WHITE WATER RAFTING!

The 1987 season for white water rafting on the Kings River Expedi tions runs through the first week of

SUNWEST

August. The mightiest of all of California's whitewater rivers originates high up in the Southern Sierra, flowing through magnificent Kings Canyon National Park, the

Sequoia and Sierra National Forests. The highwater season begins late in May and ends in the middle of June. Only physically fit

adults should raft during this period. After June 15, the water warms considerably, but the thrill and excitement of the great rapids

of the Kings are still a never-to-be-forgotten experience.

Single-Day & Two-Day Expeditions! Early reservations will assure priority reservation status for future trips.

ONE DAY EXPEDITIONS START AT $85

FOR ALL YOUR TRAVEL NEEDS

213-938-3222

T R A V E L 6900 MELROSE AVE LOS ANGELES, CA 90038

Any Bar, Business Or Organization

May Enter A Contestant

In The World's Largest

ALL MALE CONTEST

SURER MENFRE

PAGEANT

Saturday, August 29, 1987

Santa Monica Civic Auditorium

Preliminary Contests July 1 thru August 16

For Information Call (213) 656-2989

Or Write

7512 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90046

26 . EDGE May 13, 1987

Hospital Accused Of AIDS Bias

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Law Offices of Leroy S. Walker filed suit on April 21 against Centinela Hospital on behalf of a man forced to leave the hospital's alcohol and drug treatment program because he tested positive for exposure to the AIDS virus. The suit charges that the Inglewood hospital barred the man because "all the patients eat in the same kitchen, swim in the same pool," and the hospital feared other patients might become infected with AIDS because of this interaction.

"What rational reason, what medical, scientific basis, was there for asking this person to leave this program? There was none and the hospital should have known that," said attorney Lee Walker. "The reasons put forth by the hospital are absurd, and they're cruel."

The plaintiff, who asked that his identity remain confidential because he fears further discrimination, claims that he was coerced by the hospital into taking the HIV antibody blood test. He says he was told by hospital staff that "your AIDS test results came back positive and you have AIDS." In fact, the test results indicated only that the man had been exposed to the AIDS virus.

"I felt like committing suicide," the man said. "I felt like I had been thrown out into the street because I had a disease."

The outcome of the case could be of major importance to all individuals who test positive for HIV antibodies. The suit seeks to extend federal anti-discrimination law protecting persons with AIDS to include those. who have been exposed to the virus, but do not suffer physical symptoms and have not been diagnosed with AIDS or ARC.

"This case is important because it asks the court to rule, for the first time, that persons who test positively for AIDS antibodies are protected under the 1973 Rehabilitation Act," said Mickey Wheatley, one of the attorneys from the Walker Law Offices.

The attorneys will soon be asking U.S. District Court Judge Pamela Rymer to order Centinela Hospital to re-admit the patient into the program.

Brothers For Sisters Enters 2nd Year

Supporting the ideas that gay men and lesbians are united by common goals and bonds, the city of West Hollywood has proclaimed May the "Brothers for Sisters" month.

The proclamation was presented to Brothers for Sisters organizers at the offices of Connexxus, the West Hollywood-based lesbian social services center that is beneficiary of the Brothers for Sisters fundraising campaign underway since April.

"We're elated that the city felt the need to recognize the importance of Brothers for Sisters and the unity it promotes with this proclamation," said Lauren Jardine, Executive Director of Connexxus, in accepting the honor from Ted Kitos, Deputy for Mayor Steve Schulte.

Jardine was joined by Brothers for Sisters Co-Chairs Eric Rofes, Executive Director of the Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center, and Bob Craig, President of Christopher Street West.

"Connexxus is an important part of our community support framework. As gay men in the city of West Hollywood and all over Los Angeles and Southern California we ought to wholeheartedly support their fundraising efforts."

The informal ceremony delivering the official proclamation to Connexxus was held in front of the Brothers for Sisters contributors' "wall." The wall is actually made of pledges large and small in the form of specially created donor "bricks." With the bricks, members of Los Angeles' gay community have the opportunity to become a Brothers for Sisters "Journeyman," "Painter," "Electrician," "Decorator," "Contractor," "Architect," or "Financier," depending on the size of contribution.

This year's campaign, which runs through May, is the second Brothers for Sisters. Last year's fundraising campaign raised in excess of $10,000. "We're hoping to top that figure this year," Craig noted. "It's only fitting that we, as gay brothers, give something back to the lesbian commmunity, which has consistently been there for us in our times of need."

In the proclamation, Schulte pointed out "there is a long tradition of gay man and lesbians working together to achieve civil rights, social services and other common goals: and that the Brothers for Sister campaign "articulated the common goals and bonds" of the community.

Connexxus, founded in 1984, is one of the only nonprofit lesbian social service agencies in Southern California and is the only such center in West Hollywood. It provides emotional support, career counseling, networking and other vital services to more than 1,100 women monthly.

To make a Brothers for Sisters contribution, or for more information, telephone (213) 859-3960, or write to 9054 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069. In addition to the massive fundraising campaign being waged through the mail, Brothers for Sisters is holding several nights of telephone banking through May. Volunteers who wish to help the Brothers for Sisters phone bank effort may contact John Olson at (213) 483-5069.

139 AIDS Cases

Los Angeles County health officials reported 139 new AIDS cases during March, a figure that reflects continuing efforts to pare down an investigative case backlog, Los Angeles County Supervisor Ed Edelman said Tuesday, April 21.

All 139 new cases of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome logged during March were among adults. There were no new pediatric cases reported during the month.

The March total showed a slight drop from the February figure of 151 AIDS cases, but is still higher than the 100-per-month average for the last part of 1986 and early 1987.

The main reason for the upsurge is that county health officials have been concentrating on reducing a large backlog of investigative cases, Edelman said. That backlog, at one time more than 200 suspected cases, has been reduced to 143

cases.

By the end of March, there were 2,965 confirmed AIDS cases in Los Angeles County. Of that number, 2,949 exist among adults and 16 are pediatric cases involving children