Baltimore Alternative, April 1990

John Waters^£ry-Baby is in Baltimore ТЬе ВаЫмоке Apttil 1990 ALTERNATIVE AIDS activist Bret Earl arrested by Arlington Co. Police while protesting AIDS funding at national conference 5 Bush AIDS Speech Gets Mixed Reviews From AIDS Activists Advocates Blast Talk as “Long on Compassion , Short on Commitment ” by Cliff O'Neill CRYSTAL CITY, VA— President George Bush got mixed reviews from AIDS activists for his first major speech on the epidemic, delivered here March 29, which included an emotional call for com¬ passion toward all AIDS patients, but ne¬ glected to address a host of other health care and immigration matters. Speaking before the National Leader¬ ship Business Conference on AIDS, Bush delivered his address to the 500 gathered business and labor leaders, calling on all Americans to put away “irrational fear" about AIDS transmission and keep those with HIV and AIDS active in the work¬ place. “In this Nation,” he said, “in this dec¬ ade, there is only one way to deal with an individual who is sick. With dignity, com¬ passion, care, confidentiality and compas¬ sion, and without discrimination. Once disease strikes — we don’t blame those who are suffering. We don’t spurn the ac¬ cident victim who didn’t wear a seat belt. We don’t reject the cancer patient who didn’t quit smoking. We try to love them see BUS/I AIDS SPEECH page.2 Mayor Kurt Schmoke shown receiving the HRCF Humanitarian Award from Chairman Stephen A. Glassman. see LIGHTING THE WAY ...page 9 Bush Shocks Artists No Restraints Sought on NEA Funding by John 2 eh WASHINGTON— Two days after “Arts Advocacy” protests at the Capitol, the Bush administration shocked people on all sides in the batde over federally- funded art by not seeking restraints on sex- ually-explicit, homoerotic subject mauer. Deleting content restrictions while ex¬ panding evaluation panels’ diversity “will best serve the American people,” John Frohnmeycr, chair of the National Endow¬ ment for the Arts, told a House subcom¬ mittee rewriting NEA’s authorization March 22nd. The administration’s proposal, he said, would not extend the one-year ban on ob¬ scenity and indecency Congress imposed after Sen. Jesse Helms [R-NC] fought for limits on taxpayer-financed art he consid¬ ers offensive. “I believe in accountability, and I believe this is a responsible agency,” Frohnmeyer said. The move pleased many in the art world, caused caution among some, and disappointed conservative critics, who promised that the fight over subsidizing “trash art” has just begun. “It was a huge relief, great news,” said Charlotte Murphy, head of the National Association of Artists’ Organizations (NAAO), who helped plan the rally March 20th. “It’s the only thing Bush has done for us,” said Aldo Hernandez, a New York City artist and Art+Positive founder who was angered by the rally’s “token” treat¬ ment of gay issues. “AIDS is killing hun¬ dreds of artists,” he said. “Now homopho¬ bia is killing art.” President George Bush and other offi¬ cials underestimate opposition to NEA funding of “freak art,” charged Rep. Dana Rohrbacher (R-CA). They “are not taking seriously how outraged the American peo¬ ple are that taxpayers’ dollars are being spent on obscene, indecent, and blasphe¬ mous art.” “This is a healthy sign, but we have to keep our guard up,” warned John Moore, head of the Washington Projects for the Arts (WPA), which showed the late Rob¬ ert Mapplethorpe’s exhibit canceled by the Corcoran Gallery. “There’s going to be a lot of shuffling and backroom jockeying” before congress settles the feud this sum¬ mer. “I don’t think anyone’s out of the woods.” Moore’s boss, board chair James Fitz¬ patrick, defended WPA’s Mapplethorpe exhibit early in the rally, winning praise from angry gay activists who had to wait two hours before they were allowed to ad¬ dress the few shivering supporters left. “We’re here to bear witness... that the right of freedom must never give away to censors and those whose standards are the “For the daily definition of obscenity, dial 1 -900- ASK-J ESSE” lowest common denominators of accepted conventionality,” he said. Another opening speaker heard by nearly 300 people, New York painter Eric Fischl, said, “We should start thinking of ourselves as a single voice [on] the issues that affect us all: women’s rights, gay rights, and censorship. We must form powerful coalitions to tell those jerks up on [Capitol] Hill that we want to put the liberal agenda back on the slate.” Activists distributed postcards ad¬ dressed to members of Congress depicting works by Bronzino and Michelangelo that would be denied funding because of youthful nudity. Some wore paper-plate masks labeled “CENSORED” with taped mouths. Students from the Rhode Island School of Design handed out a “Nazi Art Police” guide from the National Associa¬ tion for Transmission of Safe Images. Signs said “For the daily definition of ob¬ scenity, dial 1-900- AS K-JESSE” and “No gags on art.” Huge banners resembling Merlin’s barricade and saying “demolish the wall of censorship” were held behind the podium facing the Mall. About 25 artists and actors skewered Helms and his henchmen from the Capi- see BUSH SHOCKS page 6 Weston’s Westons: Portraits and Nudes A rare opportunity to study original prints by one of the great masters. At the BMA. see ALTERNATIVE LIVING