extracted text

Volume 9 • Numbe r 2

Action UPDATE
the national voice on AIDS

Analysis: What's next after
XI lnt'I Conference on AIDS?
or many of us, recent events
at the XI International Conference on AIDS have come to
symbolize the palpable hope
that, after fifteen years, we may
be permitted to believe that
AIDS and death are not synonymous.
We allow ourselves to think that thought
with some regularity now. The Economist
magazine recently observed that" ... for the
first time since 1981, when a few inquisitive do ctors noticed the outbreak of a
strange and rare cancer in gay American
men, there is hope?' For all of us affected
by AIDS, HIV-positive and HIVnegative alike, there is a personal and collective sense that
we may have turned some kind
of corner.
Quickly, though, we sense
a multitude of new concerns,
along with the old. We worry
about the duration and size of
by Fred Miller
the protease inhibitors studies,
unknown side effects, access,
cost, stage of disease and the
rest. As a community, and institutionally
here at AIDS Action, we are confronted with
a bewildering array of challenges. Where
are we headed now? What are "our" issues?
On what, exactly, should we spend the bulk
of our time and other resources?
We saw the intensity and high-stakes
quality of the new debate at our last board
meeting. Do we focus the bulk of our energy and clout on medical treatment and
drugs? On developing an AIDS standard of

F

IN THIS ISSUE

3

AIDS Action '96

4

AIDS Action Policy Updates

6

Pedro Zamora Fellows

1 9 9

F A L L

AIDS Action plans
events during D.C.
AIDS Quilt display
Join Hands.
fight AIDS.

One Worla. One Hope.
care? On research yet to be done? On Medicaid and health care reform? Prevention
and education? Housing? Psychosocial services? Substance abuse treatment? Do we
tackle all of these issues and risk superficiality? Or, do we focus on two or three and
risk a major blunder in setting narrowed
priorities? The questions, as always, are
much easier than the answers.
As AIDS Action grapples with the complex ramifications of what Vancouver
means, we should redouble our efforts to
be as clear as we can about our mission,
our priorities and whom we represent. We
have a mission statement. It defines our
constituency as "all people with HIV infection ... and all people at risk for HIV infection" and our mission with respect to that
constituency is advocacy for "the national
public policy interests of those communities, local organizations and individuals
most heavily impacted by HIV?'
That's a tall order. The assessing and fixing of priorities here has always been difficult; now, it is harder still. But it would be
a terrible error to pretend it is not our job
to make those assessments. The more candid and explicit we can be in defining and
redefining our priorities in the face of this
never static crisis, the better we will do our
job. We can do it now with a bit more hopeeven the ultimate hope, that we'll have no
job to do at all in some of our lifetimes. I

6

llQTC
V I I J;; •

You've heard it before: Vote because
America's future depends on who you send
to Washington. Well, it's true. And part of
that future involves a disease which has
already claimed over 320,000 lives-AIDS.
Because that fact could be easily ignored in the election year frenzy, thousands of family members, friends, and lovers of people who have been lost to AIDS
will surround the U.S. Capitol from 1:30
to 3:30 p.m., Saturday, October 12, in an
expression of solidarity. At a time when
our nation can't seem to agree on mu ch
of anything, our message will serve as a
rallying call in the fight against AIDS: Join
Hands. Fight AIDS. Vote.
"Ours will be a human chain of concern and remembrance for the 320,000
American lives already claimed by the
epidemic, and a reminder to our elected
officials that we remember, we care, and we
vote," said Jose Zuniga, AIDS Action's
Director of Public Affairs.
Co-sponsored
by AIDS Action, Mothers'
Voices, and
Gay Men's
Health Crisis, Hands
Around the
Capitol
coincides
withtheD.C.display of
Washington,D.C. • October12 ,1996
the 45,000panel AIDS
Memorial Quilt. Join other display participants from across the country October 12
as we honor our dead and call on our
elected officials in Washington to fight like
hell for the living.
For more information, call (202) 9861300, ext. 3060.

Continued on page 2

I

Berenson new Government Affairs head
Aimee Berenson, formerly AIDS
Action's Legislative Counsel, assumed a
new role in the organization August 9 as
Director of the five-member Government
Affairs department. Berenson had served
as legislative counsel since arriving at AIDS
Action in 1992, and has worked on AIDS
policy issues ranging from housing to civil
rights to federal appropriations for AIDSrelated programs.
"I have every confidence that Aimee will
continue to help AIDS Action navigate
through the often murky waters of
Washington's legislative process," said Fred

Miller, AIDS Action's Interim Executive
Director. "Her leadership skills will be invaluable in the fight to maintain, and improve on, our hard-won gains in AIDS
policy:'
Before joining AIDS Action, Berenson
was policy counsel for family law programs
at the Women's Legal Defense Fund and the
American Civil Liberties Union. Berenson
is a graduate of the New York University
School of Law, and is an adjunct professor
of law at the Columbus School of Law at
the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. I

Kudos: AIDS Action receives Allies Award
When the National Native American
AIDS Prevention Center honors leaders in
the fight against AIDS during its national
convention September 23-27 in Portland,
Oregon, AIDS Action will be among the
honorees. Ron Rowell, who is the Prevention Center's Executive Director and a
member of the AIDS Action Public Policy
Committee, announced AIDS Action's selection August 21.
Rowell explained that his organization's Allies Award will be presented to
AIDS Action in recognition of our two-year
struggle to get the Ryan White CARE Act

reauthorized. The Ryan White CARE Act
program is the primary source of AIDS
care dollars for cities, states, and community health clinics providing direct patient
care and social support services to Americans living with HIV and AIDS.
"We are honored to accept this award
on behalf of our more than 1,400 member
organizations, including the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center-all
of whom played a major role in AIDS
Action's fight to get the CARE Act reauthorized," said Fred Miller, AIDS Action's
Interim Executive Director. I

IJI:ll Action
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Fred Miller, Interim Executive Director
Christine Lubinski, Deputy Executive Director
Alice Drew, Executive Assistant
GOVERNMENT AFFAJRS
Aimee Berenson, Director
Jay Coburn, Legislative Representative
Gary Rose, Legislative Representative
Javier Salazar, Legislative Representative
Amy Andersen, Legislative Representative
Lisa \'Vhite, Policy Associate
Jeff Bloom, Volunteer
Edna Flores, Fellow
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Tracy Mickens-Hundley, Director
Anthony Rios, Community 4ffairs Liaison
Kurt Schade, Administrative Assistant
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Jose Zuniga, Director
Kevin Mercuri, Communications Manager
Heidi Scanlon, Electronic lvledia Coordinator
Kurt Schade, Administrative Assistant
Chad Lord, Fellow
DEVELOPMENT AND MEMBERSHIP
Claudia Fi·ench, Director
Bo Billups, Major Gifts Program Director
Amanda Waugh, Development and
Membership Associate
Mary McGonigel, Foundation Relations
James Brannan, Database Assistant
Sara Dickerson, Administrative Assistant
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

D.C. QUILT DISPLAY continued from page
Remember Them
With Your Vote
AIDS Action and the NAMES
Project Foundation are set to culminate the year-long joint campaign
known as, "Remember Them With
Your Vote," during the October display of the NAMES Project AIDS
Memorial Quilt Display in Washington, D.C. To date, the campaign has
distributed AIDS Action policy materials and state-specific AIDS fact
sheets at 32 cities and towns across
the country at which the AIDS Memorial Quilt has been displayed.
During the three days of the D.C.
Quilt display, AIDS Action will collect "I'm Voting In Memory Of .. ?'

1

pledge cards for distribution to presidential candidates and will staff a table near
the Washington Monument. AIDS
Action staff will also distribute voter
education and policy material, buttons and stickers, and other AIDS
Action goodies.
"AIDS Action has been educating Americans across the country
to remember AIDS during the November general elections," said
Tracy Mickens-Hundley, AIDS
Action's Director of Community
Outreach. "We hope that when
Americans cast their ballots, they
will think of the 320,000 lives that
lost to AIDS:'
PROJECT haveForbeen
information, call (202) 986A!OS Memo rial Qui ll
1300, ext. 3060. I

IHENAMES

SURFING THE WEB? Visit http:\ \www.thebody.com

Dan Melman, Chief Financial Officer
Tuula Sumpter, Stqff Accountant
Brian Logan, Office Administrator
Alton Pugh, Receptionist/Office Assistant

HOW TO REACH US
1875 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20009
Tel 202 986 1300; Fax 202 986 1545
email HN5384@handsnet.org

WHO WE ARE
For eleven years, AIDS Action has been insttumental in achie,1ng majorpublic policy victories in the
fight against AIDS. With ow·membership of individuals and community-based organizations from
across the country, we educate lawmakers, support our local communities, and monitor AJDS
policy to ensure that ow· elected officials in Washington never again forget their responsibility to
Americans living with HIV and AJDS.
AJDS Action is two sister organizations working
for one cause. ATOS Action Council, a 501(c)(4)
organization, shapes federal AJDS policy by advocating for the vital .interests of people living with
HIV and AJDS and of the organizations lbat serve
them. AJDS Action Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, fights for informed HIV/AIDS policy
through community education and organizing,
policy analysis and research, and media outreach.

