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GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

An Independent Chronicle of the Ohio Lesbian and Gay Community

CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY

Volume 9, Issue 25 June 24, 1994

SOCIAL SCIENCES DEPT.

Hospital must pay in AIDS

bias case

Toledo A federal jury found June 14 that Dr. Charles Hull and Memorial Hospital in Fremont violated the Federal Rehabilitation Act, which prohibits discrimination against the disabled by an institution that receives federal money.

The jury awarded $512,000 to the estate of Fred Charon, 29. of Portland, Maine. Charon died of AIDS in March 1993. The lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, sought $100,000 in compensatory damages and $900,000 in punitive damages.

The defendants were cleared of two other allegations in five days of deliberations. A fourth allegation will be decided by U.S. District Court Judge John Potter.

Jurors said the hospital and Hull did not intentionally inflict emononal distress on Charon and did not violate federal law that prohibits "patient dumping" among hospitals.

Attorneys for the defendants said they had not decided whether to appeal.

John A. Gorman, chief executive officer of Memorial Hospital, said the hospital and Hull "acted in the best interest of Fred Charon. As a community hospital, our link with medical centers throughout the region allows us to provide the most comprehensive care available."

Charon was driving with his partner, Bruce Howe, from Maine to Wisconsin on April 17, 1992. He was near Fremont, about 45 miles southeast of Toledo, when he developed a rash, nausea, diarthea and a 103-degree fever.

Mark Reardon, a Memorial emergency room doctor, testified that Hull refused to admit Charon. Charon was transferred to Medical College Hospital in Toledo and was released two days later.

Hull said doctors believed MCH was better suited to handle Charon's rare skin disease, toxic epidermal necrolysis. The disease is caused by an allergic reaction to prescription drugs.

Gorman said transferring patients to such hospitals is common practice.

Continued on page 2

How

does

Cleveland's new lesbian-gay rights ordinance protect workers?

JUL 07 1994

JAMES STENNIES

Dancing on the Square

THE

A crowd jams to the beat of the Cleveland Pride festival's dance stage on Public Square June 11. More photos pg. 12.

Issue 3 trial begins in Cincinnati

Cincinnati-A judge must now decide whether to throw out a city charter amendment that bars the City Council from enacting or enforcing laws that ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

A lawyer for gay-rights activists challenging the amendment that was passed by a vote Novem-

ber 2 told U.S. District Judge Arthur S. Spiegel in opening arguments June 20 that the amendment strips gays, lesbians and bisexuals of their political rights. Spiegel is presiding over a non-jury trial.

"By carving out citizens who are gay, lesbian and bisexual, those citizens cannot have full political parContinued on page 2

Let the Games begin

New York-After a week filled with sports and entertainment, Gay Games IV will wrap up June 25 with a weekend that includes tennis, men's pairs figure skating (a first for the Games), a Saturday morning marathon and a celebrity-filled closing ceremony.

Welcomed by pom-pom boys vamping to the Village People. participants at the June 18 opening day ceremonies of the Games also got a serious greeting from Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

"The Gay Games are about more than athletic competition. They offer a deeper understanding of America where tolerance and skills overcome stereotypes and prejudice." he said.

The games form one of the world's largest athletic events with more than 11,000 athletes from 43 nations entered in 31 events at 42 locations around the metropolitan area. Thirteen events are sanctioned by their governing bodies. If Continued on page 7

Citizens' Committee on AIDS releases final report

by Charlton Harper

The Citizens' Committee on AIDS wrapped up an exhaustive 18-month study of Greater Cleveland's response to the AIDS epidemic with the June 7 release of its executive summary and action plan.

The Committee, convened by Mayor Michael White and Cuyahoga County commissioners in

1993, has presented a report that examines education and community awareness, support services, and leadership and funding. Though Ron Stewart, executive director of the Committee, admits the report is limited to a handful of issues, the tight focus has allowed for do-able, workable recommendations, while also placing the responsibility for leadership and increased funding on the shoulders of city and county government.

"This is not a call for another report," says Stewart. "There is an educational and infrastructure emphasis that allowed us to concentrate on key areas. But with around 21 issues addressed, we realized that this is not the only answer."

The Committee's recommenda-

Sharon Bottoms

6 on

son is returned to her as an appeals court reverses a homophobic decision

tions for AIDS awareness and education follow a basic belief that "every Cuyahoga County resident must receive HIV/AIDS_education." Recommendations are made for training a set number of teachers to become AIDS education trainers throughout the county. School systems are encouraged to

provide AIDS education to all grades K-12. including the committee endorsement for the availability of condoms starting in middle school. Suggested minimum guidelines are outlined for all AIDS prevention programs.

In the area of services and care, the committee's work centered on

the need for equal access to care by all people with HIV AIDS. Recommendations here include increased mental health counseling and support following post-test counseling at anonymous test sites; the securing of a second AIDS housing unit; a record-keeping sysContinued on page 2

Marcos Rivero sets us

straight about Stonewall

by Kevin Beaney

In the June 10 issue, Marcos Rivero spoke about what it was like participating in New York City's Stonewall riots. In this second and concluding part of the interview, he talks more about what Stonewall meant symbolically for a gay man of an ethnic minority coming out in the late 1960s, and how the gay community of today has lost its focus.

Rivero has been living in Cleveland for about three years and is heavily involved with ACT UP. On June 26 you'll find him

INSIDE

New health director Judy Zimomra has a man-

date on AIDS; ACT UP talked with her

where he has been every June since 1969, marching in New York City.

Marcos Rivero: The Stonewall [riots] taught me to stand up for what I believe in, to fight.

Kevin Beaney: Before then were you angry, or did you just not notice?

I was a young gay man who had come to New York, found freedom. I was happy, nobody was harassing me. My friends were gay. You kind of heard "there go the fags again" but you didn't pay attention to it. I was carefree until I saw the harassment when I started

Go Fish is the real thing: a top quality lesbian film produced on a shoestring budget

going to the Village of course you went down to the Village every Friday and Saturday night, you had to be seen! (laughs) That's when the corkies were in, those corky shoes, those big things. I think every other fag had one, that's how you knew each other too. (laughs)

I wonder if it was just part of the gay community [being harassed], with the white fags all going out to Fire Island?

Oh yeah! They were the wealthy ones. We were the miContinued on page 5

Editorial, Speak Out.

Community Forum .

Community Groups

B-3

Calendar.. 20 Resource.. 22 Personals.. B-4

From the Hart.