J«»* ont ▼ January 7. 1094 7 0
HAPPY
World AIDS Day
notebook
ACT UP keeps the pressure cooking on the Clintons to follow
through with campaign promises regarding AIDS
NEW YEAR!
WAYNE,
IFROHI
▼
by Bob Roehr
illary Clinton’s face dropped slack- increase in funding for services under the Ryan
jawed. She seemed to mouth the White Act in a period of general budget austerity.
words “Oh shit,” as she sat in the
oward the end of the day one man had had
limousine parked outside the Holo
enough of ACT UP’s disruptions. He was
caust Museum. Peering out, she had
seen a smiling face and a sign reading “Silence Victor
= Zonana, award-winning former AIDS
reporter for the Los Angeles Times and founder of
Death.”
It was like Scrooge recognizing the vision of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Associa
Marley. In this case WayneTumer was the “ghost” tion. He is now the openly gay deputy assistant
of AIDS past, one of the ACT UP stalwarts who secretary for public affairs with the Department of
had dogged the Clintons last year on the campaign Health and Human Services.
Zonana stood at the door of the HHS building,
trail.
ACT UP Washington was playing the role of a red ribbon on his lapel, and when a handful of
conscience amidst the Clinton administration’s ACT UP members tried to enter to attend the HHS
massive public relations blitz on World AIDS Day. AIDS commemoration, he ordered them thrown
It was reminding the powerful and isolated that out.
Cheryl Spector had come to see if her brother’s
their actions to date are but window dressing, that
panel
was part of The AIDS Quilt panels on display
the specter of AIDS has a human face. The specter
would appear again and again at virtually every for the ceremony. She looked Zonana in the face
event in Washington that the administration had and asked, "How can you do this?” His response
was that it was a closed event for federal employ
organized.
ees.
The small group turned to leave, chanting “ACT
onna Shalala, Secretary of Health and Hu
UP,
fight back, fight AIDS.” But evidently it
man Services, announced on Nov. 30 the
Clinton administration’s major new initia wasn’t quickly enough, as two people ended up
tive to fighting AIDS. It is a 15- member National pushed to the pavement by zealous security guards.
Zonana later said in a conversation, “It was
Task Force on AIDS Drug Development “to iden
clear that they [the people
tify and remove any barri
he identified as being with
ers or obstacles to develop
ACT
UP] were there to dis
ing effective treatments.”
rupt the ceremony” and that
Shalala’s speech was in
the “ceremony organizers
terrupted by ACT UP mem
didn’t want the disruption.”
Walter
ber Wayne Turner who
Curiously enough, even
called the task force just
Broadnax
“smoke and mirrors.” He
addresses though Zonana was ada
mant about blocking the
federal
demanded a crash research
employees presumed protesters, he
program to find a cure for
on World also minimized their im
AIDS.
AIDS Day pact saying “the other two
Bill Freeman, executive
things were one guy.” He
director of the National As
sociation of People with AIDS, has been working remarked, “the sophisticated AIDS treatment ac
with Shalala’s office to create the task force. His tivists and the sophisticated AIDS service activists
response was tempered. “Any lime the voices of are at the table right now.”
Spector was irate. “All of them standing there
people living with HIV/AIDS are brought forward
in a formal way by our government, we totally with their big red ribbons on, kicking us out, I was
support that. However, what we need is an imple furious,” she said, "There is something very wrong
mentation plan and strategy. We know what needs with that picture.”
to be done. Now we need the will and the commit
hursday morning, the day after World AIDS
ment to take action.”
Day, the phone and fax lines into the ACT
UP office were dead. The telephone com
CT UP started World AIDS Day with an 8
pany
said
it was because they couldn’t read Steve
am jog, retracing steps from the McDonald’s
on the ground floor of the building where Michael’s signature on the payment check. They
AIDS czar Kristine Gebbie has her office to the didn’t say that Michael’s standard illegible signa
gates of her boss’s office at the White House. ture would keep the check from clearing. The
Tumer was incognito, wearing a Clinton mask and phones were back on by 2 pm.
Michael said the interruption of service really
handing out band-aids, calling them the President’s
hampered
their ability to reach the media and affect
health care proposal. Hclmetcd police and motor
cycle cops lined Pennsylvania Avenue, outnum their “spin” on the previous day’s activities. He
bering the handful of protesters by more than a couldn’t help but speculate that perhaps the phone
problems were not just a coincidence, that some
dozen to one.
one was trying to “jerk them around.”
hecenterpieceof the Clinton administration’s
ne member of Gcbbie’s staff sought out
World AIDS Day activities was the
Turner that evening at a bar. During an
President’s visit with AIDS patients and a
extended conversation he said that most of
speechatGeorgetown University Hospital. Clinton
the
staff
were highly supportive of ACT UP’s
was interrupted by activist Luke Sissyfag who
actions that day because they kept public pressure
shouted, “One year, lots of talk, no action."
Clinton tried to calm the situation as Sissyfag on the administration. That strengthened the hand
was escorted out of the room. He defended his of AIDS advocates within the administration in
administration, citing a 20 percent increase in their internal fight with others who were less sup
spending on HIV/AIDS research and a 66 percent portive, he observed.
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