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AIDS Action '96 launched at conventions
rench scholar Jules Michelet
once theorized that the three
parts of any political campaign
are "education, education, and
more education?' AIDS Action
took Michelet's theory and put
it to practice in August as we launched a
campaign to educate delegates and media
attending the 1996 Democratic, Republican,
and Reform Party national conventions
about the vital needs of Americans living
with and affected by HIV and AIDS.
AIDS Action '96 was officially launched
August 11 at the Reform Party Convention
in Long Beach, Calif. AIDS Action staff distributed our five-point AIDS agenda for the
second decade of the epidemic to Reform
Party candidates Ross Perot and Gov. Richard Lamm, to party delegates, and to members of the media. The agenda, which also
was widely distributed to GOP convention
delegates in San Diego and to Democratic
delegates in Chicago, outlines what must
be priorities for the next President of the
United States as he leads the national battle
against AIDS [see article below].
"Our five-point agenda should serve as
a roadmap for the next administration to
deal with the vital needs of American s living with and affected by HIV and AIDS, including prevention, research and treatment, care, housing, and civil rights," said
Christine Lubinski, AIDS Action's Deputy
Executive Director.
Lubinski was AIDS Action's spokesperson in several public and media forums in

F

Christine Lubinski addresses a crowd across the street from the
Republican Convention in San Diego (left); Jose Zuniga "spins" at
the Reform Party Convention in Long Beach (middle); Lubinski
briefing the media at a Voices '96 media forum (right).
Long Beach and San Diego. These forums,
sponsored by AIDS Action, the AIDS Foundation of San Diego, Mothers' Voices, and
Voices '96, garnered press attention and
drew unprecedented local and national
community involvement. Dan Bross, AIDS
Action Foundation board member and
former AIDS Action Executive Director,
was AIDS Action's spokesperson at the
Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
"AIDS Action's message was very well
received in San Diego, in Long Beach, and
in Chicago. It is clear that Americans are
unwilling to allow for silence around AIDS
during the national debate about the fu-

ture of our country," said Jose Zuniga,
AIDS Action's Director of Public Affairs.
"Our message is a simple one: More than
320,000 Americans have already died and
countless thousands more will continue
to die unless the next President backs
words with actions in the fight against
AID S?'
AIDS Action's travel to California was
made possible through the generosity of an
AIDS Action donor who contributed frequent flier flights. For more information
about donating flights, please call Claudia
French, Director of Development and Membership, at (202) 986-1300, ext. 3044. I

AIDS Action's 5-point AIDS agenda
AIDS Action's five-point AIDS agenda
was released in time for the start of the
1996 election year frenzy in San Diego,
Chicago, and Long Beach-host cities of
the Republican, Democratic, and Reform Party conventions.
"The Second Decade of AIDS & The
Next U.S. President: A Challenge to Presidential Candidates in Campaign '96,"
speaks to five critical challenges faced by
all Americans living with and affected by
HIV and AIDS-prevention, research,
care, housing and civil rights-and makes
concrete leadership recommendations
on each for the next President of the
United States.

''After fifteen painful years ofliving under the specter of AIDS, there can be no
question that the President of the United
States must be the Commander-inChiefin thefightagainstAIDS," said
Fred Miller, AlDS Action's Interim
Executive Director. "Today, more
than ever, ending the AIDS epidemic and caring for those already
infected must be a political priority
for the highest elected official in the
land. Unwavering presidential commitment and leadership are required if
we are to win the battle against AIDS?'

Continued on page.>

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AIDS ACTION POLICY UPDATES

llJ

~!! !~o:i~~f~l~l: :o~:i

coalition of AIDS advocacy
groups, spearheaded by
AIDS Action and the
Human Rights Campaign, paid off again last
month with the passage of a 1997
Department of Defense Authorization bill
free of Rep. Bob Dornan's (R-Calif.)
amendment mandating the discharge of
HIV-positive military personnel. The
provision's removal marks the second
defeat in less than four months of Rep.
Dornan's persistence to discriminate
against service members on the basis of
their HIV serostatus.
"This latest defeat should send a clear
message to Rep. Dornan, and others who
would legislate discrimination, that we will
not stand idly by and allow you to destroy
the careers and lives of patriotic Americans
who happen to be HIV-positive," said Legislative Representative Jay Coburn, AIDS
Action's chief strategist on this issue.
Rep. Dornan's amendment was replaced by one championed by Sen. John
McCain (R-Ariz.) which calls for equal
treatment of all service members who are
non-worldwide deployable because of a
chronic health condition. I

HOUSING. AIDS Action's
efforts to secure additional
funding for the Housing
Opportunities for People
With AIDS (HOPWA)
program continue, even though both
houses of Congress have passed fiscal year
1997 bills funding this vital housing
program at the fiscal year 1995 level of$171
million. HOPWA is the only federal housing
program specifically designed to provide
cities and states with the resources needed
to meet the housing needs of people living
with HIV and AIDS who are homeless, or
are at imminent risk of homelessness.
AIDS Action's Director of Government
Affairs, Aimee Berenson, and a small group
of AIDS housing advocates nationwide, are
leading efforts to rescue HOPWA funding
from the budget axe. These efforts have already resulted in an eleventh-hour move
by the Clinton administration to seek a
HO PWA funding increase of $25 million for
fiscal year 1997, and in commitments by key
members of Congress to push for increased
funding during negotiations on the fiscal
year 1997 Veterans Affairs/Housing &

II

FDA REFORM. Three pieces
of legislation that propose
stripping the Food and Drug
Administration of its regulatory ability to safeguard
the American public from unsafe or
ineffective drugs have been stalled due, in
large part, to the efforts of AIDS Action, and
the Patients' Coalition.
AIDS Action Legislative Representative
Gary Rose explained that the threat that a
large number of amendments would be attached to the bills made the bills unappealing to many members of Congress who believed passage of FDA reform would be a
1-2-3 exercise.
"This delay provides more time for AIDS
and patients advocates to negotiate with
members of Congress over the more troubling provisions in the bills," Rose said. I

HIV PREVENTION. Under
the guise of HIV prevention,
Rep. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)
unveiled the HIV Prevention
Act of 1996 in mid-August.
Rep. Coburn's bill would allow medical
professionals to test patients for HIV
without obtaining patients' consent, and
would require that states report to the
federal government the names of all people
testing positive for HIV.
Further, the bill threatens to withhold
Medicaid funds to any state that fails to
comply with Rep. Coburn's prevention
measures. Medicaid finances health care
services for over half of all Americans living with HIV and AIDS.
"These policies have either been rejected by medical, public health, and prevention experts worldwide, or represent
one-size fits all solutions from Washington
that tie the hands of state and communities trying to effectively respond to the specific demographics of the HIV epidemic,"
said AIDS Action Legislative Representative Jay Coburn. I

WELFARE REFORM. Despite vociferous opposition
from AIDS Action and other
advocacy groups, a "bipartisan" welfare reform bill
passed the House of Representatives and
the Senate in August and was subsequently
signed into law by President Clinton. The
President indicated that, while disappointed
with key provisions in the bill, the bill's
positives outweighed the negatives.
This is the third version of the GOP congressional leadership's efforts to dismantle
the welfare system. For the past 60 years,
welfare has guaranteed federal assistance,
including access to health care services, to
America's most impoverished citizens, including people living with HIV and AIDS.
Especially troubling to AIDS advocates
are provisions in the bill which erode access to health care through Medicaid. These
provisions include barring legal immigrants from a variety offederal benefits, including access to Medicaid.
"We demand that President Clinton
work to eliminate or improve key provisions of the welfare bill which unfairly penalize this nation's most vulnerable populations, including people living with HIV
and AIDS," said Christine Lubinski, AIDS
Action's Deputy Executive Director. I

HEALTH INSURANCE
REFORM. Congress' passage, and the subsequent
signing into law August 20,
of the Health Coverage
Availability and Affordability Act of 1996
[Kennedy/Kassebaum, R.R. 3103] ushers
in modest but important health insurance
reforms.
These reforms include limits on pre-existing condition exclusions, expanded guarantees of availability and portability of
health insurance coverage, prohibitions on
discrimination in eligibility for health insurance coverage based on health status,
and changes to make the tax treatment of
proceeds from viatical settlements more
beneficial to consumers.
R.R. 3103 also includes a compromise
on the controversial issue of medical savings accounts (MSAs)-a four-year MSA
demonstration project with some important consumer protections such as limits
on deductibles and out-of-pocket costs.
"Unfortunately, while R.R. 3103 makes
it easier to obtain and maintain health insurance coverage, there is no guarantee
that that coverage will provide the care you
need at a price you can afford," said AIDS
Action Legislative Representative Amy
Andersen. I

Urban Development bill in early September.
"It is time for the Clinton administration and Congress to stop the excuses and
ensure that funding for the HOPWA program is increased," Berenson said. I

