VOLUME NINE, NO. 22—October 24, 1996—November 6, 1996—Issue 216 FREE Give the People Light and they will find their own way. V The Wisconsin Light Baldwin Asks For Help In Fight For Human Rights Campaign, Victory Fund Urge High Turnout Domestic Partnership And Gay Marriage Madison- Openly Lesbian State Repre- Wisconsin Races Called Crucial sentative Tammy Baldwin has issued an appeal to Wisconsin's Les/Bi/Gay Commu- nity to help her fight against an expected Milwaukee—Gay Wisconsin voters can attempt to ban recognition of Same Sex play a critical role in the effort to oust Marriage in the next session of the Wiscon- • House Speaker Newt Gingrich and boost sin. ▪ chances that the next Congress will be more Baldwin, a Madison Democrat, urges • open to issues of concern to Gays and Les- Wisconsin's Gay community to vote for o bians. Democrats in races for the State Legislature. "Gay men and Lesbians in Wisconsin Democratic Majority Urged have an unprecedented opportunity to help "A Democratic majority in the State Leg- change the face of the United States Con- islature is crucial to my efforts to derail anti gress, but they have to get out and vote and Gay marriage legislation.," said Baldwin. involved in the campaigns" said Victory "Plus we need a Democratic majority if Fund Deputy Director, Kathleen DeBold in there is to be any hope of advancing our an interview with The Wisconsin Light. own Same Sex marriage and Domestic "Wisconsin is extremely critical. There Partnership bills." are so many close races that can help sway "No one is going to hand us Same Sex the balance between a pro-Gay and Lesbian Marriage and Domestic Partnership, we Congress and an anti-Gay, anti-Lesbian have to fight for them and against those Congress," said Suzanne Salkind, Deputy who would deny them to us. The best way Director of the Human Rights Campaign to do that is with our votes on Tuesday No- Political Action Committee in an exclusive vember 5." said Baldwin. interview with The Wisconsin Light. Baldwin informed The Wisconsin Light HRC Endorsements that she plans to introduce her own bills HRC has donated money to four Wis- allowing Domestic Partnership and Same consin Congressional candidates. Lydia Sex marriage. Spotswood in the 1st District, Ron Kind in Power of the Speaker the 3rd District and Jay Johnson in the 8th The majority party elects the Speaker of District each received a $2,500 donation the State Assembly. The Speaker selects from HRC. Committee Chairs and assigns bills to vari- "I think they would have very strong rec- ous committees where they can sit for an ords on Gay and Lesbian issues. I would entire session without getting a hearing or expect that we would work closely with where they can get expeditious treatment. them," said Salkind Speakers can and do use their power to Salkind said that HRC won't make an endorsement and bottle up legislation they don't like and to The AIDS Memorial Quilt stretches from the Washington Monument, from which this photograph contribution unless they was taken, believe a candidate has promote bills they want to have passed. to the U.S. Capitol building approximately a half mile away. The 45,000 panels of the Quilt overflow the National a good chance to High Turnout Needed Mall into the tee-lined areas on the edges. win. Baldwin expressed concerned that with "All the Democrats in these races doing President Clinton projected as the run away Vast Numbers Attend The Quilt Weekend well, Spotswood is neck and neck. She has winner of the Presidential race, some Lesbi- the momentum on her side.," said Salkind, ans and Gay may stay home on Election to "Rage Against the Dying of the Light" who points out that 60,000 UAW members Day. live in Spotswood's 1st District. Neuman is "People must realize that while the Presi- By Dan F. Schramm ington D.C. compared to 2,031 for all of considered to be very anti-labor. dency is important; it's only one office. We (GLINN)- Over two million people, ac- Wisconsin) and takes one more every 15 Democrats Doing Well are also electing the entire State Assembly, cording to the Washington, D.C. Police De- minutes. Salkind said that tracking polls show half of the State Senate and a new Congres- partment, viewed the AIDS Memorial Quilt Among the vast numbers viewing the Quilt Johnson and Kind running ahead of their sional delegation. This is the one time over the weekend of October 11-13 in were 55,000 school children, each of whom Republican opponents, while Spotswood is tied with where all of us in and out of the closet can Washington, D.C. This marked the first time had to get parental permission