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FTîT?T7Tr7R?nnewsbriefs
ing their gay, lesbian and bi employees.
ExxonMobil now becomes the last of the 10
largest, most successful U.S. companies with
out a policy protecting workers from sexual
orientation discrimination.
Wal-Mart’s new policy was a result of an
almost two-year effort by the Seattle-based
Pride Foundation, which had purchased stock
in the company and had been considering
putting forward a shareholder resolution ask
ing it to change the policy. Such a sharehold
er effort has been mounted at ExxonMobil for
the past five years in row, yet the company
refuses to change its written policy.
“This action helps ensure that Wal-Mart’s
gay and lesbian employees will be judged on
their merits, not on their sexual orientation,"
said Zack Wright of Pride Foundation. “The
inclusion of sexual orientation in Wal-Mart’s
nondiscrimination policy may be the only
example of fair treatment for gays and les
bians that some people will ever see, particu
larly in rural, more conservative areas.”
The shareholders began meeting with Wal-
Mart in September 2001, asking them to
include both sexual orientation and gender
identity in their nondiscrimination policies.
Pride Foundation received a letter June 26 from
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. stating that the company
had amended its Equal Employment Opportu
nity policy to include sexual orientation.
“I look forward to continuing our discus
sion with Wal-Mart concerning gender iden
tity,” said Marsha Botzer, Pride Foundation
board member, “and look forward to the day
when Wal-Mart can include gender identity
in their nondiscrimination policies.”
The 17-year-old gay, lesbian, bi and trans
community foundation has an endowment of
more than $2 million. It awards grants and
scholarships and promotes corporate anti
discrimination policies.
Federal law allows bias based on sexual ori
entation for private employment, and only 13
states and the District of Columbia ban this
type of discrimination. The Employment
Nondiscrimination Act would prohibit bias
on the basis of sexual orientation, providing
basic protection to ensure fairness in the
workplace for U.S. citizens who are denied
equal protection under the law.
Cixiper works at Hopewell House, and Dar
celle has held many benefits for the hospice at
her nightclub. “She’s just a wonderful gal,"
Cooper says.
Bambeck also shares a personal connec
tion with Darcelle, having performed onstage
in the 1980s as a Foxy Lady. She notes how
Darcelle gave her an opportunity to perform
when other venues turned her away because
she didn’t have a trained voice. Cole’s accep
tance, Bambeck says, helped raise her self-
esteem.
“We decided that he was such a superhero
to us,” Bambeck adds. “He is over 70, and he
has done so much for our community. It’s
about time the women recognized and gave
him an award to show that we appreciate his
work."
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S mith : B ill C ould R educe
AIDS D eaths by 50 P ercent
Anew study on the Early Treatment for
HIV Act of 2003, introduced by U.S.
Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., finds that pass
ing the legislation would reduce the death
rate for people with HIV on Medicaid by 50
percent over 10 years. The research, conduct
ed by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, was released
by the Treatment Access Expansion Project.
“This study shows that the lives of people
with HIV can be greatly improved through
the passage of ETHA,” Smith said in a state
ment. “Some people living with HIV and
AIDS get the latest medical treatment, but
tixi many do not. This is literally a life-and-
death issue for many Oregonians, and ETHA
can help many more Americans enjoy long,
healthy lives.”
The study found that providing early
intervention care through the act significant
ly delays the progression of HIV, increases the
life expectancy of HIV-positive people and is
highly cost-effective. It found that over 10
years:
• The act reduces the death rate for people
living with HIV on Medicaid by 50 percent.
• Disease progression is significantly
slowed and health outcomes improved.
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Continued on Page 11
D arcelle
R eceives A ward
for C ommunity
S ervice
n honor of her generosity
and commitment to the sex
ual minorities community
through the years, drag icon
and former Empress Darcelle
(aka Walter Cole) received a
special appreciation plaque
July 9 from the Portland chap
ter of Old Lesbians Organizing
for Change.
OLOC is a national organi
zation for women 60 and older
interested in changing the
social disease of ageism. About
15 members and their guests
were sitting in the audience
when Kathy Bambeck and Lou
Ccxiper made the presentation
after the evening’s performance
at Darcelle XV Showplace in
Old Town.
“She’s done so much for the
community,” says Ccxiper, a
fairly new member of OLOC
but a longtime friend of Dar Lou Cooper of Old Lesbians Organizing for Change
celle and her partner, Roxy. congratulates Darcelle on her special appreciation plaque
I
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