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VOLUME EIGHT, NO. 25—December 7, 1995—January 3, 1996—Issue 194 FREE 11.1111111Pr 1-11 --"Risr!, • Give the People Light and they will find their own way. V The Wisconsin Light On The Inside: Christmas, Hollywood • • and the Stars See Page 15 •• • •?"0000'.• P. • • . • December 7, 1995—January 3, 1996—WISCONSIN LIGHT-2 Kitty Barber, Milwaukee Lesbian Activist, News Briefs Wounded at End of Madison Police Chase World Bank Warns About AIDS Epidemic in Asia By Terry Boughner Bangkok-AP-Asian countries must invest heavily in AIDS control programs now, while the Milwaukee—The Milwaukee Lesbian and epidemic is still in its early stages, the World Bank says. "The center of gravity of the infection Gay community was shocked and saddened to is shifting from Africa to Asia," said a health advisor of the bank, Dr. Richard Feacham. "But learn that Kitty Barber had been wounded by both large and small countries in Asia have the opportunity to take effective action now and Madison police at the end of a high speed avoid facing a crisis in the future." While eight in ten infections worldwide occur in developing chase 2:00 a.m. Friday morning, December countries, only 10% of global expenditure to fight the infection is spent in these countries, Pt Feacham said. Barber was a long-time Lesbian and Femi- "With 60% of the world's population, Asia will come to dominate the HIV picture in terms nist activist in the Milwaukee community, of total numbers infected," said another bank specialist, Dr. Michael Porter. making enormous contributions to a wide vari- ety of organizations. For example, she was a 300 March on 17th Anniversary of Milk's Death founder in 1989, and spokesperson for the San Francisco-AP- Harvey Milk, San Francisco's first openly Gay supervisor and Mayor Lesbian Alliance of Metro Milwaukee George Moscone, were assassinated on November 27, 1978 by former supervisor Dan White. (LAMM), the strongest Lesbian or Gay or- White was later convicted of manslaughter, served five years in prison and committed suicide ganization in the state. after his release. Each year since the killings, the Harvey Milk Democratic Club sponsors a Barber and Gotzler also ran Midwest candlelight vigil that begins in the Castro and ends at City Hall. Women's Music Distributors, a wholesaler of This year, about 300 marched quietly down Market Street, some holding the edge of the music by and about women. Rainbow Flag in one hand and a candle in the other. "Tonight we are here to remember when She played a key role in the reorganization that first flame of the candle was lit for us. That candle was Harvey Milk," said Lawrence of Milwaukee's Women's Coalition and Wong, a member of the community college district board. Wong said that Milk would have worked tirelessly to promote a positive image wanted all oppressed groups to unite "so .that the flame would burn so fiercely it would blind of Lesbians and Gay men among the main- our enemies. That was Harvey Milk's dream. stream population. She was also a nationally known singer and songwriter. Man Convicted in Murder of Gay Man Barber had moved to Madison to attend Law Houston-AP-A former high school football star, who with some teammates had gone to a School at UWM. Gay bar district to rob patrons, now faces a death sentence in the killing of a 29-year-old Gay According to police reports, police spotted man. Barber's minivan speeding and began chasing Demarco McCullum was convicted on November 30th in the July, 1994, shooting death of her. They said she raced east onto East KITTY BARBER Michael J. Burzinski. Jurors returned to court on December to decide if McCullum should Washington Avenue which turns into Highway feeling the pressure because finals were less die or spend the rest of his life in prison. 151. Officers from the Wisconsin State Patrol, than two weeks away. The former Aldine High School Mustang quarterback was just weeks away from reporting to Capitol Police and the Dane County Sheriff's Those familiar with graduate work of any Tyler Junior College on a football scholarship when the murder occurred. According to wit- Department joined the pursuit as the minivan kind .realize what a pressure chamber grad nesses, McCullum wanted to rob a Gay man because he thought Gay men were "weak and reached Sun Prairie and then headed west on school can be. "It's an endurance contest," rich." Burzinski was forced into a car, robbed, beaten and taken to a deserted spot where he State Highway 19. one student told Light. was made to kneel and shot in the back of the head. After which, McCulllum and his friends Twenty minutes into the chase, Barber Higgens agreed, saying