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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 5, 1998)
.d Juc ¡una 5. issar The Double Life of Billy Upton Tuesday, June 16, 7 pm N obody ’ s B usiness The Senate quietly confirms appointment of out entrepreneur to No. 2 post at Small Business Adminstration by Bob Roehr he U.S. Senate has confirmed Fred Hochberg, who is openly gay, as deputy director of the federal Small Business Administration. The May 21 vote by acclama tion came late in the night as part of a consent agreement that wrapped up all pending non- controversial nominations prior to the Memori al Day recess. Hochberg’s confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Small Business had been delayed pending gj investigation of possible illegal campaign contri butions. The investiga tion concluded, howev er, that errors were made by the Democrat ic National Committee, not by Hochberg. The committee voted unanimously to confirm Hochberg and sent the nomination to the full Senate for a final vote. Hochberg is chief operating officer of Lil Fred Hochberg lian Vernon, a family-owned direct mail busi ness based in New York City. He helped to grow the company from 60 employees when he joined it in 1975 to more than 1,400 employees today. Hochberg has served a number of gay and lesbian organizations at both the state and national levels. He is a former co-chair of the Washington, D.C.-based Human Rights Cam paign, a national queer political group. Interestingly, Hochberg’s involvement in gay and lesbian political activities is more expansive than that of embattled gay ambassadorial nomi- nee James Hormel, yet the “g” and “1” words were never mentioned during the confirmation process. HRC called Hochberg’s approval “a demon stration of fairness and bipartisanship” and urged Republicans to treat Hormel the same way. Republicans, meanwhile, said Hochberg’s confirmation proves the GOP is not blocking Hormel because of his homosexuality. Some opponents to Hormel say their opposition is ---------------------------- based on what they describe as his aggres sive pursuit of a gay political agenda. Last year President Clinton nominated Hormel, a 64-year-old San Francisco philan thropist and Democrat ic Party donor, to be ambassador to Luxem bourg. The Senate For eign Relations Com mittee sent the nomi nation to the floor in November, where it has been stalled ever since. Hochberg, on the other hand, is now the sec ond in command at the Small Business Admin istration and is responsible for daily operations of the federal government’s technical assistance and loan support programs to help start and grow small businesses. Sen. John F. Kerry, a Massachusetts Democ rat and ranking member of the Small Business Com mirtee, praised Hochberg as having “mas tered the challenges of developing a small busi ness into an international corporation.” “I cannot think of a more appropriate and capable nominee for this position,” he said. C olorful A ctivist D ies shire and ran televi sion ads that pro moted condom use and showed how to clean needles to reduce the spread of HIV. A television sta tion balked at air ing these spots, so Michael challenged the decision before the Federal Com munications Commission and won a precedent setting ruling that the station had violated the candidate’s right to political speech. He later made a run for president with les bian activist Ann Northrop under the banner of the AIDS Cure Party. Michael developed strong political ties with D.C. Mayor Marion Barry. He pushed for needle exchange programs and organized a ballot ini tiative promoting medical use of marijuana. He also served as chair of the oversight committee of the local Ryan White Planning Council and fought for accountability from service providers. Michael refused to take any antiviral drugs until his hospitalization and showed no interest in alternative therapies. He declined to have a viral load test done until late last year when ill ness began to plague him. It showed his T cell count well under 100. teve Michael of ACT UP Washington died of complications of AIDS on May 25. The activist, who was bom and raised in Longview, Wash., was 42. His 20s were an unsettled period in which he married, fathered two sons, came to terms with being gay and roved the Pacific Coast. Michael met Wayne Turner in Seattle in 1991, and the pair formed a bond of love and AIDS activism that continued until his death. Michael was known for his skills at using the media to advance issues related to AIDS. Michael’s vehicle was the Presidential Pro ject of ACT UP. Activist Michael Petrelis had started it as a way to inject AIDS issues into presidential elections. Michael and Turner were inspired to zap Democratic candidate Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa in 1992. The duo succeeded in gamering press attention, then joined Petrelis for more actions during the New Hampshire primary. Michael and Turner later dogged candidate Bill Clinton in the small towns of South Dako ta, back in Seattle, at the national convention and throughout the fall campaign. In 1993, Michael moved to Washington, D.C., where he assumed leadership of the local ACT UP chapter. While there, he and Turner constantly raised AIDS issues before the public and the national media. In 1996, Michael got his name on the Demo cratic presidential primary ballot in New Hamp ■ Reported by B ob R oehr 1714 N.E. BROADWAY PORTLAND, OR 97232 284-1726 Please join us as we welcome Diane Wood Middlebrook, the ............ “""*1 author of Suits Me: > The Double Life of Billy Tipton. It’s a fascinating biogra- phy of the female jazz musician who y lived as a man for 55 years. -------- — Q) SISTERHANDS c£) Lesbian Health Support Program "f’fr Sisterhands provides educational, emotional and economic support to help and encourage lesbians 50 and over to have regular health exams including screenings for breast and cervical cancer. TELL YOUk PAkTNEk, LOVEk, SISTEk, FklEND LESBIAN HEALTH IS IMPOkTANTTO US ALL! CALL 223-8299 FOk MOkE INFOkMATION Sisterhands is a partnership of the YWCA Encoreplus Program, Phoenix Rising Foundation, All Women's Health Services and the Multnomah County Breast & Cervical Cancer Program. We are funded by the Oregon Breast & Cervical Cancer Program. It s a Great Time to Buy or Sell ! Interest Rates are Low, the Sun is on its Way . . . CELIA J. LYON Sales Associate (503)287-8989 x147 (503)786-4959 Call Celia Now to Explore Your Possibilities ! Let me Guide you Through the Process. t=l Pager:920-8403 Mobile:260-6231 Fax:284-1618 LB r
