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Dramatic Drop In AIDS Deaths
Must Not Result In Renewed Complacency

A fter nearly sixteen years of tireless work by the medical, scientific and advocacy communities, our investment in the fight against AIDS is paying off. As we celebrate the good news we must remember that while we've advanced toward a cure, we have not yet arrived at one. The new AIDS drugs simply do not work for everyone and they are a cure for no one.

Most disturbing is that the new drugs are being denied to an entire class of Americans. Current federal policy that denies low-income HIV-positive Americans access to Medicaid and AIDS-preventing drugs until they develop AIDS is an outrage. It is one of AIDS Action's top legislative priorities to modernize Medicaid to ensure that all HIV-positive individuals get access to drug treatment and medical care before AIDS sets in, not after.

The good news about decreased deaths contrasts with bad news about increased HIV infection. Epidemiological and anecdotal evidence point to a disturbing increase in unsafe activity among at-risk populations. In particular, we must provide young people and women with the unvarnished facts about how HIV is spread as well as the sober truth about the new AIDS treatments. AIDS drugs cost 40 dollars a day and may or may not work; condoms cost 40 cents.

The same vigilance and determination that brought about these dramatic new death rates must be maintained so that we can provide fare for every American, prevention for everyone at risk and ultimately, a genuine end to AIDS.

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Judge Sets Trial On Crime Against Nature Statute;
A.G. Ieyoub Vows To Spend $100,000

I n a meeting with attorneys recently, Civil District Judge Carolyn Gill- Jefferson set a trial date on the legal challenge to the Louisiana Crime Against Nature Statute. The trial, which will be heard without a jury, will start on Oct. 26 and is expected to last a week.

The suit was brought by LEGAL, a Gay civil rights organization, and several individual Lesbians and Gay men. It challenges the constitutionality of the Lousiana law that criminalizes all oral or anal sex, whether between members of the same or opposite gender. The attorney for the challengers, who is also one of the named Petitioners, is New Orleans attorney John Rawls.

At the session Assistant Attorney General Thomas Halligan informed Judge Gill-Jefferson that the Attorney General will need $100,000.00 for expert witnesses. He said the request would require a legislative appropriation. Judge Gill-Jefferson gave the Attorney General until Apr. 15 to obtain those funds.

Said Rawls, "I am shocked but not surprised that Attorney General Ieyoub would squander $100,000. of taxpayer money in defending this terrible statute. He knows this law exists only to humiliate Lesbian and Gay Louisianians, to put them under a lifetime threat of arrest and to make it easy for government agencies and other employers to refuse to hire them."

Rawls also criticized the amount involved. "The preliminary indication is that these witnesses will be the pet scientists of the Christian Right. Since Mr. Halligan said he will call no more than four experts, one must wonder whether these large sums are just to pay for testimony."

Judge Gill-Jefferson has already issued a preliminary injunction forbidding prosecution of private non-commercial oral or anal sex between consenting adults. The injunction is in effect throughout Louisiana except in Jefferson Parish. Rawls has filed a separate lawsuit in that Parish on behalf of LEGAL and other challengers.

Only twenty states have sodomy laws on the books. Since 1992 the Courts of Kentucky, Texas, Tennessee and Montana have rejected sodomy statutes under those states' Constitutions and the Nevada Legislature has repealed its sodomy statute.

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A Night At The Oscars

J oin Acadiana C.A.R.E.S. for A Night at the Oscars on Mon., Mar. 23, at A La Carte. Doors will open at 6:30pm with a 7pm silent auction and champagne reception. Dinner is at 8pm.

Watch the Academy Awards and enjoy a great meal while supporting local HIV/AIDS services. Tickets are $50. which includes champagne reception, hors d'ouevres, dinner and wine. Dress is creative black tie. Call 318.233.2437 for additional information.

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Spring Date Set
for GLB Student Conference

A date has been set for the Louisiana conference of lesbian, gay and bisexual university student groups. The annual conference, produced aboard Louisiana university campuses since 1995, has been scheduled for the Spring of 1998 in New Orleans.

The Louisiana Gay and Lesbian Student Groups Conference (LGLSGC), hosted this year by Tulane University's Bisexual, Gay And Lesbian Association (BiGALA), is set for the weekend of Apr. 17 - 19 on Tulane's campus.

