VOLUME NINE, NO. 17—August 15, 1996—August 28, 1996—Issue 211 FREE

Give the People Light and they will find their own way. V The Wisconsin Light

Bette Midler Coming To Milwaukee To Lead President Clinton to Address AIDS Walk Wisconsin Les/Bi/Gav Political Convention Milwaukee— Bette Midler, this year's AIDS Walk Wisconsin honorary Chair will First Sitting President Ever appear in Milwaukee on September 22, to kick off the seventh annual AIDS Walk to Deliver Message to Wisconsin, held along Milwaukee's lakefront. Gay Political Meeting Midler will be present at the AIDS Walk breakfast, opening ceremonies, ribbon cutting, Washington. D.C. President Clinton and a "Divine Reception." She will lead off will address the Human Rights Campaign's the Walk and will be the honored guest at a OutVote '96, the first Lesbian and Gay Walk reviewing stand to send thousands of national convention, on videotape, the IIRC walkers on their way over the six mile route. announced. More than 8,000 people and 800 teams have The president will send a taped message to already registered to participate in this year's the fleeting in Chicago, to be shown Saturday, AIDS Walk Wisconsin which benefits 16 August 17, during the main plenary session. AIDS education and service providers George Stephanopoulos, a senior Clinton throughout the state. Walk officials estimate adviser, will personally attend the meeting that as many as 15,000 walkers will and will acknowledge the endorsement of participate in and raise pledges for the event. Clinton by MC, the largest national Lesbian Last year's AIDS Walk raised $766,464. and Gay political organization. "Bette has long been a strong advocate in "This will be the first time a sitting presi- the fight against AIDS," said Doug Nelson, dent has sent a personal, videotaped message executive director of the AIDS Resource to a Gay political meeting," said Daniel Zin- Center of Wisconsin which produced the gale, HRC's political director. "We look for- Walk. "Enthusiasm has never been higher {m- ward to hearing what the president has to say ate Walk. Ilene will help us draw a huge and welcome his efforts to continue a dialogue crowd and raise record amounts for AIDS with Gay and Lesbian Americans." services in Wisconsin." liwyneth Pattrow is stunning as the title eharcter in Exuma. a new adaptation ol the Jane Austen novel. I he film HR('. OutVote '96 will take place on August he AIDS Walk begins with Bette Midler at has strong pertonnantamt and a great script. it opens August 15 at Milwaukee Ontutal Theater See Glen Bishop' 16-18 in Chicago. Stephanopoulos is slated to breakfast at the Italian ('onununity Center. Review on page 16. speak at the main plenary session Saturday, Tickets for the breakfast arc 55(1. A "Divine August 17, from 3:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. ('DT Reception" will be held from 11-11:30 a.m. at 1IRC OutVote '96 will draw about 5(111 sup- the Italian Community ('enter as a special Gunderson and Morris Keynote Log Cabin porters ()I' equal rights for Gay people and find-raiser at which people can pay $500 to teach the campaign skills they need to make a meet and have a picture taken with Bette Convention; Urge GOP Tolerance difference in this year's critical elections. The for both events is limited. Midler. Space annual meeting through Sunday at the Lafay- three-day event will feature speeches by Tickets will he sold on a first-paid basis, San Diego—Rep. Steven Gunderson of prominent Republican and Democratic lead- Wisconsin called it a challenge to be a Gay ette ilotel in suburban San Diego. The Re- and may be purchased by charge by calling the publican National Convention started on ers, including Representative Steve Gunder- W alk hotline at 1-800-348-WALK. Because Republican and said it is time for the party to son ( R-11, And Housing and Urban Devel- be tolerant 01 houlusexuals. Monday, August 12 ." at the San Diego Con- of Bette ?slitter's popularity, AIDS Walk vention Center. opment Secretary Henry G. Cisneros. officials are encouraging people to purchase "I live for the day when I don't even have to "This party is going to have to deal with Other featured speakers will include Ellen tickets early. talk about this issue because it's irrelevant, Malcolm, founder of the political organization because it's been resolved,' Gunderson said the Gay and Lesbian issue because family af- Walk sign-in begins at 10:30 a.m., opening ter family is being toadied by it," Gunderson EMILY 's List; The Rev. Troy Perry., bounder ceremonies will be held at noon, and the Walk during the weekend while preparing for the of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan said. - We can't just write off all that element will begin at 12:30 with Bette Midler cutting Republican National Convention. Community Churches, a Protestant denomi- Ile and his partner of 13 years, architect of Anierica." Gtmderson said in an interview that Re- nation that ministers primarily In Gay men Rob Morris, spoke Saturday to a meeting of and Lesbians; and Col. Margarethe Cammer- the Lug Cabin Republicans, an organization publicans writing the party platform went out of their way to oppose measures that tight meyer, the highest-ranking member of the of Gay and Lesbian conservatives_ military ever to face discharge for answering Gunderson, 45, said Gay Republicans must discrimination on the basis of sexual orienta- tion. truthfully when asked, during a security clear- ;Isk who their party is for. ance interview, if she is Gay. "Are all Americans welcome or just a few?" "They didn't have to say that,' Gunderson said. 