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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 17, 1994)
10 ▼ Jut»« 17. 1 0 0 4 ▼ ju st out V\ national news We are everywhere. C oalition effort a q u alifie d success THE LESBIAN COMMUNITY __ PROJECT 1939 SE HAWTHORNE BLVD. UPCOMING EVENTS 503 232-5944 Activists converge on Washington, D.C., for AIDSWATCH '94 by Bob Roehr - A ll events wheelchair accessible Tues., June 21 Lesbian Forum: Unemployed Lesbians &A V\ Westminster Presbyterian Church 1624 NE Hancock 7pm - 9pm Join u s for this discussion. Sat., July 9 5th Annual Pride Dance SEA S P IR IT CRUISES NEW EN GLAN D SEA PO RTS # Emerald Ballroom, Tiffany Center SW 14th & Morrison, 8pm - 1am A W Off Event C A R IB B EA N B e Proud! D ance Your S o x Off! R EC EN T S P IR IT CRU ISE SPAN ISH R IV IE R A SEPT. 4-11 S a l & Sun., August 13 & 14 Tournament of Choice 9th Annual Softball Tournament Prairie Fields, Bm sh Prairie WA Ul RSVP GAY VACATIONS Support Your Local Athlete! A membership organization...join today! (503) 223-0071/TDD Fax 242-1967 f P.O. Box 5931 O - _____Portland, OR 97228 Anti-Violence Project 796-1703/1 800- 796-1703 ATLANTIS CLUB M ED 1 FREN CH A N D SPAN ISH R IV IE R A SEPT. 17-24 CAU FOR INFORMATION AND BROCHURE The group then walked down Pennsylvania ver 300 grassroots AIDS activists Avenue toward the Capitol for a concluding rally came to Washington, D.C., May 22 at the foot of Capitol Hill. to 24, from 40 states across the coun At the reflecting pool, the Capitol Building try, to lobby for increased funding glowed bright in the darkening sky, while more for AIDS. AIDSWATCH ’94 was a speakers presented their concerns. coalition effort of 20 national and local organiza Robert McCabe, a person living with AIDS, tions, with principal coordination by the National launched an attack on Congress for its role in the Association of People with AIDS. AIDS crisis. “We the people are dying, while self- “People with HIV disease need to be in the righteous, pompous, affluent white men sit in forefront, giving the epidemic a face,” said Congress and play political games with nonissues NAPWA executive director Bill Freeman. like Paula Jones and Whitewater.” Hometown lobbyists made 145 scheduled ap pointments and about 100 additional drop-in vis IDS czar Kristine Gebbie hosted a White its, according to NAPWA and AIDSWATCH House reception on Monday evening, May coordinator Lisa Ragain. The numbers are about 23. It was at the Old Executive Office double those in the past. Building, the ornate gray pile of stone directly The centerpiece of their effort was a letter west of the White House, technically part of the drafted by Rep. Gerry Studds and Rep. Connie White House compound. According to John Morelia and signed by 44 colleagues in the U.S. Gurrola, Gebbie’s spokesman, several hundred House of Representatives. It was directed to Rep. Neal Smith, chairman, and members of the Ap people were invited. propriations Subcommittee which will begin Bill McMillan had come from Chicago, where marking up the AIDS budget in June. he sits on the Cook County AIDS Services Plan The intent is to increase AIDS-related funding ning Council and is a member of ACT UP. Weeks in the budget by $95 mil earlier he had filled out a lion for prevention, $126 detailed registration form million for care, and $130 for AIDSWATCH ’94. He million for research over was told it would also be f y what the Clinton adminis used “for security clearance tration has requested. purposes for this reception.” Mark Agrast, legisla When he got to the gate tive assistant to Studds, at the building he was told said the major problem he could not enter. “They they are facing is the con gave me no reason why,” gressional mandate for he says. He thinks it is be spending limitations. "All cause he was arrested at of the health moneys are in the Centers for Disease the same pot, and if you Control several years ago want to exceed the budget in a civil disobedience ac request from the White House in one account, that tion over expanding the definition of AIDS. has to come out of another account.” Conflicting reports placed the number of those Members of Congress can no longer simply denied entrance as high as 30. Reasons for denial increase funding in their area. It is part of the included not making a security clearance, not changes instituted over the last several years in an being on the guest list, and not having a picture ID attempt to control government spending and the to confirm identity. federal deficit. Keith Cylar, co-director of Housing Works, a Agrast believes the constituent visits have group working with homeless people with AIDS been very effective. Citing the group Mothers’ in New York City, said that most of those denied Voices, he said, “What can you say to a mother entrance were with his group. He went inside and who is losing her child, or has lost her child? It is convinced Gebbie to come out and talk with those amazingly persuasive.” excluded. She did, for about 10 minutes. She Still, he acknowledges, “Every program today apologized for any mix-up, but basically she said is facing a level of justification that never entered there was nothing that she could do if they had the picture before.” He is hesitant to predict vic been denied a security clearance. tory in achieving all of the goals of increased The group subsequently decided that since funding. some were denied entrance, they would boycott the event. thousand people gathered Sunday evening. C ylar recounted that Cornelius Baker, May 22, at Lafayette Park, across from the NAPWA’s public policy director, then suggested White House, for what was billed as “Com that he cede his speaking time at the event inside ing Out of the Darkness,” the 11th International to someone from Housing Works so that they AIDS Candlelight Memorial. It was organized by could articulate their issues. the National Minority AIDS Council. Sheila Ames agreed to speak and explained the George Stephanopoulos, senior advisor to situation outside. She noted that those excluded President Clinton, addressed the group in Lafayette were predominantly fieople of color who were Park. He said the President was “committed to living with AIDS. She urged the guests to walk out more funding” for AIDS and that the administra of the reception in protest. Many began to leave. tion “will tolerate no discrimination whatsoever Outside, said Cylar, “we did a bit of a pep rally of those who have AIDS.” and a talk.” He called it “an incredible bonding He urged the group to push for more funding, experience.” But he criticized Gebbie for lack of saying the administration does not “resent the leadership on something so simple as a phone call pressure.” on running security background checks. O A m A A