II

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Latinos at the Crossroads:
•
AIDS Action lends a voice
to the debate
IDS Action made its premiere
appearance this summer at
the annual conference of the
National Council of La Raza
(NCLR) in Denver, adding our
voice to that of over 3,000 participants and more than 15,000 visitors attending "Latinos At The Crossroads: A Time
for Action?' Based in Washington, D.C., the
NCLR is the largest Hispanic civil rights organization in the country.
AIDS Action's Community Liaison, Anthony Rios, exhibited and distributed federal AIDS policy educational information,
including AIDS Action congressional voting records, Action Alerts, and related federal funding information. Our exhibit space
was spiced up by joining forces with the

A

Center for Health Policy Development
(CHPD), a Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention-funded project based in San Antonio, Texas. The combination of colorful,
culturally sensitive HIV prevention messages designed by CHPD, and the federal
AIDS policy and funding information supplied by AIDS Action were well received
by exhibit visitors.
Rios also participated in two very important education presentations made to
NCLR conference attendees. The first presentation, which was delivered to over 100
members of NCLR's college youth leadership program, focused on the importance
of voter registration and education. The second presentation involved an advocacy
"wrap-up" at the end of a bilingual work-

AIDS ACTION 5-POINT AIDS AGENDA

shop entitled, "Empowering Latinas in the
Prevention of HIV and STDs?' This workshop was standing room only,
which Rios explained, should
serve as a testament to the increasing need for tailored prevention programs for women of
color that are delivered in both
the English and Spanish languages.
AIDS Action looks forward
to expanding the relationships
Anthony Rios
made in Denver and our increasing work with other advocates from around the country. For more
information about AIDS Action's Community Outreach department, call (202) 9861300, ext 3067. I

continued from page 3

The AIDS Action agenda's five points are:

1

PREVENTION. The nextPresident must ensure that all
Americans have access to effective, skills-based HIV education and prevention programs targeting the diverse communities affected by
the epidemic. These programs must be
open, honest and sensitive to the needs
of communities at risk for HIV. He must
also fight attempts at any level to restrict
the content of HIV prevention programs
and education materials; must commit
to adequate funding for substance abuse
prevention and treatment; and must lift
the prohibition on federal funding for
needle exchange programs.

2

RESEARCH. The next President must increase funding at
the National Institutes of
Health (NIH) and maintain
the consolidated budget authority of the
NIH's Office of AIDS Research (OAR).
Additionally, he must use his authority
to hasten the pace and productivity of
AIDS research and ensure the expedient development of promising new

drugs that are affordable and accessible
to all people living with HIV and AIDS.
However, steps to accomplish this goal
must not jeopardize the Food and Drug
Administration's public health mission.

5

CARE. The next President
must commit to strengthening
federal support for health care
and social services such as the
Ryan White CARE Act and the Medicaid
program; advocate for full Ryan White
CARE Act funding, which includes the
50-state network of AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAP); and maintain
the Medicaid entitlement.

4

HOUSING. ThenextPresident
must demonstrate a commitment to the reauthorization of
the Housing Opportunities for
People with AIDS program (HOPWA)
and other federal housing programs
with a concurrent commitment to increase HOPWA's funding as the demand
for adequate housing among Americans

living with HIV and AIDS continues to
increase.

5

CIVIL RIGHTS. ThenextPresident must show that mandatory testing and other HIVrelated discrimination are
un-American and unacceptable; ensure
that the moral and legal authority of the
federal government is used to fight
discrimination against people living
with HIV and AIDS; and fully implement
the Americans With Disabilities Act to
prevent policies that bar people living
with HIV and AIDS from insurance
coverage, employment, housing and
entrance into the country. Additionally,
he must ensure that the HIV antibody
test is not used as a means of social
control or as a tool of discrimination.

For a full text of AIDS Action's ffvepoint AIDS agenda, please call (202)
986-1500, ext. 5065, or look for it on
the World Wide Web (http/ /www.
thebody.com). I

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George Gund
grant funds
Medicaid work
AIDS Action Foundation recently
received a generous grant from The
George Gund Foundation for a Medicaid policy project. The project's
goal is to examine the policy implications of Medicaid restructuring for
people living with HIV and AIDS,
and to ensure that policy makers are
aware of the needs of people living
with HIV and AIDS who depend on
Medicaid for life-saving care.
Support from the Gund Foundation will enable AIDS Action to develop and disseminate information
about proposals for Medicaid reform
that will enable the diverse AIDS
communities to participate in the
Medicaid policy debate as it affects
health care for people with AIDS.
Because Medicaid pays for so
much AIDS care, current and future
efforts to reform this vital health care
safety-net program will profoundly
affect the health and well-being of
hundreds of thousands of Americans
living with HIV and AIDS. For this
reason, AIDS Action will continue its
fight to protect and strengthen the
Medicaid program. I

Profile in Courage: Pedro Zamora
AIDS educator, advocate, MTV star. In
Pedro's mother died of cancer just a
his short life, Pedro Zamora excelled in alfew weeks later.
most everything he did. Pedro touched the
Like many young people, Pedro did not
lives of thousands of young people, changhave the tools to deal with this kind ofloss.
ing forever the way they think about people
Pedro threw himself into school, becoming
living with HIV and AIDS.
a star athlete and an honor roll member. But
Despite his fear of public speaking,
he also sought affection and reassurance
Pedro chose to live his life as a national
through unprotected sex. At age 17, Pedro
AIDS educator and advocate.
was diagnosed HIV-positive.
Once when speaking to students
Pedro is best known for his
at an inner-city high school,
role on MTV's The Real World.
Pedro was asked, "What makes
In 1994, Pedro moved to San
you care about people like us?"
Francisco to live with six strangPedro's answer demonstrated
ers on national television. Alhis courage and commitment:
though Pedro knew that living
"The pain that I feel, the ansuch a public life would be difger, the hurt. I don't want anyficult, he also understood that
body else to go through this. Nohe had an unprecedented opbody deserves to get this disportunity to educate millions of
young people about HIV disease. I don't care who they are
or what they did ... You think
ease. As a member of AIDS AcPedro Zamora
it's easy to be here and be pertion Council's board of direcsonal and answer all these
tors, Pedro used the last months
questions? It's not. But if you see me, you
of his life, whether on screen or in the halls
might realize it could happen to you. That
of Congress, transforming the public's
is why I am here;'
understanding of people living with HIV
An eight-year-old Pedro and his family
and AIDS.
came to the United States from Cuba in
Pedro died of AIDS-related complica1980 during th e Mari el boatlift. The
tions on Nov. 11, 1994. In a short life marked
by loss-his homeland, his family, his
close-knit Zamora family was devastated
when four of Pedro's older brothers were
mother, and, ultimately, his life-Pedro
denied permission to leave Cuba. The
demonstrated the power of one to change
tragedy of this separation deepened when
the world. I

Pedro's legacy lives on in Zamora Fellovvs
Three of the nation's brightest young
people shared more than just work space
with AIDS Action staff this summer; they
shared and actively participated in AIDS Action's work
to effect sound AIDS policy.
The Pedro Zamora Public
Policy Fellowship Program,
named in honor of AIDS
Action's former board member and MTV The Real World
star Pedro Zamora, welcomed
its first fellows this spring.
Edna Flores
AIDS Action has been honored to host, and impressed by
the work and dedication of, three Zamora
fellows: Monique Glover, Alon Unger, and
Edna Flores.
Monique has worked on HIV and AIDS
issues since she learned about AIDS in a
sixth grade science class. While she was a

student at Colgate University in upstate
New York, Monique developed, designed,
raised money for, and distributed 1,000 copies of a day planner with information, facts,
and prevention tips on HIV and AIDS for
the incoming freshman class. She has also
taught a seminar on HIV and AIDS, and
will be studying public health at the University of Michigan. Monique says she is
contemplating running for public office
some day.
Alon represents young people ages 16
to 19 on the boards of two local HIV prevention organizations in his home state of
Arizona. One organization is implementing a pilot program that uses sophisticated
marketing techniques to develop prevention activities targeting at-risk groups. It
was out of this work that Alon became involved with AIDS Action and the Pedro
Zamora Public Policy Fellowship Program.

With the knowledge he has acquired this
summer, Alon, who is also a medical student, is considering spearheading a
grassroots advocacy effort in Arizona.
Edna became involved in HIV and AIDS
education when she found out that the
number of AIDS cases in the Filipino community was increasing at an alarming rate.
When she completes her fellowship with
AIDS Action, Edna plans to study medicine
and health policy and run an organization
that works on HIV and AIDS issues in the
Asian-American community.
While at AIDS Action, each fellows had
the opportunity to analyze legislation, to
speak with elected representatives, to draft
policy briefs, and to attend hearings and
coalition meetings. It is through the work
of these young people and their dedication
to the fight against HIV and AIDS, thatPedro
Zamora's legacy will live on. I

C!!J· .... ......... ....... ... ........... ... ........ ....... ... .................. ......... ........ ............... .

