Newsnotes by Rivendell Marketing

Published as a Service of The Memphis Gay Coalition · e Volume 10, Number 4 M mphi s , Tennessee April1989 Helms Kills Federal AZT Subsidy Bill As States Run Out of Funds Washington, D.C. - Senator faster because they cannot af organization in the country. Jesse Helms (R- NC) has killed ford life-prolonging drug treat HRCF furiously lobbied for legisltation that would have ments It was not a good day in passage of the bill before the extended . by six months the Washington for affordable current program expired. federal government's funding health care." Among other actions, HRCF program for AZT (Retrovir) for Last September, Congress sent 3,300 mail grams to Capitol low-income individuals. The authorized $15 million to con Hill, urging virtually every move comes as two states - tinue the program until March Senator to vote for the legisla Georgia and Kansas - have 31, 1989, The new bill would tion. exhausted their AZT grants, with have extended the subsidy pro "The subsidy bill was the best funding in several more states gram through September 30, short-termsolution," said Steve expected to expire in the up 1989. The program was origi Smith, HRCF lobbyist. "It coming weeks. nally created in spring of 1987 would have bought more time Approximately 7,000 people when AZT was first licensed. for patients to continue getting in the U.S. are receiving gov Congress has adjourned for two AZT without spending them Auctioneer Mark Davis and volunteer Vincent Astor ernment assistance under the weeks and will not reconvene selves into poverty." reb AZT subsidy program. AZT - until· April 4, after the program HRCF lobbyists remain opti . , which costs about $8,000 a year has ended. mistic that some form of gov Fundraisers Net $19 000 at full dose -is the only govern The legislation was intro ernment subsidy can be worked , ment-approved drug for directly duced into the Senate by Ted out in the near future, despite for PWA's fighting AIDS. Kennedy (D - MA), who rallied interference from Helms. Human Rights Campaign wide-spread, bi-partisansupport "We will look for alternative The Third Annual ATEAC • Trips to K€y West and Las Fund (HRCF) lobbyists said the for the bill. Reports indicated opportunities to help low-in Auction for AIDS proved to be Vegas bill would not have allocated the Department of Health and come individuals pay for AZT,'' Sharon Wray, owner of the most successful Memphis additional funds for AZT, but Human Services had endorsed said Smith. 'The objective for WKRB, was again this year's AIDS fundraising event ever would have given the govern continuation of the program. us is affordable health care for top bidder, catching the trip to held in Memphis. Held at the ment time to reprogram already The AZT subsidy bill and all Americans, including people Paris, Beghtol's painting, and Memphis AirportHilton March existing fundsinto federal AZT other health care fmancing leg with AIDS." other items. 25, the auction raisedjust over subsidies. For example, funds islation have been identified as HRCF suggests people con This year's auction was pro- $14,000 from the 314 people from states with surplus money top legislative priorities by the tact their senators and represen duced by Mark Whitehead with attending. An anonymous J could be moved into states Human Rights Campaign Fund, tatives and urge their supportof assistance from about 45 Wag's patronhas announced he whose funds have expired, or the largest AIDS and Gay and future federal AZT subsidies. ATEAC volunteers. will raise the total to the nearest additional monies could be lo- Lesbian civil rights political The event capped a month of thousand dollars which will be cated- within the Public Health ATEAC events designed to $15, 000. Service to subsidize AZT. increase the PW A Relief Fund. According to Tommy Ste Majority Leader George Newsnotes by Rivendell Marketing. Ac March 18th's AIDS Aware- wart, President of ATEAC, the Mitchell (D _ME), who sched cording to the report,U.S. homo nessNight brought about$1300 money is earmarked for direct ules legislation in the .Senate, Guns N' Roses, a heavy sexuals have average incomes in for thePWA Fund. The AIDS patient assistance and will be had stipulated the bill would be metal rock band scheduled to of $36,800 compared to the Awareness Nights used to help clients with rent, will be held brought onto the floor only if headline a June 8 AIDS Fun $12,287 average per capita in monthly and utility, transportation, food, and will include street Senators could agree not to add draiser at Radio City Music Hall, come earned by the general medical expenses. outreach, safe sex education, amendments or to set a time was dropped from the lineup, population. Celebrity auctioneers