National/International News

K-Mart/Wal-Mart Refuse AIDS Book

New York, NY - Two of the largest re-
tailers in the U.S., K—Mart and Wal—Mart
have refused to carry What You Can Do
to Avoid AIDS, Magic J ohnson’s book on
AIDS education. The book, profits from
which go to the Magic Johnson AIDS
Foundation, has been endorsed by numer-
ous groups, including the American Med-
ical Association. The AMA said “Every-
body—especially teenagers and parents
needs to read this book. This book could
help save lives.”

A K—Mart representative said the book
“doesn’t fit the family orientation of a K-
Mart shopper.” Apparently such publica-
tions as Jackie Collin’s Hollywood Wives
and a recent issue of Cosmopolitian with
an article on the etiquette of oral sex do
fit K-Mart’s “family” orientation, since
both have been sold there. Wal—Mart
originally stocked the book but then re-
moved it from its shelves, saying “the
language was not in keeping with what
our customers tell us they want to read.”
(The New York Times, Burlington Free
Press)

St. Louis Pride Day Ends in Violence

St. Louis, Mo. — A mob of youths at-
tacked participants leaving St. Louis’
Pride Day Festival on June 28. The
youths who were gathered in one section
of Forest Park, site of the celebration,
verbally and physically harassed at-
tendees when the event ended. “It was a
terrible and traumatic incident” said one
man who was beaten until he lost con-
sciousness. “A man hit me in the face. I
kicked him back and then I don’t re-
member anything else. I woke up with a
policeman over me telling me to leave if I
wanted to survive.”

ARANOFF

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UPSON

SERVING THE NEEDS OF THE
LESBIAN AND GAY COMMUNITY

V

Susan L. Aranoff Lisa A. Upson
28 MAIN STREET, MONTPELIER, VERMONT 05602

802.223.1418

AVV

 

Several people were beaten to the
ground and at least one tossed into a
nearby river. Only two police officers re-
sponded to the mob. A police source told
the News—Telegraph that none of the
people assaulted were willing to file re-
ports and therefore no arrests could be
made. (Lesbian and Gay News Tele-
graph, The Washington Blade )

Military Ban
Costs Taxpayers Millions

Washington, D.C.. — A General Ac-
counting Office study released J une 19th
by three senior members of Congress, in-
cluding Rep. Gerry Studds (D—MA), dis-
closed that the Pentagon wastes tens of
millions of dollars each year to try and
rid the military of lesbians and gays. In
1990 alone (a year when discharges were
lower than average due to the Gulf War)
the GAO estimated the cost at $27 mil-
lion. Women were discharged at a wide-
ly disporportionate rate and enlisted per-
sonnel made up almost all of the
discharges because officers were fre-
quently given the option to resign. (Out-
lines )

Florida Deputy Sheriff
Wins Reinstatement

Orlando, FL - Judge William Gridley
ruled June 9 that Orange County Sheriff
Walter Gallagher violated Deputy Sher-
riff Thomas Woodward’s constitutional
rights, including his right to privacy, un-
der the Florida State constitution. Grid-
ley ordered Gallagher to reinstate Wood-
ward with full back pay. The court ruled
that “the constitutional right to privacy
protects the individual from the prej-
udicial or punitive use” of information
about his or her sexual orientation and
private sexual conduct. (Lambda Legal
Defense Fund)

Toronto Bookstore Raided

Toranto, Ontario - Ontario Provincial
Police charged the manager and owner
of Toronto’s Glad Day Bookshop with
selling obscene material; an issue of
Bad Attitude, a U.S. lesbian magazine.
The April raid came after the Canadian
Supreme Court redefined obscenity,
changing it from a matter of local con-
cern (a vague definition) to read materi-
al “dehumanizing and degrading (that)
predisposes people to commit acts of
anti-social behavior.” (Outlines)

Violence in Oregon

Portland, OR — The Portland office of
the Campaign for a Hate Free Oregon
(CHFO), the statewide lesbian and gay
group fighting several far right ballot
initiatives, was vandalized and de-
molished during the night of June 8.
The break-in came on the heels of an
increase in organizing by the lesbian
and gay community of Oregon to com-
bat the extremist right which has tar-
geted Oregon for a November ballot
measure that would thwart attempts by
gay people to obtain equal rights. Ac-
tivists attribute the break-in to the Ore-
gon Citizens Alliance (OCA).

OCA is spearheading the initiatives and
has successfully passed a measure in
Springfield, Oregon prohibiting the city
from passing or enforcing any law that
bans discrimination based on sexual or-
ientation and prohibits “the city of
Springfield, its agencies, departments,
bureaus, properties or monies be used
to promote, encourage, or facilitate ho-
mosexuality.” (Washington Blade,
NGLTF) V

  

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September 1992