AIDS Activists Shuts Down FDA Washington
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News of Interest to the Gay Community Published as a Serviceof The Memphis Gay Coalition Volume 9, Number 10 November 1988 Names Quilt Reaches AIDS Activists Shuts Down FDA Washington Washington- The emo Rockville, MD- AIDS Arrests began at the front trained for weeks on how to manded the "prompt release of to tionally powerful Names Proj activists had promised shut entrance as demonstrators took avoid looking bad on national and access to all promising, safe · ect Quilt, six times larger than down the Food and Drug Ad down the FDA flag and re TV and were clearly on edge. drugsto people with life-threat ministration in Rockville, placed it · with a At about 10:00 AM,a pro ening diseases, including AIDS last year, returned to Washing Maryland Oct. 11, and for all "Silence=Death" banner and a testor threw his body against a and HIV infection; drug trials ton on October 8 and 9. The intents and purposes, they did. flag reading "75,000 Persons large plate-glass window to the opento women, peopleof color, quilt encompassed 375,000 Hundreds of employees were with AIDS Fight Back." Later right of the main entrance. The IV drug users, and others; and square feet with 8,288 3' x 6' reported glued to the windows in the day, an effigy of Pres. window gave way and the pro establishment of a national reg panels, each memorializing a as about 1,500 activists broke Reagan appeared on the flag testor was arrested. This was istry listing accurate, current, person who had died of AIDS. other windows of the block pole. the second of three successful and comprehensive data on all Throughout the 11 hours of long building, climbed on en Peter Stanley of ACf UP assaults on the FDA's large AIDS drug programs." display, activists and celebrities tryways, and plastered the (AIDS Coalition To Unleash windows. Around noon, a FDA spokespersons re read the names of those who building with protest signs and Power) climbed onto a large group of six protestors crashed sponded that they are doing have died. Among the readers stickers. The "Silence=Death" awning over the main entryway through a side window and en everything possible to get were Shirley McLaine, Richard posters were everywhere. and taped up posters reading tered the FDA's offices. It took AIDS drugs to the market. "We Gere, Sigourney Weaver, Vito About 200 people werearrested "AIDSGATE" and "America half an hour for the police to don't develop the drugs, we just and FDA employees went Isn't Doing Shit." tanley re review them," said Don Russo, Harvey Fierstein, and place allsix in custody. Some of home late in special police mained on the roof for more the protestors required medical McLearn, an FDA spokesper Memphian Rick Bray. buses. than an hour putting up other attention as the result of being son, "and we can't just give up . ''The quilt," Geresaid in an Activists arrived about signs and setting off smoke roughed up by the police. the system because of AIDS." interview, "is about people 7:00 am and began their as bombs, but was never arrested. The civil disobedience ac McLearn said the FDA about family and love, mani saults of the building within According to sources at the tion at the FDA was coordi believes it will be more benefi festing real feelings. It's warm minutes. Press packets of litera scene, the day resembled a nated by the the AIDS Coalition cial in the long run if drugs that and soft, and a tremendous dis ture accused the FDA of a game between demonstrators To Network, Organize, and "really work" are released. play of affection and creativ "woefully inadequate handling and Montgomery County's Win (ACf NOW), an umbrella AIDS activists, he said, seem to ity ... There is alot of bigotry and of the AIDS epidemic, espe rubber-gloved police, but only organization for the country's want the agency to hand out fear of anything Gay and it re cially regarding the release of the activists were having fun. some 50-plus AIDS direct ac "unproven drugs willy-nilly." ally breaks down barriers." promising new drugs." Officers had reportedly been tion groups. Acr. NOW de- · Gere said he had friends whose names were in the quilt Dance Nets About $1400 for ATEAC and that he was "imploring the government to make available as much money as possible for Dance Against Darkness, a "It was certainly a disap ances. places. The composer and au research. It's particularly musical play about AIDS pointingturnout, but it's under- Several organizations have thor have talked informally poignant," he said, "that we're played to about 360 in 15 per .standable," said Allen Cook, requestedspecial performances about