The conference, a project of the Louisiana Electorate of Gays And Lesbians (LEGAL), a non-profit group, is being co-sponsored by the Office of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Life at Tulane University. It is free to any university students wishing to attend.

Providing more than a dozen workshops with subjects ranging from lesbian history to relationship issues to discrimination in the workplace, the LGLSGC creates an environment for students to gather, meet one another and learn from each others' experiences.

"These students gather and trouble-shoot their problems and their groups' problems together," says Brian Hartig, LEGAL's executive director. "When they go back home they tend to profit from these experiences by trying to keep from making the same mistakes."

The LGLSGC will commence on Fri., Apr.l 17, with registration, opening ceremonies and probably a featured guest speaker or comedian. With a theme of "Past, Present, Future," BiGALA hopes to present a weekend of the very best of our community's heritage, its "here-and-now," and its hopes for the years ahead.

On Sat., Apr. 18, "workshops" will be the word for the day. Workshop topics ranging from Spirituality and Sexuality, Campus Organizing, Careers: the transition from campus to community, Self Defence, Domestic Partner Benefits, Current Legal Issues, and Queer Icons & Queer Pop Culture, among many others, will be offered.

On Sun., Apr. 19, BiGALA is preparing a "forum of couples from all gender groups and all ages to come together to give advice and hope for the future" says the group's vice president James Lowe. This forum will be accompanied by a brunch.

"We would also like to set up a...queer walking tour of the French Quarter for Sunday after the conference is over," said Lowe.

The LGLSGC, which attracted upwards of 150 glb students last year in Baton Rouge, started as a bi-annual event. Over the years, as it grew, it brought students and student groups in even from Mississippi and evolved into an annual event. It has always been free.

If you are interested in attending the conference and would like more information, contact James Lowe of BiGALA at jlowe@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu, Christopher Daigle of the Office of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Life at Tulane University at cdaigle@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu (504.865.5763), or LEGAL at the information listed below.

Louisiana Electorate of Gays And Lesbians (LEGAL) is a statewide, not-for-profit human rights organization for the lesbian, gay and bisexual community. LEGAL works to end discrimination based upon sexual orientation and to protect the safety of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals. For more information about LEGAL and how you can get involved, write to: LEGALinc, PO Box 70344, New Orleans, LA 70172-0344, email: legalinc@aol.com, web page: http://members.aol.com/legalinc/ or voicemail: 504.365.3105.

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Row Team Austin Makes Its Mark in Dallas Event

T wo members of Row Team Austin (RTA) claimed 2 victories at the Southwest Ergometer Amatuer Tournament (S.W.E.A.T.) in Dallas this past Saturday. In this dry land event, rowers show their strength and endurance on indoor ergometers designed to simulate the power needed to row on water. Over 100 competitors, including UT Crew members, participated from the region-representing age categories from collegiate on up. RTA's Paul Hemmer captured first place in the 40-49 age division for heavy-weights with a time of 6:30 for the 2000 meter power piece. RTA Coordinator Steve Onken, with a time of 6:57, not only took first place in the 40-49 age division for light-weight competitors, but also beat all lightweight times in the 30-39 age bracket as well. More impressively, both men placed 6th over all ages in the event in their weight divisions. "I'm excited to see such great representation for our team at this event. It sets us off to a great start for our training season," says RTA Coach Matt Diefenbach.

Row Team Austin is a group of over forty rowers who will be heading to Amsterdam to represent Austin in Amsterdam for the Gay Games in August. It is the largest group of American rowers planning to attend the games. This will also be the first time that Gay Games recognizes rowing as an official sport category. Over 12,000 competitors overall are expected to register for the games. Gay Games was developed to "bring together people from around the world. Based on principles of inclusion and participation, the Gay Games welcomes all people without regard to their sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, political belief, physical ability, athletic/artistic ability, or HIV status. There are no minimum standards to qualify for the Gay Games; the only requirement is a desire to support the ideals of the Games."

For information and photos of Row Team Austin in action visit: http://www.flash.net/~kscanlon/ams/mainams.html For more information about Gay Games visit: http://www.gaygames.org For information about future events and fundraising call the RTA Info Line at: 512.708-9303.

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