WELCOME

Orange County Consortium ioins AIDS Action
IDS Action is pleased to welcome the Orange County Consortium to the Board of Directors. The Orange County Consortium represents a region
that is both politically conservative and powerful, and brings a needed
perspective to the AIDS Action Council
Board of Directors and its Public Policy
Committee.
"Our member organizations and consortia are at the heart of AIDS Action's mission to represent the interests of communities and individuals affected by HIV and
AIDS," said Claudia French, Director of
Development and Membership. "We are
delighted to welcome the Orange County
Consortium and look forward to their active participation in all of AIDS Action's
programs and advocacy campaigns!'
Members of the Orange County Consortium include the University of California
at Irvine-College of Medicine, Hannah's
House, AIDS Services Foundation, The

A

Center/ARP,
Casa Delhi, Laguna Shanti,
Public Law Center, and Straight
Talk.
"The Orange
County Consortium is excited to
join AIDS Action.
Our vote was unanimous," said Robert
Gentry, chair of the Orange County Planning Advisory Council. "We have
been consistently impressed
with the quality of work, the
level of information, and the professionalism that comes from AIDS
Action?'
Full or consortium members appoint
a representative to the AIDS Action Council Board of Directors and the Public Policy
Committee. Gentry will represent the Or-

ange County Consortium on
both.
For more information
about board membership,
please contact the Development and Membership Department at (202) 986-1300,
ext. 3045. I

AIDS Action Alliance Program

Monthly Giving Made Easy
In response to the needs of our donors, AIDS Action is
launching a monthly giving program called The Alliance
Program. The Alliance Program is an exciting new way for
you to support AIDS Action without ever having to write a
check again!
The program works by directly transferring a monthly
donation from your checking account to AIDS Action. You
will receive a record of the transfer on your monthly bank
statement, and an annual summary of your contributions for
income tax purposes. The Alliance Program is being added
to a program already used by AIDS Action donors who
can charge contributions to
MasterCard or Visa, on a schedule best suited to that individual,
usually monthly or
quarterly.
To take advantage
of this easy and convenient program just check
the appropriate box on the enclosed envelope, or call us at
(202) 986-1300, ext. 3040. I

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ···· ·· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ··· · · · · · · · · · · · · ·· · ···· ··· ··· · · · · · · [ z ]

AIDS Action staff turn up the heat in Houston
s if Houston in July weren't hot
enough, an AIDS Action trio
recently headed southwest to
turn up the heat on AIDS advocacy: Christine Lubinski,
Deputy Executive Director;
Claudia French, Director of Development
and Membership; and Tracy MickensHundley, Director of Community Outreach.
AIDS Action's trip to Houston began
with an appeal to some of Houston's finest
to support AIDS Action through membership in the Advocate program-donors who
contribute $1,200 or greater to help fight
for the needs and rights of people with HIV
and AIDS. Houston philanthropist Clark
L. Carrol, M.D., opened his home for a special reception where former AIDS Action
Foundation board member and longtime
friend, Phil Lacey, and current board
member John Gonzalez, gave impassioned
speeches on the critical need for supporting AIDS Action's work.
AIDS Action, along with representatives from the congressional offices of
Reps. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas) and

A

AID~

Action

Ken Bentsen (D-Texas), were at the center
of a community forum hosted by The
Bering Community Service Foundation,
Amigos Volunteers in Education and Services, and Windsor AIDS Ministry Foundation. The stories shared during this forum were heart wrenching. One was from
a 72-year-old grandmother spending her
twilight years grieving for the loss of her
daughter and raising two teenagers orphaned by that.death. Other people spoke
of the pain, destruction, and sadness that
comes with surviving when individuals
and organizations are pitted against each
other for scarce resources.
Community leaders and organizations
representing varied affected populations
pledged that night to mobilize their energies to maximize political influence, dollars, and support for people infected and
affected by HIV and AIDS in Houston and
in the State of Texas.
The trip culminated in a visit with the
editorial board of The Houston Chronicle,
who were challenged to cover the real
stories about HIV and AIDS in Americathe high rate of infection among young

Key AIDS Action
stqff working in
Houston (top left
to right, clockwise):
Christine Lubinski,
Claudia French,
and Tracy
Mickens-Hundley.

Americans and communities of color, the
hope that combination drugs provide, and
the practicality and reality of a drug
therapy program that assumes a level of
affluence and accessibility. I

1875 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20009

Bulk Rate
US Postage

Address Correction Requested

Permit No. 2769
Washington, DC
20009

AIDS Action Update is the newsletter
of AIDS Action Council, the Washington
representative of over 1,400 communitybased AIDS organizations, and AIDS
Action Foundation.

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Herland Sister Resources
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PAID



Volume 9 • Numbe r 2

Action UPDATE
the national voice on AIDS

Analysis: What's next after
XI lnt'I Conference on AIDS?
or many of us, recent events
at the XI International Conference on AIDS have come to
symbolize the palpable hope
that, after fifteen years, we may
be permitted to believe that
AIDS and death are not synonymous.
We allow ourselves to think that thought
with some regularity now. The Economist
magazine recently observed that" ... for the
first time since 1981, when a few inquisitive do ctors noticed the outbreak of a
strange and rare cancer in gay American
men, there is hope?' For all of us affected
by AIDS, HIV-positive and HIVnegative alike, there is a personal and collective sense that
we may have turned some kind
of corner.
Quickly, though, we sense
a multitude of new concerns,
along with the old. We worry
about the duration and size of
by Fred Miller
the protease inhibitors studies,
unknown side effects, access,
cost, stage of disease and the
rest. As a community, and institutionally
here at AIDS Action, we are confronted with
a bewildering array of challenges. Where
are we headed now? What are "our" issues?
On what, exactly, should we spend the bulk
of our time and other resources?
We saw the intensity and high-stakes
quality of the new debate at our last board
meeting. Do we focus the bulk of our energy and clout on medical treatment and
drugs? On developing an AIDS standard of

F

IN THIS ISSUE

3

AIDS Action '96

4

AIDS Action Policy Updates

6

Pedro Zamora Fellows

1 9 9

F A L L

AIDS Action plans
events during D.C.
AIDS Quilt display
Join Hands.
fight AIDS.

One Worla. One Hope.
care? On research yet to be done? On Medicaid and health care reform? Prevention
and education? Housing? Psychosocial services? Substance abuse treatment? Do we
tackle all of these issues and risk superficiality? Or, do we focus on two or three and
risk a major blunder in setting narrowed
priorities? The questions, as always, are
much easier than the answers.
As AIDS Action grapples with the complex ramifications of what Vancouver
means, we should redouble our efforts to
be as clear as we can about our mission,
our priorities and whom we represent. We
have a mission statement. It defines our
constituency as "all people with HIV infection ... and all people at risk for HIV infection" and our mission with respect to that
constituency is advocacy for "the national
public policy interests of those communities, local organizations and individuals
most heavily impacted by HIV?'
That's a tall order. The assessing and fixing of priorities here has always been difficult; now, it is harder still. But it would be
a terrible error to pretend it is not our job
to make those assessments. The more candid and explicit we can be in defining and
redefining our priorities in the face of this
never static crisis, the better we will do our
job. We can do it now with a bit more hopeeven the ultimate hope, that we'll have no
job to do at all in some of our lifetimes. I

6

llQTC
V I I J;; •

You've heard it before: Vote because
America's future depends on who you send
to Washington. Well, it's true. And part of
that future involves a disease which has
already claimed over 320,000 lives-AIDS.
Because that fact could be easily ignored in the election year frenzy, thousands of family members, friends, and lovers of people who have been lost to AIDS
will surround the U.S. Capitol from 1:30
to 3:30 p.m., Saturday, October 12, in an
expression of solidarity. At a time when
our nation can't seem to agree on mu ch
of anything, our message will serve as a
rallying call in the fight against AIDS: Join
Hands. Fight AIDS. Vote.
"Ours will be a human chain of concern and remembrance for the 320,000
American lives already claimed by the
epidemic, and a reminder to our elected
officials that we remember, we care, and we
vote," said Jose Zuniga, AIDS Action's
Director of Public Affairs.
Co-sponsored
by AIDS Action, Mothers'
Voices, and
Gay Men's
Health Crisis, Hands
Around the
Capitol
coincides
withtheD.C.display of
Washington,D.C. • October12 ,1996
the 45,000panel AIDS
Memorial Quilt. Join other display participants from across the country October 12
as we honor our dead and call on our
elected officials in Washington to fight like
hell for the living.
For more information, call (202) 9861300, ext. 3060.

