Baltimore Alternative, October 1989

ОстоЬеп 1989 AHERN AT IV i AnotUer VoicE. AnotUer Choic EE Disabilities Act Passed by Senate Homosexuality/Bisexuality Excluded by John Zeh WASHINGTON— With swift considera¬ tion cheered by activists, the U.S. Senate on Sept. 7th voted to codify civil rights protec¬ tion for people with AIDS, HIV infection, and other impairments by overwhelmingly passing the Americans With Disabilities Act [ADA], But sponsors agreed to exclude “sexual behavior disorders” such as homo/ bisexuality, transvestism, and pedophilia per se, an exception some said could give the preferences new status. Eight conservative Republicans, in a ses¬ sion lasting late into the night, voted against 76 colleagues who favored the omnibus bill. Gay, lesbian, and AIDS activists hailed the margin, but blasted Congressional bash¬ ing and urged citizens to lobby Representa¬ tives for fast action on H.R. 2273, the House’s version in this 101st session. Silvio Conte (R-MA) and Steny Hoyer (D-MD) are chief sponsors in that chamber, where 219 members already have signed on. What’s ahead in the House? “There’s al¬ ways threats of the unexpected from folks like Rep. William Dannemeyer (R-CA),” said Peri Jude Radecic, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s [NGLTF] legislative director. ADA “truly could change life in Ameri¬ ca as it is experienced by people with all dis¬ abilities,” said Jean McGuire, head of the AIDS Action Council and the National Or¬ ganizations Responding to AIDS [NORA], What assured victory was “the press of the epidemic and the incredible collaboration within the disabled community,” she said. Senate Passes Trio of Helms, Humphrey Amendments Little Opposition Offered to AIDS, Anti-Gay Riders “Disabled citizens,” said ADA co¬ sponsor Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), “deserve the opportunity to work for a liv¬ ing, ride a bus, have access to public and commercial buildings, and do all the other things the rest of us take for granted.” Within 24 hours after President Bush of¬ ficially endorsed ADA, Kennedy’s Labor and Human Resources Committee unani¬ mously approved S. 933 without dissent. “AIDS is a public health emergency,” Ken¬ nedy said. “[We] are declaring that we will see DISABILITIES ACT page 6 by Cliff O' Neill WASHINGTON — In debate on the 1990 Labor, Health and Human Services appropri¬ ations bill, Sept. 21st, the Senate agreed to two AIDS-related amendments from Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC) and another anti-gay amendment from Sen. Gordon Humphrey (R-NH) banning federal funds from being used for pro-gay public school educational materials. Early in the day’s proceedings, Sen. Alan Cranston (D-CA), seeking to sidestep Underground Compound Q Study Data to Be Presented to FDA Project Inform Study Shows “ Significant , Sustained ” Reduction in HIV Activity by Garey Lambert At a public meeting on September 19th in San Francisco, Project Inform released the preliminary findings from its clandestine Compound Q treatment protocol. The results to date, which were obtained by following 51 volunteer study subjects in four cities, are “extremely promising,” despite the appear¬ ance of some severe side-effects. Three pa¬ tients died during the course of the study, though Project Inform officials say none died as a direct result of taking Compound Q. Martin Delaney, Executive Director of Project Inform, is to present the Compound Q data to the FDA this week. The preliminary results show that in a majority of the patients participating in the San Francisco arm of the study, three small injections of Compound Q (trichosanthin) given over a three week period reduced p24 antigen levels by an average of 50%. p24 is a measure of HIV activity. In 9 of 15 pa¬ tients (those evaluable for p24 antigen lev¬ els) the reduction was sustained up to four months after the last injection of Compound Q. All 15 patients had been p24 positive even after long term AZT use. Of the pa¬ tients whose p24 levels were deemed “sig¬ nificant” (>100), all experienced sustained reductions averaging 67%. By contrast, p24 levels may also drop dramatically in patients who begin AZT therapy. But as resistance to that drug in¬ creases, P24 levels gradually return to pre¬ therapy levels. If AZT treatment is interrupt¬ ed, p24 levels often rise immediately and rapidly. However, in the compound Q pa¬ tients, p24 levels dropped after the injec¬ tions, and have remained low and apparently stable over the several months since the compound Q injections ended. Dr. Alan Levin, Project Inform’s Medi¬ cal Director, said these findings were partic¬ ularly significant because they occurred in people whose p24 levels were not able to be controlled by using AZT. Immunological measures, including T-4 lymphocyte counts, improved in a majority of patients. 19 of 34 participants experi- see UNDERGROUND Q page 14 an expected amendment from Helms with¬ holding federal funds to AIDS education programs which “promote or encourage, di¬ rectly or indirectly, homosexual sexual ac¬ tivity,” introduced a substitute amendment, identical to one passed last year. The Cranston amendment would man¬ date that federally funded AIDS educational programs not “promote or encourage, direct¬ ly, intravenous drug abuse or sexual activity, homosexual or heterosexual,” and should in¬ stead “be designed to reduce exposure to and transmission of’ HIV. After brief comments from Cranston and Sen. Brock Adams (D-WA) supporting the amendment, as opposed to the much broader and more restrictive Helms measure, the amendment passed 99-0. On a vote on an identical measure last year, Helms vociferously opposed the Crans¬ ton substitute and lost on three consecutive votes to impose his own amendment. How¬ ever, even Helms supported the Cranston measure this year. Sen. Pete Domenici (R- NM) was absent from the day’s business. Later, Helms introduced an amendment, co-sponsored by Sen. Dan Coats (R-IN), “It just goes to show you how much more work we need to do with the Senate on issues of gay youth and homosexuality.” —Peri Jude Radecic NGLTF lobbyist which would ban federal funds from being used for AIDS prevention programs which distribute IV drug needles or bleach to clean IV needles. see SENATE PASSES TRIO page 8 NEWS Sex With Chickens OK . p. 2 Simon Nkoli Speaks In Baltimore ... p. 4 Police Meet With Gay Community .. p. 7 Across America . p. 9 World News . p. 10 Quilt Displayed . p. 32 HEALTH Steve Gavin Speaks- Compound Q Study . p. 16 Youth Suicide . p. 17 AIDS Update . p. 18 Research Studies in Baltimore/Washington . p. 19 Fail Theater, Music and Dance Preview . p. 22 ARTS Alan Waldren on Robert Shields’ Mime Show . p. 25 Politics and Arts . p. 28 Claire Porter performs with Kinetics Dance Company on Oct. 28 Holly Near In concert Oct.22