taking the production on formances and netted almost ATEAC's secretary. "AIDS is a throughout the city and the play here on the Ellipse right in front the road using the Memphis cast $1400for the Aid to End AIDS subject that is easily avoidable may again resurface in various as the core. of the White House. Committee. Tom Stewart, and wouldn't, on the surface, Ray Family Settles President of ATEAC, indicated seem to be afun topic for a night the proceeds w·ould be used for at the theatre," he said. Two for $1.1 million patient aid. years ago, A TEAC underwrote Tampa, FL - The Ray fam The play began Sept. 15 and royalties for the production of ily, who was suing the school closed Oct. 15 to a sell-out As Is at Circuit Playhouse. board for barring their three crowd and standing ovations. "We didn't enter into this en Hailoween Schedule of Events HIV antibody-positive hemo Dance Against Darkness was deavor as a moneymaker," said see Quick Clips on page 11 philiac sons from attending funded through grants from the Cook, "but we feel that educa tional events like Dance should school, have settled out of court Memphis Arts Council, the Day Why You Shq�l.d Yote.fot Oukakis according to the Boston Globe. Foundation, and the Memphis be done in order to make the . Gay Coalition. Funding from general community aware of . · Guestt:ditorial on·:page 2 The Ray family home in Ar the Memphis Gay Coalition the problem." .. : . .cadia was destroyed on August was provided from funds gath Author Bari Biern and com Everyt�ing, You:Wanted tQ Know,(and 28, 1988 by an unknown arson · · ·.· . ered for AIDS education sev- poser Roy Barber, both from ,_., More)about Genital Warts ist. The family has made a set . eral years ago in the city's first Washington, were in atten tlement for $1.1 million dollars. Health.Column on,page 7 benefit for AIDS, Old Hash. dance for the final two perform- How Can Lesbians and Gay Men Vote fo� Bush? by Susan Mackenzie, Attorney Unfortunately, these are the civil rights be then? If Bush is Dukakis supports a Gay Civil ership and support in the fight at Law same Justices who have not let elected we will not even have Rights Bill. Not only does against AIDS. their own, or the nation's, the voices of dissenting Justices Dukakis voice his support for A government headed by I continue to be amazed by homophobia influence their speaking their support of our our civil rights, he introduced a Bush and Quayle will not re the Lesbians and Gay men who decisions. The most recent ex cause. Gay Rights Bill into the Massa- spect the Constitution and indi support Bush in his bid for the ample is the Hardwick case in Further, there have been re- chusetts legislature in 1974. vidual rights, especially our Presidency of the United States. which the majority of the Su cent favorablelower court deci- This was twelve years ago and rights.There will beno procivil Such a vote counters all the preme Court, including the two sions that have denounced the only fiveyears after Stonewall, rights leadership from the ex progresswe have made for Gay Reagan appointees, held that discrimination that has been yet Dukakis took action sup ecutive branch, and vetoes of Rights since the infamous state sodomy laws do not vio rampant in the military and in portingour civil rights.Further, any legislation Congress does Stonewall Riots.We have made late Lesbian and Gay constitu employment. These cases are Dukakis does not believe that pass.The Gay community must substantial progress, but these tional rights. Further, this deci beingappealed, but with a Re- the merefact a personis Gay is wake up and thinkbeyond their accomplishments have been sion upheld a conviction of a agan-Bush Supreme Court, a valid reason to deny an indi wallets. Even assuming the eroded during the Reagan ad Georgia man by concluding there is not even a glimmer of vidual a securitycle arance. position that we will be finan ministration. A George Bush that even though homosexual hope that these decisions will Dukakis has openly sought cially better off under Bush is administration would further conduct may occur in the pri stand. Tile forthcoming gloom . specific criminal penalties for correct, without civil rights and this trend and can thwart our vacy of one's home and behind is not found only in the Su- Gay bashing.On theother hand, with increased discrimination fight for civil rights for genera a closed bedroomdoor, thisfact preme Court, but in every cir- the Reagan-Bush administra and violence directed towards tions to come. does not prevent a prosecution cuit of the Federal Court sys- tion has implemented policies us, we will not beable to benefit The most pressing threat to for sodomy.