VOLUME SEVEN, NO 22--October 27, 1994--November 9, 1994--Issue 166 FREE Give the People Light and they will find their own way. V The Wisconsin Light Three Charged With Congress Adjourns Without Passing AIDS Hate Crime in Eau Claire Bar Fight Funding and Clean Water Bills (Eau Claire, WI)- Three Eau Claire men accused of verbally abusing and striking pa- Ryan White Act Stopped by Partisan Battles trons outside a Gay bar have been charged with disorderly conduct and battery as a hate (Milwaukee)- "The Congress crime. adjourned with a ton of unfinished Steven W. Endle, 42, Rocky P. Morzenti, business on AIDS policy which 37, and Thomas M. Alley, 41, intentionally puts in great jeopardy critical selected the victims because of their sexual programs that comprise the coun- orientation, prosecutors said. try's primary attack against the Endle, Morzenti and Alley had drinks at AIDS epidemic," said Doug Nel- Scruples bar September 12 and began making son, Executive Director of the loud, derogatory comments against Gays in the AIDS Resource Center of Wis- bar, a criminal complaint said. consin (ARCW). The three left the bar and returned at Nelson was giving an update 11:53 p.m., where they confronted two men to recent stories in Wisconsin and a woman leaving the bar and verbally Light concerning the reauthoriza- abused them, the complaint said. tion of the Ryan White Care Act. One man was knocked to the ground and "We fought hard in. the final kicked in the neck and face, while the other hours of the Congressional ses- man was grabbed by the throat, the complaint sion to reauthorize the Care Act said. Both sustained injuries and needed medi- and came away defeated, frus- cal attention. trated, and angry that the intense Endle, Morzenti and Alley were ordered partisanship of this Congress pre- to appear in Eau Claire County Circuit Court vented us from getting the bill to on November 14. They each were released on the floor of either the House or a $500 signature bond and have been ordered Senate," Nelson explained. not to go near Scruples. Native American Hero--Driven by a passion for freedom in the film "Squanto: A Warrior's Tale," (Adam "If we had gotten to the floor, If convicted, the men face a maximum Beach, right) escapes from his captors' ship during a raging storm and is rescued by Brother Daniel (Mandy we knew we had overwhelming penalty of a $20,000 tine and three years in Patinkin, center) a compassionate monk who shelters this stranger in a strange land and teaches him the Eng- support to pass the Care Act," prison. lish language and customs. "Squanto" is now playing in theatres nationwide. Nelson continued. "We had 65 Senate seem poised to go as far as they can in eroding co-sponsors and 130 National Poll Shows Concern for Values but the legitimate separation of church and state. House co-sponsors which is an unusual display Survey respondents want leaders who un- of bipartisan support for an AIDS issue," Nel- son Rejection of Religious Right's Agenda derstand the need for strong moral values in said. our society, but who also understand the dan- "Our problem was that the entire Congress when you move beyond broad 'traditional val- was in the By Peter Montgomery gers of using government and politics to im- throes of jockeying for partisan ad- ues' rhetoric and concentrate on specific is- vantage in the upcoming elections and Repub- (Washington, D.C.)- Most Americans are pose moral and religious viewpoints on others. sues, Americans will almost always reject the lican leadership, in particular, held forth concerned about the state of moral The gap between mainstream voters and on decay in positions promoted by Religious Right political their strategy to procedurally block our society, but they the Religious Right faction grows even larger movement wholeheartedly reject the leaders." on any bill that would reflect Religious Right's view of the on a number of specific issues that are at the positively on the world and how Kropp predicted that the survey will prove Democratic Congress and the Clinton to Right's "culture war" agenda. Ad- effect change given the opportunity. These to be exceedingly useful to citizens joining core of the ministration," Nelson said. conclusions were gleaned • Religious Right candidates often oppose from a new nation- forces to challenge Religious Right political "So, while we knew the votes were there wide voter survey comprehensive sexuality education in conducted in August by Pe- initiatives at the grassroots as well as at the in the Senate and the House for passage, we ter D. public schools and promote "abstinence Hart Research Associates for People national level. were defeated by procedural barriers curricula that leaves out vital in- and the For the American Way. "Rather than shying away from a debate only" buzz saw of overwhelming 71% of Congressional politics," Nelson The survey of 1,002 voters