APRIL 6. ¿007
ACT UP protesters block traffic during a demonstration in New York City.
for safer-schools legislation, showing the collective
power of the emerging youth movement to create
change in California.”
Young people from across the state gathered in
Sacramento for the event. Some youth met buses in
their hometowns in the middle of the night to join
their peers at the Capitol. Seven lawmakers and
sexual minority community leaders joined youth
leaders on stage at various points of the day, encour
aging the students to raise their voices and educate
the public about their experiences at school.
care for all poor people and people with HIV. They
stopped at Trinity Church, the site of ACT UP’s first
public action 20 years ago, to remember those who
died of AIDS or because of insufficient health care.
The crowd swelled at the New York Stock
Exchange, as chants condemned profiteering by
insurance and health care companies.
The protest concluded at the Wall Street Bull
statue, as the fervent group observed those engag
ing in civil disobedience. The 27 people who laid
down in the street in front of traffic were arrested
by police.
FLORIDA
City Elects HIV-Positive Mayor
Fourth New York State
Gay Legislator Elected
According to reports from The Sun-Sentinel,
Oakland Park, Fla., has elected its first HIV-positive
mayor.
Larry Gierer, 51, was sworn in March 21. He
had been elected to the City Commission in 2001.
The former model and actor joins two other gay
Floridian mayors, in North Miami and Pahokee.
One of Gierer s priorities will be bringing a per
sonal face to the AIDS crisis affecting Broward
County. An emerging gay district, Oakland Park’s
Wilton Manors neighborhood has an estimated 40
percent of residents who identify as gay and lesbian.
Matthew Titone became the fourth gay member
of the state Assembly to serve in Albany in a special
election March 27 to replace Assemblyman John W.
Lavelle. Lavelle, who died of a stroke in January, was
a strong supporter of gay rights.
Both assemblymen were Democrats in a solidly
Democratic district.
Titone, 46, ran unsuccessfully for a state Senate
seat last year. Aside from gay civil rights, his key
issues are the state budget, the high cost of health
care and education.
Florida Trans City Manager Fired
Compiled by JAYMEE R. CUTI
Despite a fight to hold onto his job, the city
manager of Largo, Fla., was fired by a 5-2 City
Commission vote March 24. Steve Stanton, who
announced in February that he was transitioning to
become a woman, was fired from the job he held for
14 years.
The vote came over the objections of the mayor.
Stanton has not yet announced whether he will
take legal action.
NEW YORK
27 Arrested at NYC Rally
ACT UP commemorated its 20th anniversary
of AIDS activism March 29 with a rally in New
York City that drew an estimated 800 people and
resulted in 27 arrests.
The group brought out 50 body bags, symboliz
ing the 50 Americans who die each day because of
insufficient health insurance.
The protesters, who met at Federal Plaza and
headed down Broadway, stopped at five sites of
government and corporate power historically viewed
as responsible for thousands of AIDS deaths and for
the United States’ health care crisis. At City Hall, Matthew Titone, an openly gay man, was
they demanded that the city expand access to health elected to the New York Assembly.
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