Continued on page 2

I

Berenson new Government Affairs head
Aimee Berenson, formerly AIDS
Action's Legislative Counsel, assumed a
new role in the organization August 9 as
Director of the five-member Government
Affairs department. Berenson had served
as legislative counsel since arriving at AIDS
Action in 1992, and has worked on AIDS
policy issues ranging from housing to civil
rights to federal appropriations for AIDSrelated programs.
"I have every confidence that Aimee will
continue to help AIDS Action navigate
through the often murky waters of
Washington's legislative process," said Fred

Miller, AIDS Action's Interim Executive
Director. "Her leadership skills will be invaluable in the fight to maintain, and improve on, our hard-won gains in AIDS
policy:'
Before joining AIDS Action, Berenson
was policy counsel for family law programs
at the Women's Legal Defense Fund and the
American Civil Liberties Union. Berenson
is a graduate of the New York University
School of Law, and is an adjunct professor
of law at the Columbus School of Law at
the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. I

Kudos: AIDS Action receives Allies Award
When the National Native American
AIDS Prevention Center honors leaders in
the fight against AIDS during its national
convention September 23-27 in Portland,
Oregon, AIDS Action will be among the
honorees. Ron Rowell, who is the Prevention Center's Executive Director and a
member of the AIDS Action Public Policy
Committee, announced AIDS Action's selection August 21.
Rowell explained that his organization's Allies Award will be presented to
AIDS Action in recognition of our two-year
struggle to get the Ryan White CARE Act

reauthorized. The Ryan White CARE Act
program is the primary source of AIDS
care dollars for cities, states, and community health clinics providing direct patient
care and social support services to Americans living with HIV and AIDS.
"We are honored to accept this award
on behalf of our more than 1,400 member
organizations, including the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center-all
of whom played a major role in AIDS
Action's fight to get the CARE Act reauthorized," said Fred Miller, AIDS Action's
Interim Executive Director. I

IJI:ll Action
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Fred Miller, Interim Executive Director
Christine Lubinski, Deputy Executive Director
Alice Drew, Executive Assistant
GOVERNMENT AFFAJRS
Aimee Berenson, Director
Jay Coburn, Legislative Representative
Gary Rose, Legislative Representative
Javier Salazar, Legislative Representative
Amy Andersen, Legislative Representative
Lisa \'Vhite, Policy Associate
Jeff Bloom, Volunteer
Edna Flores, Fellow
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Tracy Mickens-Hundley, Director
Anthony Rios, Community 4ffairs Liaison
Kurt Schade, Administrative Assistant
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Jose Zuniga, Director
Kevin Mercuri, Communications Manager
Heidi Scanlon, Electronic lvledia Coordinator
Kurt Schade, Administrative Assistant
Chad Lord, Fellow
DEVELOPMENT AND MEMBERSHIP
Claudia Fi·ench, Director
Bo Billups, Major Gifts Program Director
Amanda Waugh, Development and
Membership Associate
Mary McGonigel, Foundation Relations
James Brannan, Database Assistant
Sara Dickerson, Administrative Assistant
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

D.C. QUILT DISPLAY continued from page
Remember Them
With Your Vote
AIDS Action and the NAMES
Project Foundation are set to culminate the year-long joint campaign
known as, "Remember Them With
Your Vote," during the October display of the NAMES Project AIDS
Memorial Quilt Display in Washington, D.C. To date, the campaign has
distributed AIDS Action policy materials and state-specific AIDS fact
sheets at 32 cities and towns across
the country at which the AIDS Memorial Quilt has been displayed.
During the three days of the D.C.
Quilt display, AIDS Action will collect "I'm Voting In Memory Of .. ?'

1

pledge cards for distribution to presidential candidates and will staff a table near
the Washington Monument. AIDS
Action staff will also distribute voter
education and policy material, buttons and stickers, and other AIDS
Action goodies.
"AIDS Action has been educating Americans across the country
to remember AIDS during the November general elections," said
Tracy Mickens-Hundley, AIDS
Action's Director of Community
Outreach. "We hope that when
Americans cast their ballots, they
will think of the 320,000 lives that
lost to AIDS:'
PROJECT haveForbeen
information, call (202) 986A!OS Memo rial Qui ll
1300, ext. 3060. I

IHENAMES

SURFING THE WEB? Visit http:\ \www.thebody.com

Dan Melman, Chief Financial Officer
Tuula Sumpter, Stqff Accountant
Brian Logan, Office Administrator
Alton Pugh, Receptionist/Office Assistant

HOW TO REACH US
1875 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20009
Tel 202 986 1300; Fax 202 986 1545
email HN5384@handsnet.org

WHO WE ARE
For eleven years, AIDS Action has been insttumental in achie,1ng majorpublic policy victories in the
fight against AIDS. With ow·membership of individuals and community-based organizations from
across the country, we educate lawmakers, support our local communities, and monitor AJDS
policy to ensure that ow· elected officials in Washington never again forget their responsibility to
Americans living with HIV and AJDS.
AJDS Action is two sister organizations working
for one cause. ATOS Action Council, a 501(c)(4)
organization, shapes federal AJDS policy by advocating for the vital .interests of people living with
HIV and AJDS and of the organizations lbat serve
them. AJDS Action Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, fights for informed HIV/AIDS policy
through community education and organizing,
policy analysis and research, and media outreach.

~ - · · · · · · · · · · · · ··········· ··· ······· · ·············· ··········· ······················· ··· · ········· · · ············

AIDS Action '96 launched at conventions
rench scholar Jules Michelet
once theorized that the three
parts of any political campaign
are "education, education, and
more education?' AIDS Action
took Michelet's theory and put
it to practice in August as we launched a
campaign to educate delegates and media
attending the 1996 Democratic, Republican,
and Reform Party national conventions
about the vital needs of Americans living
with and affected by HIV and AIDS.
AIDS Action '96 was officially launched
August 11 at the Reform Party Convention
in Long Beach, Calif. AIDS Action staff distributed our five-point AIDS agenda for the
second decade of the epidemic to Reform
Party candidates Ross Perot and Gov. Richard Lamm, to party delegates, and to members of the media. The agenda, which also
was widely distributed to GOP convention
delegates in San Diego and to Democratic
delegates in Chicago, outlines what must
be priorities for the next President of the
United States as he leads the national battle
against AIDS [see article below].
"Our five-point agenda should serve as
a roadmap for the next administration to
deal with the vital needs of American s living with and affected by HIV and AIDS, including prevention, research and treatment, care, housing, and civil rights," said
Christine Lubinski, AIDS Action's Deputy
Executive Director.
Lubinski was AIDS Action's spokesperson in several public and media forums in

F

Christine Lubinski addresses a crowd across the street from the
Republican Convention in San Diego (left); Jose Zuniga "spins" at
the Reform Party Convention in Long Beach (middle); Lubinski
briefing the media at a Voices '96 media forum (right).
Long Beach and San Diego. These forums,
sponsored by AIDS Action, the AIDS Foundation of San Diego, Mothers' Voices, and
Voices '96, garnered press attention and
drew unprecedented local and national
community involvement. Dan Bross, AIDS
Action Foundation board member and
former AIDS Action Executive Director,
was AIDS Action's spokesperson at the
Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
"AIDS Action's message was very well
received in San Diego, in Long Beach, and
in Chicago. It is clear that Americans are
unwilling to allow for silence around AIDS
during the national debate about the fu-

ture of our country," said Jose Zuniga,
AIDS Action's Director of Public Affairs.
"Our message is a simple one: More than
320,000 Americans have already died and
countless thousands more will continue
to die unless the next President backs
words with actions in the fight against
AID S?'
AIDS Action's travel to California was
made possible through the generosity of an
AIDS Action donor who contributed frequent flier flights. For more information
about donating flights, please call Claudia
French, Director of Development and Membership, at (202) 986-1300, ext. 3044. I

AIDS Action's 5-point AIDS agenda
AIDS Action's five-point AIDS agenda
was released in time for the start of the
1996 election year frenzy in San Diego,
Chicago, and Long Beach-host cities of
the Republican, Democratic, and Reform Party conventions.
"The Second Decade of AIDS & The
Next U.S. President: A Challenge to Presidential Candidates in Campaign '96,"
speaks to five critical challenges faced by
all Americans living with and affected by
HIV and AIDS-prevention, research,
care, housing and civil rights-and makes
concrete leadership recommendations
on each for the next President of the
United States.

''After fifteen painful years ofliving under the specter of AIDS, there can be no
question that the President of the United
States must be the Commander-inChiefin thefightagainstAIDS," said
Fred Miller, AlDS Action's Interim
Executive Director. "Today, more
than ever, ending the AIDS epidemic and caring for those already
infected must be a political priority
for the highest elected official in the
land. Unwavering presidential commitment and leadership are required if
we are to win the battle against AIDS?'

Continued on page.>

··· ·· · ·· · · · · · · · ······ · ·············· · · ·· · ··· ··· ···· ······· · ·· ··············· ············· · · ··· ··········· · ·· ··· · W

AIDS ACTION POLICY UPDATES

llJ

~!! !~o:i~~f~l~l: :o~:i

coalition of AIDS advocacy
groups, spearheaded by
AIDS Action and the
Human Rights Campaign, paid off again last
month with the passage of a 1997
Department of Defense Authorization bill
free of Rep. Bob Dornan's (R-Calif.)
amendment mandating the discharge of
HIV-positive military personnel. The
provision's removal marks the second
defeat in less than four months of Rep.
Dornan's persistence to discriminate
against service members on the basis of
their HIV serostatus.
"This latest defeat should send a clear
message to Rep. Dornan, and others who
would legislate discrimination, that we will
not stand idly by and allow you to destroy
the careers and lives of patriotic Americans
who happen to be HIV-positive," said Legislative Representative Jay Coburn, AIDS
Action's chief strategist on this issue.
Rep. Dornan's amendment was replaced by one championed by Sen. John
McCain (R-Ariz.) which calls for equal
treatment of all service members who are
non-worldwide deployable because of a
chronic health condition. I

