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just out ▼ aprii 7. 1905 ▼ 7
Breast cancer prevention
controversy continues
The use of tamoxifen to prevent breast cancer
in women who are at high risk for the disease is
still in dispute, according to a paper published in
the Journal o f Women's Health, Volume 4, Num
ber 1.
The debate among experts continues at a time
when the National Cancer Institute is slowly
reactivating the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial, a
16,000-patient randomized study of the use of
tamoxifen in the prevention of breast cancer in
women at high risk. According to Dr. Leslie C.
Ford, a physician with the National Institutes of
Health’s National Cancer Institute, the trials are
even more crucial now that scientists have se
quenced the BRCA1 gene, a risk factor that car
ries a lifetime risk of breast cancer that can be as
high as 85 percent.
In a story from the PRNewswire, other experts
concur in the use of tamoxifen, but raise concerns
about its adverse side effects. Among these is the
increased risk of endometrial [uterine] cancer.
They further caution that tamoxifen may be asso
ciated with other serious medical problems, in
cluding fatal and nonfatal thromboembolic dis
ease.
Kristine Chatwood
Texas GOP blocks
lesbian nomination
An openly lesbian public utility commissioner
may have lost her position when Texas Senate
Republicans blocked a full vote on her nomina
tion.
Tipper Gore said, “We very deeply share your
vision of a society that is fair and free of discrimi
nation for gay and lesbian people, and we want
you to know that.”
A pianist played show tunes as the homosexu
als nibbled from a buffet.
D.C. street activist Michael Petrelis was not
impressed.
“Who cares about invitations to the Gores’
residence?” he said. “It is nothing more than a
symbolic bone being thrown HRCF’s way. I want
an AIDS strategy from the administration, gov
ernment-funded TV ads targeting gay youth to
avoid AIDS, and [government AIDS honcho]
Anthony Fauci put on the unemployment line. We
don’t need any more photo ops.”
Rex Wockner
White confronts
religious right in Florida
“When [Pat] Robertson came to jail, every
thing changed," said Mel White, recounting his
struggle to get the religious right to stop extreme
rhetoric which leads to violence against lesbians
and gay men.
White seems no longer to be the pariah for
merly shunned by religious leaders.
White traveled to Florida to confront Dr. D.
James Kennedy at the second annual “Reclaiming
America for Christ” conference in Ft. Lauderdale.
He laid down his $ 145 registration fee and simply
walked in as a delegate on March 16. Conferees
greeted his “really large badge reading ‘Gay Chris
tian Clergy,’ ” with startled questions.
A few hours later White was ushered into a
meeting room with Kennedy, and a planned five-
minute encounter stretched to nearly 30 minutes.
“We had a much more strident discussion than I
had thought we would have,” White said. Later at
the conference Kennedy reportedly told delegates
he was opposed to violence against lesbians and
gay men, and everybody else.
White was in the lobby of the convention
center as Ralph Reed, head of the political orga
nization the Christian Coalition, left after deliver
ing a speech inside. He recounted how Reed
bounded over and said, “I know you vicariously,
and I wanted to meet you. I’ve been working
behind the scenes with Pat [Robertson] to get you
out of jail.”
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C O O P I: HAT I VI : G K O C I s K Y
FOR HIV POSITIVE ONLY
A S PECI AL D E NT A L CARE P R O J E C T T O HELP
E L I V E S O F P E O P L E W I T H HI V
P r o je c t D e n ta l
H e a lth at th e
R u s s e ll S tr e e t
C lin ic n e e d s
H IV p a r t i c i p a n ts
fo r an O ra l
C a re P r o je c t
to s tu d y th e
The appointment of Sarah Goodfriend is sub
ject to Senate confirmation this session because
former Gov. Ann Richards made the appointment
while the legislature was in recess. Under Texas
state law, Goodfriend’s appointment to the six-
year term, which began in October 1993, will end
with the close of this legislative session if she is
not confirmed before then.
The Washington Blade reported that a nomi
nee of Republican Gov. George W. Bush was
unanimously approved by the Senate in February.
State Sen. Teel Bivins (R-Amarillo) denies
that Bush or anyone in the Senate opposes
Goodfriend because she is a lesbian. According to
Bivins, this is just a matter of the governor want
ing to appoint his own people.
Despite the obstacles, Goodfriend continues
to lobby to keep her job.
Kristine Chatwood
Gores entertain activists
Vice President A1 Gore and his wife Tipper
had 150 gay and lesbians activists over to their
house on March 3.
A1 Gore told the officers and members of the
Human Rights Campaign Fund: “It’s a wonderful
:hing to do what you’re doing, and that’s devoting
your lives to others. This dedication is an out
growth of the way you live your entire lives.”
o v e r a ll h e a lth
e f f e c ts o f r e g u la r
d e n ta l c a r e fo r
p e o p le wi t h
H I V .
Eligibilty:
• H IV p o s i t i v e
• 20 to 45 y e a rs
of a g e
• Have a T 4 count
b e t w e e n 100
and 500
On Saturday, March 18, nearly a thousand gay
men, lesbians and their supporters prayerfully
gathered outside the convention center under the
banner of Christians Against Violence and Hate.
Police protection was heavy due to rumored threats
of appearances by skinheads and the Ku Klux
Klan. According to White, the hate-mongers never
showed.
“We stood up to the religious right when they
came to town,” he said. “It does much for us in
terms of our own sense of worth.”
Boh Roehr
To participate in the
Oral Care Project cal 1 :
4
C
i
• H a v e at least
20 te e th
Participation:
• Dental e x a m s 3
Project Dental Health
tim es each year
• Possible cle an in g
All p a rticip a n ts w ill b e p a id $ 1 5 .0 0 fo r each e x a m in a tio n an d
a $ 2 5 .0 0 b o n u s fo r the fin al e x am . P a rtic ip a n ts w ill h e lp in
e ffo rts to im p ro v e the q u a lity o f life fo r p e o p le w ith HIV.
Study director: Dr. Dsvid Nosenstein, Oregon Health Sciences University
every 2 m onths
• Possible daily use
of a s p e c i a l
m o u t h rinse