'That's just mean.' Others slated to speak during the plenary :le said, session include: actress Judith Light, star of' Please turn to Log Cabin page 27 The Log Cabin Republicans held their sixth ABCs Who's the Boss; Mitchell Anderson front Fox's Party of Five; Amanda Hearse of Scientists Find Reason Why Some People at Fox's Married...With Children; and Dan Butler front NBC's Frasier, Also addressing Risk Can Escape HIV Infection the convention will be IIRC's official spokes- people for Campaign '96; Candace Gingrich; Boston. MA—Scientists have unraveled one This protein is one of the docking points the Chastity Bono, a writer with The Advocate of the mysteries of the AIDS epidemic--why AIDS virus needs to invade cells. magazine; and Sean Sasser, of MTV's The some escape infection despite thousands of Those who are born with two copies of the Real World III. risky sexual encounters. mutant gene--one from each parent-- appear IIRC OutVote '96 opens Friday evening The answer, for many, appears to be inborn. to be highly resistant to AIDS infection, with a welcome reception featuring Sen. Carol They have genes that make it extremely dif- though experts are not sure if their protection Moseley-Braun, (Day That will be followed ficult to catch Illy , the AIDS virus, according is absolute. by the first presentation of the IIRC Equality to findings published August 9 k" in the jour- A surprising 20 percent or so of whites nal Cell. Awards — emceed by actor Harvey Fierstein were found to have one copy. The effects of in recognition of significant contributions The discovery opens new possibilities for having one copy are still unclear. But the re- to the cause of Lesbian and Gay equality. treating and preventing the disease. If scien- searchers believe it makes people somewhat Topping off opening night will he a concert by tists can find a way to mimic the effects of less likely to get infected and may help them the avant-garde singing trio, BETTY. this inborn genetic shield, they believe it may survive much longer once infection occurs. he possible to create a pill that will keep peo- Drug companies are already working on Saturday and Sunday will be packed with ple from becoming infected with the AIDS vi- drugs to block CURS as a way of keeping HIV workshops teaching activists the campaign rus. out of cells, Landau said. skills necessary to get involved in I IRC's ef- Scientists made the discovery with the help - All over the world, wherever people look, forts to elect and re-elect fair-minded mem- f two Gay men who volunteered at the Aaron there is a small fraction of people who seem bers of Congress this fall. They will cover Diamond AIDS Research Center in New York not to get infected," despite multiple expo- such subjects as raising money, creating a Bette Midler (The Divine Miss M) City. sure, said Dr. Robert W. Donis of the Univer- winning message for a political campaign, how to register voters and get them to the '1.01)AN' S 'MA's Carole Meekuis will he The men, who said they had watched 40 or sity of Pennsylvania Medical Center. "For 50 of their friends and lovers die of AIDS, whites, it is often going to be because of this polls and how to make the most effective use the emcee for the breakfast, Walk kickoff, and of the Internet. \ Walk closing ceremonies along with 94 wondered why their own high exposure to the mutation, But this may just he the beginning WKTI's Bob Reitman and Gene Mueller. virus had not also led to infection. of an interesting story.' The 10k (6.2 mile) walk features six rest The researchers discovered that both men Already, some experts worry that people In The Spotlight stops with food and entertainment along the carried- a pair of genes that ward off HIV. will throw away their condoms if they learn They were even more surprised to learn how walk route. they have two copies of the mutant gene. • The Frantic End of Summer Prizes will be awarded to those participants common these genes are. "That would be folly. We are just on the who raise and turn in the most money by "We originally thought people with this threshold of understanding all of this,' said • LANIN1S Variety Show would be one in a million. Actually, it's more September 22, 1996: Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National En- • Rainbow Over Wisconsin Pride 3 fix $100, an AIDS Walk T-shirt like one in H10" white people, said Dr. Na- stitute of Allergy and Infectious I)iseases. 3 for $250, an AIDS Walk sweatshirt than R. Landau, one of the Diamond re- In another report scheduled for publication Weekend searchers. 3 for 5500, a Ricoh Super 35min camera in the August 22 issue of the journal Nature. • The Links Block Party 3 for $1,000, a Koss CD discman with car Only whites carry the genes for reasons that Doms and colleagues describe looking for the adapter are not yet clear. mutant gene in people of European, African • The Spotlight Party- Aug 31 The key to warding off HIV is a mutation in 3 lir $2,000, a Sams ung 13" color and Asian heritage. • Nlovie Reviews television the genes that direct the body's defenses While only whites had it, Doms and others The camera, discman and television are against disease. In this ease, a gene called suspect that people of other ethnic origins • The Night Light, The Guide CCR5 is missing a chunk of information, so will turn out to have other protective genes. Please turn to AIDS Walk Page 2 the body fails to produce a particular protein. and MORE