HOUSING. AIDS Action's
efforts to secure additional
funding for the Housing
Opportunities for People
With AIDS (HOPWA)
program continue, even though both
houses of Congress have passed fiscal year
1997 bills funding this vital housing
program at the fiscal year 1995 level of$171
million. HOPWA is the only federal housing
program specifically designed to provide
cities and states with the resources needed
to meet the housing needs of people living
with HIV and AIDS who are homeless, or
are at imminent risk of homelessness.
AIDS Action's Director of Government
Affairs, Aimee Berenson, and a small group
of AIDS housing advocates nationwide, are
leading efforts to rescue HOPWA funding
from the budget axe. These efforts have already resulted in an eleventh-hour move
by the Clinton administration to seek a
HO PWA funding increase of $25 million for
fiscal year 1997, and in commitments by key
members of Congress to push for increased
funding during negotiations on the fiscal
year 1997 Veterans Affairs/Housing &

II

FDA REFORM. Three pieces
of legislation that propose
stripping the Food and Drug
Administration of its regulatory ability to safeguard
the American public from unsafe or
ineffective drugs have been stalled due, in
large part, to the efforts of AIDS Action, and
the Patients' Coalition.
AIDS Action Legislative Representative
Gary Rose explained that the threat that a
large number of amendments would be attached to the bills made the bills unappealing to many members of Congress who believed passage of FDA reform would be a
1-2-3 exercise.
"This delay provides more time for AIDS
and patients advocates to negotiate with
members of Congress over the more troubling provisions in the bills," Rose said. I

HIV PREVENTION. Under
the guise of HIV prevention,
Rep. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)
unveiled the HIV Prevention
Act of 1996 in mid-August.
Rep. Coburn's bill would allow medical
professionals to test patients for HIV
without obtaining patients' consent, and
would require that states report to the
federal government the names of all people
testing positive for HIV.
Further, the bill threatens to withhold
Medicaid funds to any state that fails to
comply with Rep. Coburn's prevention
measures. Medicaid finances health care
services for over half of all Americans living with HIV and AIDS.
"These policies have either been rejected by medical, public health, and prevention experts worldwide, or represent
one-size fits all solutions from Washington
that tie the hands of state and communities trying to effectively respond to the specific demographics of the HIV epidemic,"
said AIDS Action Legislative Representative Jay Coburn. I

WELFARE REFORM. Despite vociferous opposition
from AIDS Action and other
advocacy groups, a "bipartisan" welfare reform bill
passed the House of Representatives and
the Senate in August and was subsequently
signed into law by President Clinton. The
President indicated that, while disappointed
with key provisions in the bill, the bill's
positives outweighed the negatives.
This is the third version of the GOP congressional leadership's efforts to dismantle
the welfare system. For the past 60 years,
welfare has guaranteed federal assistance,
including access to health care services, to
America's most impoverished citizens, including people living with HIV and AIDS.
Especially troubling to AIDS advocates
are provisions in the bill which erode access to health care through Medicaid. These
provisions include barring legal immigrants from a variety offederal benefits, including access to Medicaid.
"We demand that President Clinton
work to eliminate or improve key provisions of the welfare bill which unfairly penalize this nation's most vulnerable populations, including people living with HIV
and AIDS," said Christine Lubinski, AIDS
Action's Deputy Executive Director. I

HEALTH INSURANCE
REFORM. Congress' passage, and the subsequent
signing into law August 20,
of the Health Coverage
Availability and Affordability Act of 1996
[Kennedy/Kassebaum, R.R. 3103] ushers
in modest but important health insurance
reforms.
These reforms include limits on pre-existing condition exclusions, expanded guarantees of availability and portability of
health insurance coverage, prohibitions on
discrimination in eligibility for health insurance coverage based on health status,
and changes to make the tax treatment of
proceeds from viatical settlements more
beneficial to consumers.
R.R. 3103 also includes a compromise
on the controversial issue of medical savings accounts (MSAs)-a four-year MSA
demonstration project with some important consumer protections such as limits
on deductibles and out-of-pocket costs.
"Unfortunately, while R.R. 3103 makes
it easier to obtain and maintain health insurance coverage, there is no guarantee
that that coverage will provide the care you
need at a price you can afford," said AIDS
Action Legislative Representative Amy
Andersen. I

Urban Development bill in early September.
"It is time for the Clinton administration and Congress to stop the excuses and
ensure that funding for the HOPWA program is increased," Berenson said. I

II

[!]······ · ··· · ···· · · ·· ····· ···· · ···· · · · ··············································· · · ··· ·· ····· ··· ···· · ··· ·· · ·

Latinos at the Crossroads:
•
AIDS Action lends a voice
to the debate
IDS Action made its premiere
appearance this summer at
the annual conference of the
National Council of La Raza
(NCLR) in Denver, adding our
voice to that of over 3,000 participants and more than 15,000 visitors attending "Latinos At The Crossroads: A Time
for Action?' Based in Washington, D.C., the
NCLR is the largest Hispanic civil rights organization in the country.
AIDS Action's Community Liaison, Anthony Rios, exhibited and distributed federal AIDS policy educational information,
including AIDS Action congressional voting records, Action Alerts, and related federal funding information. Our exhibit space
was spiced up by joining forces with the

A

Center for Health Policy Development
(CHPD), a Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention-funded project based in San Antonio, Texas. The combination of colorful,
culturally sensitive HIV prevention messages designed by CHPD, and the federal
AIDS policy and funding information supplied by AIDS Action were well received
by exhibit visitors.
Rios also participated in two very important education presentations made to
NCLR conference attendees. The first presentation, which was delivered to over 100
members of NCLR's college youth leadership program, focused on the importance
of voter registration and education. The second presentation involved an advocacy
"wrap-up" at the end of a bilingual work-

AIDS ACTION 5-POINT AIDS AGENDA

shop entitled, "Empowering Latinas in the
Prevention of HIV and STDs?' This workshop was standing room only,
which Rios explained, should
serve as a testament to the increasing need for tailored prevention programs for women of
color that are delivered in both
the English and Spanish languages.
AIDS Action looks forward
to expanding the relationships
Anthony Rios
made in Denver and our increasing work with other advocates from around the country. For more
information about AIDS Action's Community Outreach department, call (202) 9861300, ext 3067. I

continued from page 3

The AIDS Action agenda's five points are:

1

PREVENTION. The nextPresident must ensure that all
Americans have access to effective, skills-based HIV education and prevention programs targeting the diverse communities affected by
the epidemic. These programs must be
open, honest and sensitive to the needs
of communities at risk for HIV. He must
also fight attempts at any level to restrict
the content of HIV prevention programs
and education materials; must commit
to adequate funding for substance abuse
prevention and treatment; and must lift
the prohibition on federal funding for
needle exchange programs.

2

RESEARCH. The next President must increase funding at
the National Institutes of
Health (NIH) and maintain
the consolidated budget authority of the
NIH's Office of AIDS Research (OAR).
Additionally, he must use his authority
to hasten the pace and productivity of
AIDS research and ensure the expedient development of promising new

drugs that are affordable and accessible
to all people living with HIV and AIDS.
However, steps to accomplish this goal
must not jeopardize the Food and Drug
Administration's public health mission.

5

CARE. The next President
must commit to strengthening
federal support for health care
and social services such as the
Ryan White CARE Act and the Medicaid
program; advocate for full Ryan White
CARE Act funding, which includes the
50-state network of AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAP); and maintain
the Medicaid entitlement.

4

HOUSING. ThenextPresident
must demonstrate a commitment to the reauthorization of
the Housing Opportunities for
People with AIDS program (HOPWA)
and other federal housing programs
with a concurrent commitment to increase HOPWA's funding as the demand
for adequate housing among Americans

living with HIV and AIDS continues to
increase.

5

CIVIL RIGHTS. ThenextPresident must show that mandatory testing and other HIVrelated discrimination are
un-American and unacceptable; ensure
that the moral and legal authority of the
federal government is used to fight
discrimination against people living
with HIV and AIDS; and fully implement
the Americans With Disabilities Act to
prevent policies that bar people living
with HIV and AIDS from insurance
coverage, employment, housing and
entrance into the country. Additionally,
he must ensure that the HIV antibody
test is not used as a means of social
control or as a tool of discrimination.

