Nursing Homes Continue to Refuse Persons with Aids
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
VOLUME TWO, NO. 1—January 12, 1989—January 25, 1989 Give the People Light and they will find their own way. V The Wisconsin Light Light Inside... NURSING HOMES CONTINUE TO A TIME TO DIE VIII REFUSE PERSONS WITH AIDS Night of Broken Glass [Madison]. Four prominent Wisconsin Page 2 lawmakers have expessed sharp A BOY OF . Page 4 criticism and "deep concern" over the SUMMER policy of Milwaukee area nursing homes THE LIVELY ARTS . Page 6 barring persons with AIDS from admission. WEEKEND WISCONSIN In a letter to Wisconsin's nursing home associations, State Reps. Tom Barrett Waushara County. Page 8 (D-Milwaukee), Peter Bock (D-Milwaukee), Tim Carpenter MEDICALLY SPEAKING (D-Milwaukee) and David Clarenbach T.B and AIDS Page 9 (D-Madison) cited the policy of 62 nursing homes in the Milwaukee area of denying ALYN HESS admission to persons with AIDS as INTERVIEWED Page 10 "disturbing" evidence that "we have not met the challenge of the existing AIDS POLITICALLY SPEAKING cases, let alone be prepared for the Page 11 future." According to the National Centers for Disease Control, the number of AIDS cases will increase in the coming years. MAP Seeks The nursing homes reported their AIDS policies in response to a Milwaukee AIDS Multilevel Care Project (MAP) inquiry regarding such policies. While some homes said they Facility By 1990 were in the process of developing policies regarding AIDS admissions, none, to with AIDS. It took a lot of caring. It took a lot of date, have admitted a person Douglas Nelson, work. But, long-time Milwaukee Gay According to Fierstein) and Alan (Matthew Broderick) share a quiet breakfast in the film of MAP, the nursing activist Alyn Hess who is living with AIDS Arnold (Harvey Executive Director "Torch Song Trilogy" which opens January 20 at Milwaukee's Oriental Theatre. a reason for refusing has been accepted for long-term care by homes that provided their employees were Greentree Hospice. admission stated trained" to care for The fact that this has happened is due not "properly Exhilarating, Poignant "Torch with AIDS. to the Milwaukee AIDS Project (MAP). It persons All nursing homes contacted, however, is due to those who work there and give to the Screen persons with hepatitis-B virus, their time and talents and those who, over Song Trilogy" Comes accept TURN TO NURSING HOMES, PAGE 10 the years, have raised money in countless By Geno Gay fifteen-year-old is Arnold's adopted fundraisers that allow MAP to help The award winning Broadway play is son and that Ed has left his wife, Laurie, people like Alyn. Ben-Shalom Wins now a movie! Harvey Fierstein's "Torch and is living with Arnold, she explodes. Perhaps some are not aware of the all Song Trilogy" won two Tony awards — This unconventional menage outrages situation. You should be, for if you've she and Arnold best play and best actor — and as her ideas of family, and Army Battle given money to MAP, you made it other, battling toe to toe Fierstein's labor of love (he wrote the confront each [Milwaukee]. Federal Judge Myron L. happen. a understanding and play, appeared in it and wrote the until they reach new Gordon declared unconstitutional January Alyn was at Milwaukee's St. Joe's for each other. screenplay) it comes triumphantly to the respect 10 a US Army Reserve regulation that Hospital. According to his doctor there, the end of the film, Arnold is happily screen. The film will begin an exclusive At bars Lesbians and Gays from re-enlisting he was "medically stable." But he by the symbols of the most showing in Milwaukee at the Oriental surrounded in the Reserve. needed a place to live where he could forces in his life — a portrait of Theatre on Friday, January 20th, and important The ruling came in the case of receive help in daily living. Greentree Alan, oranges that Ma brought up from openings elsewhere in the state will be Milwaukee's Miriam Ben-Shalom who Hospice wanted to help. According to Florida, Ed's eyeglasses, David's base- announced shortly in local newspapers. has waged a 12 year battle against the Doug Nelson, Executive Director of MAP, ball cap, and his rabbit ear bedroom From its first birds-eye view of military for her right as an open Lesbian Greentree was 'very, very good, very slippers. Brooklyn in the 60's, the movie throbs to serve in the armed forces. caring." has assembiea a oynamic cast with life and energy as the camera zooms Fierstein The problem was a couple of HMO's to bring his play to life, and most cast in