Stockholm Conference Shows Progress Towards AIDS Cure
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VOLUME ONE, NO. 9—July 8,1988—August 11, 1988 FREE Give the People Light and they willfi nd their own way. V The Wisconsin Light Stockholm Conference Shows JACKSON Progress Towards AIDS Cure VOLUNTEERS DEMAND By Cindy Patton GLPA News Service OUSTER OF POLLY WILLIAMS Stockholm- Over 8,000 people from 140 symptoms which earlier reports suggested countries gathered with the 4th Interna- might appear before the symptoms class- By Emma Miller tional AIDS Conference held here from ically associated with AIDS and ARC. By a vote of nine to seven, Gays and June 15-18. About 3,000 papers were There has been great controversy and Lesbians were excluded from the Wiscon- presented in workshops and in poster concern about the possible emergence of sin delegation to the Democratic National sessions. cognitive problems before the appearance Convention in Atlanta. Ignoring the pleas There was nothing approaching a break- of other symptoms," said Ola A. Seines, of of Labor for Jackson organizer Bruce through in treatment, although data from the U.S., who presented the collaborative Colburn and several other Jackson dele- dozens of trials were presented, showing work conducted with 1,543 HIV antibody gates chosen at Congressional Caucuses, some promise in some patients. positive but asymptomatic gay and bi- the sixteen Jackson delegates meeting at "The story this year is that we've added sexual men. the State Democratic Convention in La many new small pieces of data," said "Our study, which draws on the largest Crosse completed the selection of the James Curran from the United States sample to date, shows no statistically Jackson slate by choosing Richard Condon Centers for Disease Control (CDC). significant difference between these men a Waukesha attorney over Bill Meunier the "Scientists are making much progress in and the controls over a two-year period. organizer of Wisconsin Gays and Lesbians very small increments." We didn't even find a trend in the direction for Jackson. In so doing they may have cut Rev. Jesse Jackson Further developments in describing of early development of cognitive prob- the lavender stripe from Jackson's Wiscon- except for what the Gay community did for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) lems," said Seines. sin Rainbow. Jackson." Nancy Skanden of Sturgeon Bay over the past year have shown that the There is also an emerging consensus Meunier had organized Gays and Les- also pleaded the Gay case pointing out that virus may react differently in different that there is no relationship between bians around the state into a political in many places around the state Gays and types of cells, especially in macrophages, knowledge of HIV antibody status and network that allowed the Jackson cam- Lesbians were the campaign. But Williams where the virus can apparently lie unde- subsequent behavior change, although paign to reach outside of Milwaukee and insisted that not every one could be tected in protective sacs. This means that many policy makers in a session on "AIDS Madison and a few other bases of support satisfied and prevailed. Many observers combinations of several drugs in lower and Society" continued to propose testing making it a truly statewide effort. The Gay felt that if Meunier had been straight he doses may be necessary to fully block virus programs as essential parts of the educa- and Lesbian network was so successful that would have won easily. duplication, according to Bo O'Berg of the tion process. even CBS News did a story on it, and it was Those Jackson delegates who are known Swedish Karolinski Institute, which colla- Jonathan Mann, head of the World cited by the Jackson staff as a good to have supported us included Bruce borates with the National Cancer Institute Health Organization (WHO) AIDS Project, example of what Gays and Lesbians could Colburn, Labor for Jackson chair, Linero, in the U.S. urged governments to focus on anti- do for his campaign. Condon was not Clarenbach, Skanden, and Banks. Dele- Perhaps the most optimistic report was a discrimination laws and education about involved in the Jackson campaign. He was gates who are believed to have opposed us include Williams. Felmers Chaney, Presi- large-cohort study of possible neurological TURN TO STOCKHOLM, PAGE 2 the Wisconsin chairman of the Gephardt for President campaign. Condon was dent of the Milwaukee Chapter of the promised consideration for a delegate spot NAACP, an organization that is supposed Colorful Alan Eisenberg Running if he endorsed Jackson, which he did after to be working for equality, and John and his candidate had dropped out of the race, Irma Becker, Cudahy. John Becker