was commis- on values, progressive and mainstream citizens formation. An said. sioned by People registered voters support comprehensive For to evaluate American should embrace that discussion," Kropp said. The Ryan White Care Act is the primary attitudes sex education that begins with abstinence, toward values in public life, religion "At the same time, voters should force Relig- vehicle for Federal funding of AIDS care and and but also includes information on birth politics, and the Religious Right political ious Right politicians to go beyond empty ap- treatment. It was originally enacted in 1990 control and disease prevention; 67% say movement in particular. peals to 'traditional family values' (which most and must be reauthorized for a new five year the Religious Right's opposition to "We wanted to get beneath the superficial Americans, Gay or straight, long for) and ex- that period. The national AIDS community wres- teaching students about birth control rhetoric that often passes for public discussion plain clearly what specific policies will be tled intensely with the controversial formulas methods used to prevent AIDS and other of values and religion," said People For's dictated by their interpretation of those of the Act which directs critical funds to diseases and pregnancy gives them seri- President Arthur J. Kropp. "We found that `values'." communities throughout the country. ous concerns. Despite the broad appeal of candidates Highly controversial negotiations on the • Americans prefer, by a huge 66% to 28% Gay Man, Woman who stress traditional values, only 24% of the inequity of the formulas were forced by margin, to meet the country's educational public say they would be more likely to sup- ARCW's Nelson this past Summer, which re- needs by concentrating on improving the port a candidate who was closely associated sulted in changes that assure more equitable Chosen Homecoming schools rather than using public with established Religious Right groups and public funding and a 66% increase in Care private schools, Act funds supported positions associated with Religious funds to send children to to Wisconsin. King, Queen at UW- the Religious Right advocates. Right organizations, while 41% say they as "We've been through nine months of • 60% of all registered voters say they would be less likely to support such a candi- enormous struggle within the AIDS commu- would be more inclined to support a can- Stevens Point date. nity to make the Care Act more equitable and didate who believes the choice on abor- (Stevens Point, WI)- Electing a Gay man 72% of voters are familiar with movement to gain consensus and unity," Nelson said. tion should be left up to the woman, with and a Lesbian as homecoming king and queen patriarch Pat Robertson, but those with unfa- "We essentially converged on Washington in few legal restrictions; 65% say they at UW-Stevens Point is a vote for acceptance, vorable impressions outnumber those with fa- the final two weeks of this Congress with a would have serious concerns about the the winners said. vorable impressions by 42 to 33 percent. unified plea to reenact this bill and reassure Religious Right's support for making Trevor Ilk and Nancy LeBeau, president Most voters say they are uncomfortable people with AIDS throughout the country that nearly all abortions illegal. and public relations director of the 10 Percent with Religious Right political leaders who care and support services would continue to be Society, respectively, were crowned Septem- well funded by the Federal government." ber 29 after ballots were cast by about 600 MAP Praises Mayor Norquist's Clean Water "It's tragic that the Congress didn't act students. and that in the midst of this AIDS crisis it "I think it's a complement to the students Budget Commitment leaves substantial uncertainty about critical re- who elected the homecoming king and queen," sources for those of us package which would establish three protective who are on the front said Keith Sanders, Chancellor of UW-Stevens (Milwaukee)- The Milwaukee AIDS Proj- lines of the epidemic," barriers to assure clean water. Nelson said. Point. "The students did not discriminate on ect (MAP), which has historically been at odds "Congress as a The package includes funding to move the deliberative policy institu- the basis of sexual orientation." with Milwaukee's City Hall over the city's tion failed us Texas intake pipe further out into Lake Michi- while it succeeded quite well in Sanders went on to note that Ilk's and Le- cyptosporidium crisis, is strongly praising its partisanship," gan to improve the quality of raw water enter- Nelson commented. Beau's election was in the spirit of Wisconsin Mayor John Norquist's 1995 budget commit- Nelson reported that national AIDS leaders early maintenance of civil rights for Gay peo- ment to clean water, and is aggressively lobby- ing the system.