For a full text of AIDS Action's ffvepoint AIDS agenda, please call (202)
986-1500, ext. 5065, or look for it on
the World Wide Web (http/ /www.
thebody.com). I

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George Gund
grant funds
Medicaid work
AIDS Action Foundation recently
received a generous grant from The
George Gund Foundation for a Medicaid policy project. The project's
goal is to examine the policy implications of Medicaid restructuring for
people living with HIV and AIDS,
and to ensure that policy makers are
aware of the needs of people living
with HIV and AIDS who depend on
Medicaid for life-saving care.
Support from the Gund Foundation will enable AIDS Action to develop and disseminate information
about proposals for Medicaid reform
that will enable the diverse AIDS
communities to participate in the
Medicaid policy debate as it affects
health care for people with AIDS.
Because Medicaid pays for so
much AIDS care, current and future
efforts to reform this vital health care
safety-net program will profoundly
affect the health and well-being of
hundreds of thousands of Americans
living with HIV and AIDS. For this
reason, AIDS Action will continue its
fight to protect and strengthen the
Medicaid program. I

Profile in Courage: Pedro Zamora
AIDS educator, advocate, MTV star. In
Pedro's mother died of cancer just a
his short life, Pedro Zamora excelled in alfew weeks later.
most everything he did. Pedro touched the
Like many young people, Pedro did not
lives of thousands of young people, changhave the tools to deal with this kind ofloss.
ing forever the way they think about people
Pedro threw himself into school, becoming
living with HIV and AIDS.
a star athlete and an honor roll member. But
Despite his fear of public speaking,
he also sought affection and reassurance
Pedro chose to live his life as a national
through unprotected sex. At age 17, Pedro
AIDS educator and advocate.
was diagnosed HIV-positive.
Once when speaking to students
Pedro is best known for his
at an inner-city high school,
role on MTV's The Real World.
Pedro was asked, "What makes
In 1994, Pedro moved to San
you care about people like us?"
Francisco to live with six strangPedro's answer demonstrated
ers on national television. Alhis courage and commitment:
though Pedro knew that living
"The pain that I feel, the ansuch a public life would be difger, the hurt. I don't want anyficult, he also understood that
body else to go through this. Nohe had an unprecedented opbody deserves to get this disportunity to educate millions of
young people about HIV disease. I don't care who they are
or what they did ... You think
ease. As a member of AIDS AcPedro Zamora
it's easy to be here and be pertion Council's board of direcsonal and answer all these
tors, Pedro used the last months
questions? It's not. But if you see me, you
of his life, whether on screen or in the halls
might realize it could happen to you. That
of Congress, transforming the public's
is why I am here;'
understanding of people living with HIV
An eight-year-old Pedro and his family
and AIDS.
came to the United States from Cuba in
Pedro died of AIDS-related complica1980 during th e Mari el boatlift. The
tions on Nov. 11, 1994. In a short life marked
by loss-his homeland, his family, his
close-knit Zamora family was devastated
when four of Pedro's older brothers were
mother, and, ultimately, his life-Pedro
denied permission to leave Cuba. The
demonstrated the power of one to change
tragedy of this separation deepened when
the world. I

Pedro's legacy lives on in Zamora Fellovvs
Three of the nation's brightest young
people shared more than just work space
with AIDS Action staff this summer; they
shared and actively participated in AIDS Action's work
to effect sound AIDS policy.
The Pedro Zamora Public
Policy Fellowship Program,
named in honor of AIDS
Action's former board member and MTV The Real World
star Pedro Zamora, welcomed
its first fellows this spring.
Edna Flores
AIDS Action has been honored to host, and impressed by
the work and dedication of, three Zamora
fellows: Monique Glover, Alon Unger, and
Edna Flores.
Monique has worked on HIV and AIDS
issues since she learned about AIDS in a
sixth grade science class. While she was a

student at Colgate University in upstate
New York, Monique developed, designed,
raised money for, and distributed 1,000 copies of a day planner with information, facts,
and prevention tips on HIV and AIDS for
the incoming freshman class. She has also
taught a seminar on HIV and AIDS, and
will be studying public health at the University of Michigan. Monique says she is
contemplating running for public office
some day.
Alon represents young people ages 16
to 19 on the boards of two local HIV prevention organizations in his home state of
Arizona. One organization is implementing a pilot program that uses sophisticated
marketing techniques to develop prevention activities targeting at-risk groups. It
was out of this work that Alon became involved with AIDS Action and the Pedro
Zamora Public Policy Fellowship Program.

With the knowledge he has acquired this
summer, Alon, who is also a medical student, is considering spearheading a
grassroots advocacy effort in Arizona.
Edna became involved in HIV and AIDS
education when she found out that the
number of AIDS cases in the Filipino community was increasing at an alarming rate.
When she completes her fellowship with
AIDS Action, Edna plans to study medicine
and health policy and run an organization
that works on HIV and AIDS issues in the
Asian-American community.
While at AIDS Action, each fellows had
the opportunity to analyze legislation, to
speak with elected representatives, to draft
policy briefs, and to attend hearings and
coalition meetings. It is through the work
of these young people and their dedication
to the fight against HIV and AIDS, thatPedro
Zamora's legacy will live on. I

C!!J· .... ......... ....... ... ........... ... ........ ....... ... .................. ......... ........ ............... .

WELCOME

Orange County Consortium ioins AIDS Action
IDS Action is pleased to welcome the Orange County Consortium to the Board of Directors. The Orange County Consortium represents a region
that is both politically conservative and powerful, and brings a needed
perspective to the AIDS Action Council
Board of Directors and its Public Policy
Committee.
"Our member organizations and consortia are at the heart of AIDS Action's mission to represent the interests of communities and individuals affected by HIV and
AIDS," said Claudia French, Director of
Development and Membership. "We are
delighted to welcome the Orange County
Consortium and look forward to their active participation in all of AIDS Action's
programs and advocacy campaigns!'
Members of the Orange County Consortium include the University of California
at Irvine-College of Medicine, Hannah's
House, AIDS Services Foundation, The

A

Center/ARP,
Casa Delhi, Laguna Shanti,
Public Law Center, and Straight
Talk.
"The Orange
County Consortium is excited to
join AIDS Action.
Our vote was unanimous," said Robert
Gentry, chair of the Orange County Planning Advisory Council. "We have
been consistently impressed
with the quality of work, the
level of information, and the professionalism that comes from AIDS
Action?'
Full or consortium members appoint
a representative to the AIDS Action Council Board of Directors and the Public Policy
Committee. Gentry will represent the Or-

ange County Consortium on
both.
For more information
about board membership,
please contact the Development and Membership Department at (202) 986-1300,
ext. 3045. I

AIDS Action Alliance Program

Monthly Giving Made Easy
In response to the needs of our donors, AIDS Action is
launching a monthly giving program called The Alliance
Program. The Alliance Program is an exciting new way for
you to support AIDS Action without ever having to write a
check again!
The program works by directly transferring a monthly
donation from your checking account to AIDS Action. You
will receive a record of the transfer on your monthly bank
statement, and an annual summary of your contributions for
income tax purposes. The Alliance Program is being added
to a program already used by AIDS Action donors who
can charge contributions to
MasterCard or Visa, on a schedule best suited to that individual,
usually monthly or
quarterly.
To take advantage
of this easy and convenient program just check
the appropriate box on the enclosed envelope, or call us at
(202) 986-1300, ext. 3040. I

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ···· ·· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ··· · · · · · · · · · · · · ·· · ···· ··· ··· · · · · · · [ z ]

AIDS Action staff turn up the heat in Houston
s if Houston in July weren't hot
enough, an AIDS Action trio
recently headed southwest to
turn up the heat on AIDS advocacy: Christine Lubinski,
Deputy Executive Director;
Claudia French, Director of Development
and Membership; and Tracy MickensHundley, Director of Community Outreach.
AIDS Action's trip to Houston began
with an appeal to some of Houston's finest
to support AIDS Action through membership in the Advocate program-donors who
contribute $1,200 or greater to help fight
for the needs and rights of people with HIV
and AIDS. Houston philanthropist Clark
L. Carrol, M.D., opened his home for a special reception where former AIDS Action
Foundation board member and longtime
friend, Phil Lacey, and current board
member John Gonzalez, gave impassioned
speeches on the critical need for supporting AIDS Action's work.
AIDS Action, along with representatives from the congressional offices of
Reps. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas) and

A

AID~

Action

Ken Bentsen (D-Texas), were at the center
of a community forum hosted by The
Bering Community Service Foundation,
Amigos Volunteers in Education and Services, and Windsor AIDS Ministry Foundation. The stories shared during this forum were heart wrenching. One was from
a 72-year-old grandmother spending her
twilight years grieving for the loss of her
daughter and raising two teenagers orphaned by that.death. Other people spoke
of the pain, destruction, and sadness that
comes with surviving when individuals
and organizations are pitted against each
other for scarce resources.
Community leaders and organizations
representing varied affected populations
pledged that night to mobilize their energies to maximize political influence, dollars, and support for people infected and
affected by HIV and AIDS in Houston and
in the State of Texas.
The trip culminated in a visit with the
editorial board of The Houston Chronicle,
who were challenged to cover the real
stories about HIV and AIDS in Americathe high rate of infection among young

Key AIDS Action
stqff working in
Houston (top left
to right, clockwise):
Christine Lubinski,
Claudia French,
and Tracy
Mickens-Hundley.

Americans and communities of color, the
hope that combination drugs provide, and
the practicality and reality of a drug
therapy program that assumes a level of
affluence and accessibility. I

1875 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20009

Bulk Rate
US Postage

Address Correction Requested

Permit No. 2769
Washington, DC
20009

AIDS Action Update is the newsletter
of AIDS Action Council, the Washington
representative of over 1,400 communitybased AIDS organizations, and AIDS
Action Foundation.