on Mama finding little Arnie Beckhoff bickering over which one would pay the have taken less than their usual putting on her make-up and trying on her members hospice. In Nelson's words "it was the to take part in this labor of love. dresses. This first part of the trilogy salaries insurance industry not responding the "names" in the cast private immediately takes the viewer into the life Paradoxically, to care needs. The business focus was satisfying. The almost legendary of Arnold the drag queen (Harvey are least in the way of the care focus." acts her heart out, but you are getting Fierstein) belting out torch songs as Bancroft The situation was resolved when MAP, always aware that she is acting and no Virginia Hamm (a.k.a. Anita Boy and represented by Nelson, brought its matter how much she "kvetches" she is Bang Bang La Dash). Rowdy scenes of to bare on the decision makers in not a convincing Jewish mother. weight Arnold and "the girls" performing are simply the two insurance companies. An Still, her confrontation with Arnold in the rapidly inter-cut with Arnie talking agreement was reached that the two cemetery as she mourns her husband and intimately to the camera about his frank, HMO's would split the cost and argue Arnold says Kaddish at Alan's grave is funny, and sometimes angry demands for later. In the meantime, Alyn would devastating, gut-wrenching. respect and love. He meets Ed, a bisexual receive the help he needed. Matthew Broderick as the male model school teacher in a Gay bar, and life takes The weight that MAP has and uses for Alan is sweet and attentive and probably on a rosy, romantic hue for a while until the benefit of its clients is largely due to that is all the role demands. Arnie suspects that Ed is dating someone support the organization receives But the really appealing portrayal is Sgt. Mariam Ben Shalom the else, only to discover that the "other from the Lesbian/Gay community, Nelson Brian Kerwin's as Ed — he and Fierstein man" is a young woman, Laurie (Karen The decision stated that a person could have the most expressive faces so that said. Young). End of romance and Part I. not be prevented from serving in the Light that "No issue is even their inner thoughts can be read in Nelson told The second wing of the triptych focuses military based on his/her sexual Map] than getting them. They are real, they are themselves, more important [to on Alan (Matthew Broderick), the young orientation. quality care for clients." Alyn is an they don't seem to be acting. And this is lover whose death Arnold will mourn for Ben-Shalom told Light that this ruling is of this, but only one example. largely true of the rest of the cast. example the rest of his life. We also meet Arnold's "one in a series of victories that she has huge problem that MAP confronts Eddie Castrodad is delightful as the A family — father, mother and lawyer achieved. However, it would appear to and in the future, Nelson said, is that adopted son (the role which Matthew now brother — who try to understand and this reporter that Ben-Shalom is being too care such as Alyn needed for Broderick played in the original state of long-term accept his lifestyle. The theme of family modest. untold numbers who are now or who version); the "girls" seem completely at the dominates this section and the poignant This legal victory over the Army which will find themselves in his situation. home onstage and off; and even the two scene of Alan accompanying Arnold to his is unique has been won by a woman and a The question is, why couldn't Alyn and chorus boys (Robert Neary father's funeral will hit home for many. eye-catching woman from Wisconsin. While men often other PWA's in similar need be admitted Nick Montgomery) are right at home Alan and Arnold decide to adopt a son to and pride themselves in being the to a nursing home? The answer is, and enjoying themselves. create their own family, then another "flag-bearers" in the cause of civil according to Nelson, that at present, there dialogue is hip, clever, fast- family situation is explored when Alan The rights, it should be pointed out and is a "chunk of the health care system that moving and many lines are virtual and Arnold are invited to spend a pointed out strongly, that a woman, is not responding [to the needs of AIDS ("A thing of beauty is a joy weekend in the country with Ed and throwaways fighting alone and at great sacrifice, won patients], the nursing homes," said till but, again, its naturalness Laurie. Another comic disaster. morning"), this land-mark victory. No man did this.