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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (May 2, 2003)
2 4 J u * t « H t • may 2.2003 m i h l 'IMnews DELIVERED Organic Produce , I J1 1 J If Supporting the community 1*4 Âl r Supportant local Airmen Supporting the earth ( 503 ) 236-6496 OrgankttoYou.org ' Locally owned & operated O rganics to You c f k HO M r^nruvf RY or organic goods D ignified P et S ervices C rem ation A M em orials F o r Your C o m p a n io n • Unique C-newation (AnS • MeMOHiat Jewelry • PeASona^ized Casleets • GiOnite Monuments • ISboles £ LitexatuAe 8976 S W Tualatin Sherwood Road Tualatin O R 97062 Phone (503) 885-2211 www.DignifiedPetScrvices.com (A Division o f Cascade Funeral Directors. Inc) Benefit the Community with your Mortgage Great Loan Rates + a Donation: 25% of my origination fee donated to your charity Cascade AIDS Project Our House of Portland Basic Rights Oregon or any charity o f your choosing N A TIO N A L he U.N. Commission on Human Rights has postponed a vote on a “Human Rights and Sexual Orientation” resolution that expressed deep concern at the widespread abuses around the globe and called upon all nations to protect the human rights of everyone. “We are very disappointed that the Commission on Human Rights has chosen to postpone action that affirms the basic human rights of the world’s gay, lesbian and bisexu al population, who along with the transgender community are rou tinely subjected to discrimination and inhumane treatment,” said Elizabeth Birch, Human Rights Campaign executive director. “Lasting global peace begins with basic human rights for all the world’s citizens.” A consortium of nations led by Pakistan attempted April 24 to block consideration of the resolu tion. In a 24-22 vote, the United Jeane Kirkpatrick has been urged to support a U.N. States supported its considera tion. Although the commission resolution affirming the human rights of queers worldwide adjourned before the restitution could he voted on, reports indicated that the whether those lie in combat roles or lan Bush administration would have abstained guages— in the service of their country.” from voting, indicating that other language, not necessarily linked to sexual orientation, -s* was problematic. he Gay and Lesbian Medical Associa HRC sent letters to Secretary of State tion decried April 21 trends in govern Colin Powell and Ambassador Jeane Kirk ment research funding agencies to censor patrick, former U.S. ambassador to the United language that refers to queer health or sexual Nations and current head of the U.S. delega practices. tion to the commission, urging them to sup “According to our sources, e-mails to the port the resolution. “We are troubled by National Institutes of Health and the Centers reports that the U.S. would choose to abstain for Disease Control and Prevention are being from voting on a resolution that would protect screened for sensitive keywords such as ‘com the civil and human rights of the world’s gay mercial sex workers,’ ‘needle exchange,’ ‘men community,” Birch said. having sex with men,’ ‘prostitutes,’ ‘transgen der’ and ‘harm reduction,’ and some program *5* staff have been reprimand- everal recent media reports suggest the mil ' ed for ‘inappropriate lan itary’s shortage of linguists, especially those guage,’ ” President Kenneth trained in Arabic, is having a significant effect Haller said. “In addition, on operations in Iraq. Despite such accounts, titles and abstracts of NIH Servicemembers Legal Defense Network grants are being screened reports that military leaders are continuing to for similar keywords.” discharge trained Arabic speakers who are gay, Kenneth Haller According to Haller, the lesbian and hi. driving force behind these The watchdog group has provided assistance inquiries lies outside these agencies. “There to 24 linguists targeted under "don’t ask, don’t have apparently been cases of NIH and CDC tell.” Nine of those people have been trained in officials being approached by congressional Arabic. Eight were Korean language specialists, staffers who asked why certain grants were and three were trained to speak Farsi. SLDN also funded as well as cases in which specific NIH has provided assistance to two Chinese and two grants that involved commercial sex workers Russian linguists. or transgendered persons were targeted with “Soldiers and Marines throughout Iraq are the apparent intent of proving that these supposed to befriend civilians even as they bat studies are promoting ‘unfavorable’ or ‘unsafe’ tle the remnants of Saddam Hussein’s army,” lifestyles with federal taxpayers’ dollars.” The New York Times reported April 13. “One -3» problem is that few Iraqis speak English and even fewer Americans speak Arabic.” he Centers for Disease Control unveiled The effect of the linguist shortage is further an initiative April 17 designed to increase highlighted in the April 21 issue of U.S. News HIV/AIDS testing. Officials are recommend & World Report, which includes the story of a ing that routine testing he Marine sniper working at a checkpoint in Iraq offered at more health care who “wishes there were a translator team on the settings and through utiliza- ground or some way to warn civilians approach ! tion of a recently approved ing the Marines’ positions.” rapid HIV/AIDS test. Several newspaper editorial boards recently The Human Rights Cam have called for an end to “don’t ask, don’t tell” paign lauded the strategy hut discharges, including The Pittsburgh Post- asserted that increased testing Ana Oliveira Gazette, The New Orleans Times-Picayune and needs to he accompanied by The New York Daily News. “The military can the appropriate counseling and should he a not afford to brand as unfit for service,” The part of a larger, more comprehensive program. Washington Post wrote April 16, “qualified men According to political director Winnie and women who wish to put their talents— Stachelberg, any meaningful effort to combat T T S T 503 481-6581 - Mark Humphrey Home Capital Funding 2915 S.E. Division St. Portland, OR 97202 & the epidemic must include a comprehensive prevention plan that includes safe-sex educa tion along with testing and care for those infected. “The CDC has taken an important step for ward in the fight against HIV/AIDS by working to make more Americans aware of their HIV sta tus. Individuals who do not know that they are infected cannot seek proper treatment and are at risk for spreading the disease further,” Stachelberg said. “We maintain that HIV/AIDS testing should be accompanied by the appropriate coun seling, both before and after diagnosis, as stigma and fear surrounding the disease can be terrifying to patients.” Meanwhile, Gay Men’s Health Crisis has grave concerns that the plan contains no provi sions for increased funding of CDC activities. As a result, executive director Ana Oliveira believes, resources will he diverted from crucial community-based health education, risk reduc tion and behavioral interventions. “This proposal relies on a health care system that historically has not reached those commu nities that are most at-risk and most under served, particularly communities of color,” she said. “This type of policy isolates those most at risk from the information they need to make an informed decision about testing and protecting themselves.” According to the CDC, the United States has roughly 40,000 new HIV infections each year, with about 900,000 people already living with the disease. Of those, an estimated 200,000 are unaware they are infected. Attorney Adam Aronson called the Nassau County Supreme Court decision “a breakthrough ruling” NEW YORK gay man in New York is a legal spouse and able to sue St. Vincent’s Hospital for med ical negligence leading to his longtime partner’s death, a New York court ruled April 14. Lambda Legal said the decision is the first in the nation appropriately recognizing people who have a Vermont civil union as spouses outside Vermont. In 2000, Vermont enacted its Civil Union Law to extend the state benefits and respoasihili- ties of marriage to same-sex couples. No state in the nation allows gay and lesbian couples to marry. Nassau County Supreme Court Justice John P. Dunne noted that “common law" spouses from other states are regularly recog nized as spouses in New York and said, "It is impossible to justify, under equal protection principles, withholding the same recognition from a union which meets all the requirements of a marriage in New York hut for the sexual A
