Success of New Revealed at Gay Church AIDS Drug Conference

E ntertainment S e c t i o n , see Page lo VOLUME IV, ISSUE 14 Next Deadline: August 7 — Next Issue: August 14 JULY 24,1985 Published biweekly in Santa Clara County by Our Projects, Inc. success of new AIDS drug revealed at gay church conference I By Steve Warren “ I know I’m healthy. I can feel ment and support, and will anemia is to black people or toxic it in my body,” said Rev. A. become an increasingly import shock syndrome is to women or Steven Pieters in announcing the ant resource as the disease legionnaire’s disease is to Ameri spreads further among heterosex can Legion members for being remission of his AIDS-related uals. cancers during the 12th General too patriotic.” Conference of the Universal MCC has different roles to Obviously concerned about the Fellowship of Metropolitan play in different communities, political impact of AIDS and talk Community Churches (MCC). according to its founder mode of quarantine, he vowed, “ If Pieters is one of 12 who have rator, Rev. Troy D. Perry: “ We they can shut down any Gay been on an experimental protocol have churches where there aren’t businesses they can shut down even Gay bars . We’re the only involving the drug Suramin, our churches . We’re going to game in town.” In such areas the fight that to the death.” which has been used for 40 years church must be active in educa to treat African sleeping sickness. Rev. Pieters, who is attached tion and support. to MCC in the Valley in North The biennial international con In larger cities MCC can work ference, held in Sacramento the Hollywood, was diagnosed with first week in July, featured a in concert with other local AIDS in April 1984. He had both day-long -“Focus on AIDS” in organizations, helping to fill Kaposi’s Sarcoma and Lymp the midst of an intense week of service gaps and providing pas homa. After six weeks on the business that included the adop toral care and hope. “ You can Suramin chemotherapy protocol, tion of a revised internal struc live about 40 days without he said, all traces of both cancers ture to accommodate the contin food,” Perry said. “ You can live are gone as is the HTLV-III virus ued growth of the denomination. about three days without water from his blood. The theme of the conference and three minutes without air, In the face of a “ life- but you can’t live for one second threatening illness . I can was “ Free to Be,” from Galati without hope.” ans 5:1, “ Stand fast therefore in experience hope and joy and the liberty where with Christ hath Perry’s response to the “ wrath peace,” he beamed, “ because made us free, and be not of God” theory of AIDS from God is geater than AIDS.” entangled again with the yoke of the “ religious right” is simple Attributing his apparent cure bondage.” and unequivocal: “ We don’t at least in part to the power of A recurring theme at the AIDS believe in a theology of the prayer — “ God did not give me presentation was that the gay common cold in our denomina this disease. God is with me tion. God does not give us disease against this disease.” Pieters PIcketers prottst Gov. DeukmejUut 's cuts. Photo by Ted Sahl community is laying the groun- !dwork in AIDS research, treat . AIDS is no more God’s gift admitted that the cancers could to homosexuals than sickle cell Continued on Page 7 Gays/Lesbians to protest AIDS budget cuts CoiigressJioWsAIDS4iearHig By Ted Sahl By Ted Sahl One speaker said, “ In the eyes of our elected officials, people Congressman Ted Weiss (D- On the eve of the Congres with AIDS are expendable, they New York) and Congresswoman sional Subcommittee hearings might as well die — why waste Barbara Boxer (D-Marin) presi chaired by Rep. Barbara Boxer the taxpayers money?” ded over a four-hour hearing on and Rep. Ted Weiss earlier this A sister of an AIDS victim told acquired immune deficiency syn month, San Francisco Gays and the crowd, “ I am not going to let drome (AIDS) in San Francisco Lesbians called for a rally to that little s—t in Sacramento on July 3. protest state budget cuts in forget about us. There are people Hearing room 2007 of the funding for AIDS research and working hard for you. I am with services. Federal Building was filled to you. I love you. You are in my capacity as approximately se San Francisco Gay activists thoughts every day. I know my venty-five activists and witnesses were outraged by the latest act of brother who died two short gave testimony. California Governor George De- months after becoming ill would Rep. Weiss opened the hearing ukmejian in slashing SI I million be proud of you.” by reminding those present that dollars from the proposed Cali Attorney John Wald said, the first meeting on the AIDS fornia budget for 1986. “ We know how administration empidemic was held in 1983. Tlie amount was designated for officials feel about us in Wa He recalled the words of Roger funding the Tight against AIDS, a shington, they stand for leaving Lyons, an AIDS patient who had disease which has claimed the Gay men and Lesbian women said, “ I came here today with the lives of eleven thousand people and bisexuals here to die. hope that this administration Rep. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Ted Weiss chaired four hours o f testi nationwide. “ We are here to say we are not would do everything possible and mony on the nation wide A IDS crisis. Photo by Ted Sahl Paul Boneberg of Mobilization going to let them leave us here to make every resource available. ship and commitment needed to thousand deaths.” Against AIDS told two hundred die. They are going to hear from There is no reason this disease people who gathered in Harvey garner sufficient federal re An estimated five hundred us today, tommorrow, next cannot be conquered; we do not sources to challenge this human Milk Square in San Francisco week, the rest of the year, next thousand to one million indivi intend to be defeated by it. I catastrophe. duals have been exposed to the that the Governor cut 70V» of year, the rest of the decade, the came here today in the hope that research funding, and 30V» of the “ When Roger Lyons testified virus, Weiss said. rest of the century, and as long as my epitaph would not read that I in 1983,” Weiss said, “ two human health services which were there is a California, as long as died of red tape.” “ But despite this magnitude of thousand cases had been reported human suffering,” Weiss contin written into the budget. there is an America [shaking his “ Roger Lyons died earlier this Anger, frustration, and disbel nationwide. Today the numbers ued, “ we are still trying to fist over his head], as long as year,” Rep. Weiss said. “ He, like and projections are beyond even ief were common reactions to there is an America, they are thousands of others, fell victim convince the current administra their most pessimistic expecta tion that labeling AIDS its these figures. The speakers also going to hear from us. not only to a dreaded affliction, tions. number one health priority is not were very animated in their but also to an administrative reactions. Continued on Page 6 “ Almost eleven thousand cases reticence, to the lack of leader- have been reported, and over five Continued on Page 6 Execution Event Deemed Successful VySponsors IGHC Member Handbook by Rick Rndy It was the social event of the Available yearl 400 lesbians, gay men and Redesigned and in a new size, their friends filled the Mont the 1985 IGHC Handbook of gomery Theatre on Thursday, Member Clubs is now available. July 11, for the San Jose Its second edition is chock full of premiere performance of information on rates, time limits; Execution o f Justice. A gala and, more importantly, the kinds "Black and White" party of facilities that are available in followed the show, at each member club. Desperados. Many of the 3S clubs in the The event netted the Arts handbook have included photos Council of Oay and Lesbian San of their facility. The Association Jose slightly over $2000. The of Gay Health Qubs (lOHC) is Council has pledged to donate proud to offer this one of a kind low of the proHts to the Billy De service to its memben. Frank Lesbian and Oay Com The handbook will be of par munity Center of San Jose. ticular use to the travelling gay The “docudrama" about the male who would like to know trial of Dan White for the murder something about an unfamiliar of SF Mayor Moscone and gay gay health club before he visits. Supervisor Harvey Milk was per New sections in the handbook formed by the combined forces include the printing of AIDS-safe of the Berkeley Repertory guidelines to assist in making the Theatre and San Jose Rep. But gay health club patron more this special evening was the aware of the problem of AIDS. brainchild of David A. DeLong, The new 1985 handbook is publicist for the Arts Council available for $1.50 by writing; which sponsored the event with Not quite a full house, but a respectable turnout o f enthused playgoers showed up for the special preview IGHC, 303 N. Senate Ave., In the very generous assistance of performance at the Montgomery Theatre In downtown San Jose.

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