to participate Republican incumbent Con- gressman Mark raise our voices together and strike a blow the entire quilt, now at 45,000 panels, has in the visit which included an orientation to Neuman who received a 0 on the for equality with our votes," Baldwin said. been displayed since the National March on deal with the emotions they might experience HRC legislative score card. If Other Issues Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights in or witness, and frank discussions about Johnson wins, he would replace Toby Roth, She added "In addition to the Marriage April, 1993. AIDS. Half of all new HIV infections occur an anti-Gay Republican who also scored and Domestic Partnership issues, there are a The Quilt, first displayed in Washington, in people 25 or younger, and event organizers a 0 on the HRC score card. Kind would myriad of other issues affecting our com- D. C. in 1987 on the Mall near the Smith- and educators said they hoped to drive home replace openly Gay Re- publican munity. There is Ralph Overdahl's group sonian Castle, then contained a modest 1,920 the point that AIDS can hit anyone. Congressman Steve Gunderson. trying to repeal AB 70 and AIDS funding memorial panels stretching one city block. The display of the Quilt required over Incumbent Democratic Congressman Tom for example." The Quilt became both the human face of 10,000 volunteers, beginning in San Fran- Barrett also received a $1,000 HRC donation. Like the The State of Wisconsin provides money AIDS and a battle flag against the ignorance cisco, where crews folded and packed one others, Barrett is run- ning against a for AIDS programs around the Badger state. and fear that surrounded the disease. Those full railroad car per day for two weeks. 400 Conservative Republican. With the It also approves Medicaid payments for displaying the Quilt in 1987, innocent and volunteers spent 3 days prior to the display exception of Barret, all of the en- dorsed persons with AIDS. full of hope, believed that the nightmare cris-crossing the Mall with 21 miles of black candidates are involved in close races. A Right Wing Christian Group Wisconsin would soon end. fabric to create the giant grid of walkways. Christians United, headed by Rev. Ralph The Quilt, as massive as it is in panels and Please Turn to Quilt Page 24 Please Turn to Election Page 27 Overdahl has promised that it will try to weight (45 tons), represents only one in ten repeal Wisconsin's Gay Rights law, AB 70, of the deaths from AIDS. Now, 15 years into in the next session of the legislature. the epidemic, AIDS has claimed 350,000 A Conversation With Openly Gay, Assistant Please Turn to Marriage Page 27 lives (including more than 9,000 in Wash- Secretary Of Commerce, Bruce Lehman During the National Democratic Convention in Chicago, Wisconsin Light Political Editor, Bill Meunier conducted a lengthy interview with Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks, Bruce Lehman. Lehman is the highest openly Gay official in the history of the Federal Government An articulate spokesperson for Clinton's new Democratic politics, Lehman minces few words in denouncing Right Wing Republicans and even some in our community while at the same time expressing his own broad vision of what government can and should do. He is a passionate supporter of Bill Clinton and an unapologetic liberal with some fascinating insights. "The Wisconsin Light" is pleased to bring you some of the thoughts of this remarkable man. You're the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks in addition to being the Assistant Secretary of Commerce is that correct? "Yes, I have two titles, I am the Assistant Secretary of Commerce and I am the Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks. That's a 200 year old job. I am the keeper of the nation's intellectual property. I have over 5,000 people that work for me. A budget that next year will be over $750 million. You and Roberta Achtenburg were the first openly Gay people ever confirmed by the Senate. You had an easier time than she did. "A lot easier I had no dissenting votes, although that was not as easy as it looks. One of the difference was that I was a Washington lawyer who worked on Capitol Hill. I knew that landscape and I lined up my support. I will have to say this. As much I believe passionately that we have to have a Democratic Congress, its interesting to note that people like Orin Hatch and Strom Thurmond voted for me remembered "Hands Around Capitol" Pedro Zamora, AIDS activist and MTV television host, was at the the and they didn't vote out of ignorance. They knew I was a Gay man.