in freecondom distribution, as well limit for debate of amendments. but organizers still believe the cluded WMC NewsTalk 79's as fundraising. Legislative insiders on Capi- concert will happen. The group Poppers <I�obutyl ni Mark Davis, Channel 5 News' On March 19, GDI on the tol Hill said Helms, along with was dismissed after a number of trites) were made illegal as of Nancy Hart and Joe Birch, River held a benefitwhich raised Senators WilliamArmstrong (R people objected to their song Feb. 15 as part of a federal Om about$3,000 uding 2,400 _ WEGR's Bev Hart, and musi incl a$ CO) and Don Nickles (R - "One In A Million." nibus Drug Law prohibits sales cianJoyce Cobb. Over200items pledge by owner Frank Cooper. OK), refused to agree to the The song implied that Gay of all isobutyl nitrites However, were auctioned from the stage Performers included GDI's stipulations, thus preventing the men are responsible for spread Western Int'l Distributors has regular cast members Summer with another 50 or so items bill from being considered by ing AIDS and "that's not an ac sued to block the ban. WID's Holiday, Sofonda Peters, bidded on in a silent auction. & . the Senate. ceptable viewpoint," said Gay products, which include Bullet, Leslie Cartier as well as Lady Among the highlights: "When we say Jesse Helms Men's Health Crisis executive Thrust, and ten other brand • Astor and Kirby Kincaid among A $2000trip toParis France is ·King of Killer Amendments,' director Richard Dunne. names, are the only one's af others. donated by Pegasus Travel we really mean killer," said fected by the courtorder. Use of • The April 3 performance of A painting by Larry Beghtol Robert Bray, HRCF Communi Gay consumers isobutyl nitrites has been linked • "Boys in the Band" at WKRB A leaded beveled glasspanel cations Director. "More people are a desireable demographic tQ to development of full blown will also benefit PWA's. donated by Gayoso Glass are going. to get sick and die advertisers says a report released AIDS and kaposi's sarcoma. 2-Gaze-April, 1989 trend. Blacks, who have assist Blacks, no one has ever from reality. But what is of achieved so much since the been able to legislate an end to greater concern, is that homo beginning of the civil rights prejudice; bigotry, and hate. phobia, AfrAIDS, and the hate movement , areseeing what they The public is generous with that these generate, become have achieved, being slowly less fortunate people during more acceptable. Gay bashing whittled away. Laws guaran good times. But, as the econ becomes less offensive. And teeing equal employment op omy grows worse,. everyone typically, our reaction to this portunities, laws requiring that looks out for themselves. They kind of adversity is to disappear a certainnumber of public con will take back those things they into the background and hope Beware of the Trickle tracts go to minority businesses, so generously gave, during good that nobody bothers us. and other laws guaranteeing op times. What we need to do is band by John Stilwell the Reagan administration and portunities to breakthe poverty As Gays and Lesbians, what together to protect ourselves and we'regoing into at least 4 years cycle are coming under fire. All allthis means to us is that, as the our interests. We need to pres I remember when the "trickle of the Bush administration, and of this is possible because in clock is turned back, our hope ent a united front. Even if we down" theory was first pro I'm still waiting for the prosper spite of the laws and the. safe for legislation guaranteeing our can't be unified, we have to posed. For those of you who ity to "trickle down." The prob guards designed to protect and civil rights moves farther away presentthe appearance of unity. don't remember,the theory was lem with this theory is that a proposed by the Reagan ad little bit of wealth only whets ministration. The basic idea is the appetitefor more wealth and that the government gives big the wealthy don't seem to care business all these tax advan about "sharing" it. tages and all these breaks. As a So while ·the rich are getting result, big business prospers;and richer, the poor and middle class as big business profits, the citizens findit harder and harder wealth "trickles down" to every to make ends meet. Social serv I Gaze encourages lettersfrom tantly homophobic. The Gay Director, American Gay Athe level of the economic chain. ices and "buffers" that help these its readers on any topic. Please community doesn't need any ists. Well, we've had 8 years of people are whittled away be limit your letters to approxi- more hate mongers. We hope They have a right to their cause they have to bepaid for by mately 500 words in length.

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