The Healer Within Claiming to Have Rid Her Body of HIV in The
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NEWS 12 THE ARTS Film A Strange liJw Affair 54 Film She-Devil 55 Theater Merchant of Venice 56 Theater Lava 57 Theater 1&1 58 Music Harry Connick, Jr. 59 Music 60 .~.~dfW\~~:~~,s. Allen Ginsberg Same desk, new mayor. Page 14. Books Calendars 62 Photo: T.L Litt. HEALTH Positive Alternatives (Lederer) 32 ON THE COVER: Niro Asistent Markoff. DEPARTMENTS Photo: Ira Cohen .. Outspoken (Editorial) 4 Letters 5 f~ATUR~S Sotomayor 5 Blurt Out 7 TIlE HEALER WTI1IIN 38 Dykes to Watch Out For (Bechtlel) 8 Gabriel Rotella Talks to Niro Asistent Markoff About Healing HN and the SHAREexperience Stonewall Riots (Natalie) 10 Xeroxed 11 GLAADTidings 30 CAPTIONS FOR QUEERS 46 Out of Control (Day) 34 Joe Clark Discusses the Prooiems and P<xentials of Closed Captioning for Deaf Lesbians and Gays look Out 48 Out of my Hands (Ball) 50 Gossip Watch 51 Going Out Calendar (X) 64 Best Bets (X) 66 Bar Guide 68 Community Directory 70 Classifieds 73 Personals 84 LOOSE ON TIlE LUST IlNES 52 Crossword (Greco) 98 liz Tracey Tries to Make a Connection Systems Collapse he pandemonium prevailing in New York's overcrowd- ed hospital system has passed the point that demarcates civilized health care from barbaric inQifference. The T most dire warnings of recent years have come to pass, and citizens with life-threatening illness routinely languish in emergency corridors for days on end. The triage system nOw in. place in city hospitals has ended any semblance of decent health care in New York. We don't know when we will see a humane system reemerge here, but when it does it will certainly be too . late for thousands who must now encounter pain and death in 'busy hallways, on dirty stretchers, administered by overworked nurses and doctors. Additional thousands who needn't die at all will die due to lack of emergency services, or indeed any reason- able lifesaving services at all. As many New Yorkers watch with smug satisfaction the wel- come collapse of tyrannies in the East, it's highly ironic that one of life's most basic rights, the right to adequate health care, is now less available here than in many Central European villages. In addition to our disgraceful abandonment of the homeless, the elderly and the mentally ill, society must now inexplicably add the abandonment of itself. For we are all only temporarily able- bodied, and anyone in New York can be caught in the horrific maws of an evil, nightmarisb health care system at any moment. Yet strangely, most political, academic and journalistic com- mentary seems to assume that the disaster is unavoidable and will only get worse. Instead of adopting absolute crisis mentality and then charting solutions, most politicans and writers shrug their collective shoulders arid imply that the health care crisis is simply one of many that an enfeebled, ineffective government and society can do nothing about. The closing of numerous hos- pitals in the early 80s is viewed with the inevitability of the weather, instead of haVing been the result of insane, deliberate decisions by irresponsible elected officials. Cuomo and Koch, the chief villians of this sorry tale, have repeatedly rejected blame and shifted the focus, but the blame is theirs and history will not judge them kindly. The' point for gays and lesbians, however, is not to fix blame for past failures but to change the present situation. The twin vehicles of hoPe are the new Dinkins Administration and the presidential ambitions of Mario Cuomo .. Dinkins has taken office with firm promises of change. But despite his good inten- tions and expansive rhetoric, AIDS workers and activists should apply powerful, relentless and continuing pressure on him to develop a sound strategy for change. We should further remind Mr. "Family of New York" Cuomo that his family is dying and that without substantive change we will follow him and embar- rass him out of any hope of presidential glory. It would be the least we could do. ~ 4 OUTTWEEK January 14, 1990 was a paid ad, c) there has More on St. Pat's LETTERS been responsible coverage We are emploYEles, of in OutWeek of the facts GMHC and members of ACT around HIV antibody testing UP.Workingfor a service agen- and new treatments and d) cy md participating in a direct Bad Ad explanation, I was told that the OutWeek readership is action group, each on a daily I was damed to see the even tough there was con- well educated on these bas~, we often feel conflicted New York City Department of .sensusthat the ad was possi- issues.These are weak justifi- about different points of view Health