that many students played dominos until dawn. stopped at a SuperAmerica parking lot in the are overly stressed. "There should be some town of Windsor. real soul searching going on (by the admini- Officers said Barber emerged from the van stration)," he said. Honolulu Recognizes Domestic Partners Barber was interested in either becoming a Honolulu, HI-AP- The Honolulu City Council has introduced a resolution that would forbid and put a gun to her head, said Dane County sheriff's Lt. Steve Gilmore. She was ordered criminal defense attorney or a prosecutor, council members from hiring the immediate family of their "significant others." The proposal Higgens said. comes on the heels of a debate over councilman Andy Mirikitani's hiring of his girlfriend's son. to drop her handgun, but refused. Instead, she prompting a sec- Gilmore said police don't know why Barber If the rule is approved, as it is expected to be, it would apply to same-sex domestic partners as aimed her gun at an officer, ond officer to fire at her. wouldn't stop after officers gave chase. well. The resolution defines a domestic partner as "an adult, unrelated by blood, with whom a Madison police spokesman Brian Ackeret council member has an exclusive, committed relationship, maintains a mutual residence and The first officer then accidentally slipped to the ground while Barber aimed at him from a said Barber wasn't a normal speeder. shares the cost of basic living expenses." Current rules apply only to opposite-sex relationships "It appears as if she knowingly passed a and blood family members. distance of five to eight feet. When she ig- nored further orders to drop her weapon, five marked squad car traveling at a high rate of officers fired numerous rounds, hitting her speed," Ackeret said. "This is not a typical Study Shows AIDS Growing Relentlessly five times. speeding violation." Des Moines, IA-AP- The incidence of AIDS is continuing relentless growth in Iowa, with the Barber was shot in the chest, abdomen and Reporter's Note: I first met Kitty Barber at greatest increases coming in the heterosexual population, a new study has shown. While Gay leg. a party in 1988, when we had both gone out on man and IV drug users remain the dominant victims of the disease, the number of straights be- She was taken to University Hospital in a porch to smoke. She was a friendly person, coming infected is steadily on the rise. Madison where she was listed in critical con- one with a wry sense of humor and a twinkle "We still have roughly 7,000 to 10,000 Iowans a year who come down with sexually trans- dition. Karen Gotzler, Barber's former part- in her eye. mitted diseases," said Kevin Teale, a spokesman for the Iowa Department of Public Health. ner, rushed to be by her side. Subsequently, I appeared with Kitty on a "The only way you get those is unprotected sex. The message of universal precaution still needs By Sunday, December 3', Barber's condi- WISN radio show—one very cold and snowy to get through to some people," he said. tion was upgraded from critical to serious. She night. Again I loved her humor, her charm and HIV infection continues to hit hardest at minority communities, the report said. While Afri- was reported to have had further surgery on easy way she had about her. can-Americans make up 2% of Iowa's population, they make up 7% of the AIDS cases. December 5th. But I also knew Kitty as a determined and Teale said that people who have unprotected sex because they are straight, don't do drugs and As we go to press, the report is that Barber dedicated fighter for civil rights. There was think they can't become infected "are playing Russian roulette." went though surgery well and is in stable con- none better, none more fervent in her determi- dition. Gotzler remains by her side. nation to achieve equal rights. Gay-Themed Book to Return to School Libraries Barber is much beloved in the Milwaukee Wisconsin Light wishes Kitty the very best Kansas City, KS-AP-A critically acclaimed book about two teenage girls who fall in love Lesbian and Gay community. Numerous peo- and joins with the entire community is hoping with each other cannot be banned from high school library shelves in the Olathe School Dis- ple called Light to express their sorrow at for her speedy recovery. We need you, Kitty, trict, a federal judge has ruled. Judge G. Thomas Van Bebber on November 29`h said school what had happened and to wonder why. we need you bad. board members violated the First Amendment when they removed the book, Annie on My Mike Higgens, 44, speaking to the Wiscon- Those wishing to send a card to Kitty can Mind in January, 1994 because they disagreed with the book's Lesbian content.