is an for Milwaukee County Clerk about a week prior to the Wisconsin officer with Local P-40, the union that is It would not be too much at all to say that primary. striking the Patrick Cudahy plant. Alan Eisenberg is one of the best known Informed sources say that at a secret The National Jackson Staff has offered to lawyers in Wisconsin. In fact, one person meeting held in Madison on Friday June pay Meunier's expenses so that he (along called him "The Perry Mason of the 3rd, Steve Cobble, Jackson's National with 3 others from Wisconsin Light) can Badger State." He has been called Delegate Selection Co-ordinator, Co-Chairs represent Wisconsin's Gay and Lesbian "colorful" and "controversial" and a of the Wisconsin Jackson campaign, State community at the convention and has "fighter for the underdog." As one lawyer Representatives Polly Williams and David offered to provide Jesse for a Gay Rights told Light, "Nearly everybody in the legal Clarenbach, and Williams' legislative Rally to be held in Wisconsin. Meunier and community knows he will go to all lengths aide, Larry Harwell met and agreed to other major figures on the Gay Jackson for his clients" and these clients include promote a recommended slate to fill the network, are satisfied that, while the poor Blacks, other minorities, and Gays eight at-large delegate positions. They national campaign can not divorce itself and Lesbians. included Condon on the slate because of completely from its responsibility for what Eisenberg is all that and he is a young the promise he was made. happened, it is upset with the lack of Gay man in his 40's, of the Norquist-Schulz The recommended slate was supposed to delegates and is trying to make amends. type. And he is running, running hard as have included Kathleen Nichols a Madison Meunier hopes that Wisconsin's acti- in the ninth candidate for the office of Lesbian. Williams, however, call Genette vists will understand that this situation Attorney Alan Eisenberg efforts. "Every- Milwaukee County clerk, a post now held Banks, the Second Congressional District no way reflects upon their as what each involves. one knows that we were the campaign in by Thomas E. Zablocki. Zablocki has been chairperson for Jackson and urged her to He is quite correct when he says that over half the state, and won quite a few of in his present position since 1969. replace Nichols with her own choice. Banks "County Government cannot exist for a Jesse's delegates. Wisconsin's politicians To spend a couple of hours with who Meunier called "an honest, well- day without this office (County Clerk) know that they ignore us at their peril..." Eisenberg leaves one drained. The man is meaning person who had no idea that functioning properly." Meunier also hopes that because of the a vertiable dynamo, a whirlwind of Nichols was the only member of our His background is impressive. He work- efforts of Jackson's national staff Wiscon- energy, entering the room in a gust. Office community on the slate," agreed to do so ed his way through college. Atone time or sin's Gay and Lesbian will be willing to staffers hurry in and out. There are papers since Nichols did not work in the campaign, another he was a singer, a factory, worker, continue to support Jackson. Although he to sign. The work must go on. TV and radio and replaced her with Frances Cooper. a landscaper, a stand-up comic, actor or concedes that it is not likely that Gay or stations call for comments on recent U.S. At the convention in La Crosse, when salesman "and every kind of restaurant Lesbian support for Jackson will equal the Supreme Court decisions and Eisenberg Banks realized that there were no Gay or work you can think of." He has been a level it achieved in 1988. knows them by heart. From his conversa- Lesbian delegates, she attempted to re- successful journalist and columnist, hosted There is a feeling held by many that it tion you know that on the other end of the move Cooper in favor of Nichols. Rep. his own radio talk shows and attended may be impossible to rally the community line are familiar names, names you hear Williams refused to allow Nichols to be put Marquette Law School earning a Doctor of for Jesse again given what happened. One everyday. Then someone brings in a little back on the state, even though Banks Jurisprudence. Since 1966 he has been the Milwaukee activist said, "I know a lot of kitten. Eisenberg, a cat fancier, pets and assured her that Cooper would not object to head of a major Wisconsin law firm and in people who voted for Jesse because it cuddles it — and all the while, never once being dropped. 1986 was cited as one of America's best appeared as though we were being losses track of the interviewers before him Meunier and others had objected to lawyers.