ad, "Take This Simple bly misleading, the ad was cations. OufWeek is also mis- between the two organiza- AIDSTest" in this week's Out- taken in assumingthat this ad tions. For instance, while we Week. Thisad does not provide was submitted only to adver- appreciate and support the deer end accurate information TAKE tise the AIDS Hotline number. militant stance taken by about the HIV antibody test OutWeek could have played GMHC Executive Director Jeff and viable treatment options. THIS an integral role in criticizing Braff in hisopen letter to Cardi- The HIVmtibody test is not sim- the' inaccuracies and nal· O'Connor (OutWeek, ple nor is it en AIDStest.The ad SIMPLE· requested an ad that December 24), we feel com- makes the assumption that if allowed individuals to make pelled to voice our concerns one does not take the test AIDS an informed decision. As AIDS regarding the "GMHC State- she/he does not wmt a "fight- TEST: activists we have been fight- ment on Action at st. Patrick's ing chmce." It also makes the ing for so long to get govern- Cathedral." o I want a fighting chance OS$umptionthat all indMduals mental agencies to address The statement says the o I don't have access to health care this crisiswith direct and hon- "the action by ACT UP and and the finances for the few est information. For OutWeek WHAM! inside St. Patrick's avcilct>letreatments. to accept misinformation Cathedral was a mistake" Being an AIDS activist from the govE;lrnmenfisunac- because "the action shifted and AIDS counselor I fee! ceptable. public attention from the real OutWeek was irresponsible by run because itwas felt that, Anthony Viti issues.'We feel that the action running this ad. When I a) to refuse the ad would be Brooklyn did not shift public atte.ntion phoned your office for an considered censorship, b) it from real issues;media manip- January 14, 1990 OUTTWEEK 5 ulation of the action is and "the only winner was ance and respect for all peo- So, Andy Humm thinks attempting to do that. the Cardinal." We think that ple engaged in the struggle to ACT UP should disassociate The statement mentions this political conflict is not a end AIDS must be operative itself from the people who "the rage and pain that sport with clear cut winners prindplesshered by everybody were rude to the cardinal? motivated the protesters." and losers; the long term comrritted to the struggle. Funny, Mr. Humm has never We say a bear with its pow in results remain to be seen. It is in this spirit that we had a problem with his asso- a trap has rage and pain; And although the intention add our names to this docu- ciation to our oppressors! but the determining impulse of the statement was not to ment. Humm would go on the "Mor- behind the direct action of divide, it may have com- Greg Bordowitz ton Hitler Show' if it meant ACT UPand WHAM! is a pas- pounded the divisive atmo- Jean Carlomusto getting his face or name in sionate, informed political sphere in the community. Steven Cordova the media, in my opinion. stance and agenda. It must be recognized Wayne Kowadler Many of us are old The statement says, too, that all the activists at the Robert McVey enough to remember his divi- that O'Connor "no doubt is demonstration were there as a Manhattan siveness of a decade enjoying this divisive action" matter of conscience. Toler- ago-and he isstiRat it. There is a word that he should take to heart: Quisling. People are dying! We won't go like sheep to the slaughter! Lyle Buckingham I read you editorial ("Outspoken") in the 12/24/89 issue of OutWeek. You reflect my sentiment completely. When I read about this demonstration on Monday morning I was sorry I was unable to attend it. I thought it was an incredibly effective demonstration. It is about time that gay people and women start standing up to this world's outmoded, obsolete and archaic reli- gious institutions. As we approach this new millennium in the years from now, the religious foun- dations of western civilization as well as other religious foundations of non-western civilizations will finally be challenged by modern man. Tom Keane, the ACT UP member who crumbled the wafer at st. Patrick's at Sun- day's demonstration may well go down in modern his- tory as the first person to shake the foundations of today's religious beliefs. The violent reaction by the pub- lic to Mr. Keane's act of protest is pure proof that reli- gious convictions and blind faith and religious values were shaken badly by him. Unfortunately all religious institutions are anti-gay, anti- female and this must change in order for religion as we know it today to sur- 6 OUTTWEEK January 14, 1990 vive into the next millennia.