDS and delays in federal approval of drugs 18 experts has recommended a shift in strategy for to fight the disease. treating people infected with HIV. The shift con After leaving her job in Washington state in centrates on a more flexible approach than before February, the 49-ycar-old Gcbbie worked as chair and reflects recent studies, especially one con ! of an AIDS advisory committee for the Centers ducted in Europe, showing AZT to have a limited for Disease Control in Atlanta. In 1987, despite benefit for a limited time. her criticism of President Reagan’s AIDS-testing Panel member Merle A. Sandc, an AIDS ex policies, Gcbbie was named to the Presidential pert from the University of California, San Fran Commission on AIDS. The agency was charged cisco, said, “AZT has benefits, but we arc admit with studying the epidemic and promoting AIDS- ting it’s not as good a drug as we thought it was. prevention programs. When working in Oregon, It works, but not as well as we would like it to nor as long as we would like it to.” The panel recom mended switching from AZT, for those who expe rience progression despite its use, to ddl, a drug produced by Bristol-Myers Squibb, as well as cautiously endorsing use of more than one anti- HIV drug in a combination of sequence. They emphasized that studies have failed to show clini cal benefit for such combinations and said it should be discontinued if the combinations proved toxic. The recommendations made by lire panel have no regulatory authority, but it is believed they will have “wide impact on the practice of medicine.” Trouble brewing at Miller In his capacity as production supervisor at the Miller Brewing Co. plant in Fulton, N.Y., Harold Thomas still looks over his shoulder every day. “They have threatened my life,” the African American worker recently told reporter Michael Janofskyof TheNew YorkTimes. “(But) if I walk out... Miller will never address the issue.” The issue is two years old. While working at his job supervising the packaging department, Thomas was shocked to hear racial slurs directed toward him over the paging system. He didn’t know who was doing it. The verbal attacks continued, driving him, frightened and distraught, to take medical leave. When he returned nearly a year later, the voice returned also. Wavcrly Faison heard the verbal assaults too. As the first African American at the plant to be promoted to a middle-management position of packaging superintendent, he oversaw 75 people, most of whom were European American. Faison began in September 1982 to keep a log of deroga tory remarks. Within three months he had logged two dozen racial or sexual references to him and other employees. Thomas and Faison were able to present enough evidence to warrant an FBI investigation, as well as to file civil claims against Miller with the New York State Division of Human Rights. Miller’s lawyer insisted that the company had always com plied with state and federal anti discrimination laws. Thomas and Faison maintain their com plaints were ignored by the company. The FBI “largely substantiated" some of the allegations, according to a letter sent to Miller’s lawyers from Paula Ryan Conan, assistant district attorney, but could not assemble evidence to iden tify the perpetrators. Without that, neither her office nor the Justice Department could take ac tion against Miller Brewing Co. She did chastise the company for “the appearance of endorsement- by-inaction.” The FBI is still interviewing wit nesses, and Harold Thomas is still walking the line at Miller. Compiled by Grant Michael Menzies and Ariel Walerwoman cathartic comics I featuring The Brown Bomber and Diva Touché Flambé b y P ro f. I. B . G it t e n d o w n e V E IL ... I EH INK EVERY PROBLEM IN THIS COUNTRY THESE DAYS CAN BE CHALKED UP TO DRUGS. I'VE NEVER TOUCHED THE STUFF. BUT IT SE E M S AS I F W E LIVE IN A DRUG DRENCHED SOCETY... ;— CRUEL BUS DR.VERS WHO SLAM DOORS 0N^ ELDERLY WOMEN , RUDE STORE CLERKS, T.V. COMMENTATORS. ATHLETES. CROOKED P O L IT IC IA N S . THEY A L L SEEM TO DOING VERY IN T E N S E D R U G S 1 EVEN THOSE PEOPLE WHO NO LONGER’* INDULGE in d r u g s s t i l l e x p e r i e n c e “ REALITY DISTORTION W H E N THE DRUGS THEY DID IN T H E ‘GOs START KICKING, IN AGAIN, NOW D E C A D E S L A T E R ^ « : -------------- W H ATS W ITH H I M ? H E S ANOTHER CASUALTY OF OUR TIME.. HES ADDICTED TO TALKING ABOUT DRUGS