' Jlrn 111ll 1111ll1111111 I, 11111,1, 111ll.1111,I I11, 1111 I, IJ 11
Herland Sister Resources
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PAID



Volume 9 • Numbe r 2

Action UPDATE
the national voice on AIDS

Analysis: What's next after
XI lnt'I Conference on AIDS?
or many of us, recent events
at the XI International Conference on AIDS have come to
symbolize the palpable hope
that, after fifteen years, we may
be permitted to believe that
AIDS and death are not synonymous.
We allow ourselves to think that thought
with some regularity now. The Economist
magazine recently observed that" ... for the
first time since 1981, when a few inquisitive do ctors noticed the outbreak of a
strange and rare cancer in gay American
men, there is hope?' For all of us affected
by AIDS, HIV-positive and HIVnegative alike, there is a personal and collective sense that
we may have turned some kind
of corner.
Quickly, though, we sense
a multitude of new concerns,
along with the old. We worry
about the duration and size of
by Fred Miller
the protease inhibitors studies,
unknown side effects, access,
cost, stage of disease and the
rest. As a community, and institutionally
here at AIDS Action, we are confronted with
a bewildering array of challenges. Where
are we headed now? What are "our" issues?
On what, exactly, should we spend the bulk
of our time and other resources?
We saw the intensity and high-stakes
quality of the new debate at our last board
meeting. Do we focus the bulk of our energy and clout on medical treatment and
drugs? On developing an AIDS standard of

F

IN THIS ISSUE

3

AIDS Action '96

4

AIDS Action Policy Updates

6

Pedro Zamora Fellows

1 9 9

F A L L

AIDS Action plans
events during D.C.
AIDS Quilt display
Join Hands.
fight AIDS.

One Worla. One Hope.
care? On research yet to be done? On Medicaid and health care reform? Prevention
and education? Housing? Psychosocial services? Substance abuse treatment? Do we
tackle all of these issues and risk superficiality? Or, do we focus on two or three and
risk a major blunder in setting narrowed
priorities? The questions, as always, are
much easier than the answers.
As AIDS Action grapples with the complex ramifications of what Vancouver
means, we should redouble our efforts to
be as clear as we can about our mission,
our priorities and whom we represent. We
have a mission statement. It defines our
constituency as "all people with HIV infection ... and all people at risk for HIV infection" and our mission with respect to that
constituency is advocacy for "the national
public policy interests of those communities, local organizations and individuals
most heavily impacted by HIV?'
That's a tall order. The assessing and fixing of priorities here has always been difficult; now, it is harder still. But it would be
a terrible error to pretend it is not our job
to make those assessments. The more candid and explicit we can be in defining and
redefining our priorities in the face of this
never static crisis, the better we will do our
job. We can do it now with a bit more hopeeven the ultimate hope, that we'll have no
job to do at all in some of our lifetimes. I

6

llQTC
V I I J;; •

You've heard it before: Vote because
America's future depends on who you send
to Washington. Well, it's true. And part of
that future involves a disease which has
already claimed over 320,000 lives-AIDS.
Because that fact could be easily ignored in the election year frenzy, thousands of family members, friends, and lovers of people who have been lost to AIDS
will surround the U.S. Capitol from 1:30
to 3:30 p.m., Saturday, October 12, in an
expression of solidarity. At a time when
our nation can't seem to agree on mu ch
of anything, our message will serve as a
rallying call in the fight against AIDS: Join
Hands. Fight AIDS. Vote.
"Ours will be a human chain of concern and remembrance for the 320,000
American lives already claimed by the
epidemic, and a reminder to our elected
officials that we remember, we care, and we
vote," said Jose Zuniga, AIDS Action's
Director of Public Affairs.
Co-sponsored
by AIDS Action, Mothers'
Voices, and
Gay Men's
Health Crisis, Hands
Around the
Capitol
coincides
withtheD.C.display of
Washington,D.C. • October12 ,1996
the 45,000panel AIDS
Memorial Quilt. Join other display participants from across the country October 12
as we honor our dead and call on our
elected officials in Washington to fight like
hell for the living.
For more information, call (202) 9861300, ext. 3060.

Continued on page 2

I

Berenson new Government Affairs head
Aimee Berenson, formerly AIDS
Action's Legislative Counsel, assumed a
new role in the organization August 9 as
Director of the five-member Government
Affairs department. Berenson had served
as legislative counsel since arriving at AIDS
Action in 1992, and has worked on AIDS
policy issues ranging from housing to civil
rights to federal appropriations for AIDSrelated programs.
"I have every confidence that Aimee will
continue to help AIDS Action navigate
through the often murky waters of
Washington's legislative process," said Fred

Miller, AIDS Action's Interim Executive
Director. "Her leadership skills will be invaluable in the fight to maintain, and improve on, our hard-won gains in AIDS
policy:'
Before joining AIDS Action, Berenson
was policy counsel for family law programs
at the Women's Legal Defense Fund and the
American Civil Liberties Union. Berenson
is a graduate of the New York University
School of Law, and is an adjunct professor
of law at the Columbus School of Law at
the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. I

Kudos: AIDS Action receives Allies Award
When the National Native American
AIDS Prevention Center honors leaders in
the fight against AIDS during its national
convention September 23-27 in Portland,
Oregon, AIDS Action will be among the
honorees. Ron Rowell, who is the Prevention Center's Executive Director and a
member of the AIDS Action Public Policy
Committee, announced AIDS Action's selection August 21.
Rowell explained that his organization's Allies Award will be presented to
AIDS Action in recognition of our two-year
struggle to get the Ryan White CARE Act

reauthorized. The Ryan White CARE Act
program is the primary source of AIDS
care dollars for cities, states, and community health clinics providing direct patient
care and social support services to Americans living with HIV and AIDS.
"We are honored to accept this award
on behalf of our more than 1,400 member
organizations, including the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center-all
of whom played a major role in AIDS
Action's fight to get the CARE Act reauthorized," said Fred Miller, AIDS Action's
Interim Executive Director. I

IJI:ll Action
OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Fred Miller, Interim Executive Director
Christine Lubinski, Deputy Executive Director
Alice Drew, Executive Assistant
GOVERNMENT AFFAJRS
Aimee Berenson, Director
Jay Coburn, Legislative Representative
Gary Rose, Legislative Representative
Javier Salazar, Legislative Representative
Amy Andersen, Legislative Representative
Lisa \'Vhite, Policy Associate
Jeff Bloom, Volunteer
Edna Flores, Fellow
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Tracy Mickens-Hundley, Director
Anthony Rios, Community 4ffairs Liaison
Kurt Schade, Administrative Assistant
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Jose Zuniga, Director
Kevin Mercuri, Communications Manager
Heidi Scanlon, Electronic lvledia Coordinator
Kurt Schade, Administrative Assistant
Chad Lord, Fellow
DEVELOPMENT AND MEMBERSHIP
Claudia Fi·ench, Director
Bo Billups, Major Gifts Program Director
Amanda Waugh, Development and
Membership Associate
Mary McGonigel, Foundation Relations
James Brannan, Database Assistant
Sara Dickerson, Administrative Assistant
FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

D.C. QUILT DISPLAY continued from page
Remember Them
With Your Vote
AIDS Action and the NAMES
Project Foundation are set to culminate the year-long joint campaign
known as, "Remember Them With
Your Vote," during the October display of the NAMES Project AIDS
Memorial Quilt Display in Washington, D.C. To date, the campaign has
distributed AIDS Action policy materials and state-specific AIDS fact
sheets at 32 cities and towns across
the country at which the AIDS Memorial Quilt has been displayed.
During the three days of the D.C.
Quilt display, AIDS Action will collect "I'm Voting In Memory Of .. ?'

1

pledge cards for distribution to presidential candidates and will staff a table near
the Washington Monument. AIDS
Action staff will also distribute voter
education and policy material, buttons and stickers, and other AIDS
Action goodies.
"AIDS Action has been educating Americans across the country
to remember AIDS during the November general elections," said
Tracy Mickens-Hundley, AIDS
Action's Director of Community
Outreach. "We hope that when
Americans cast their ballots, they
will think of the 320,000 lives that
lost to AIDS:'
PROJECT haveForbeen
information, call (202) 986A!OS Memo rial Qui ll
1300, ext. 3060. I

IHENAMES

SURFING THE WEB? Visit http:\ \www.thebody.com

Dan Melman, Chief Financial Officer
Tuula Sumpter, Stqff Accountant
Brian Logan, Office Administrator
Alton Pugh, Receptionist/Office Assistant

HOW TO REACH US
1875 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20009
Tel 202 986 1300; Fax 202 986 1545
email HN5384@handsnet.org

WHO WE ARE
For eleven years, AIDS Action has been insttumental in achie,1ng majorpublic policy victories in the
fight against AIDS. With ow·membership of individuals and community-based organizations from
across the country, we educate lawmakers, support our local communities, and monitor AJDS
policy to ensure that ow· elected officials in Washington never again forget their responsibility to
Americans living with HIV and AJDS.
AJDS Action is two sister organizations working
for one cause. ATOS Action Council, a 501(c)(4)
organization, shapes federal AJDS policy by advocating for the vital .interests of people living with
HIV and AJDS and of the organizations lbat serve
them. AJDS Action Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, fights for informed HIV/AIDS policy
through community education and organizing,
policy analysis and research, and media outreach.

~ - · · · · · · · · · · · · ··········· ··· ······· · ·············· ··········· ······················· ··· · ········· · · ············

AIDS Action '96 launched at conventions
rench scholar Jules Michelet
once theorized that the three
parts of any political campaign
are "education, education, and
more education?' AIDS Action
took Michelet's theory and put
it to practice in August as we launched a
campaign to educate delegates and media
attending the 1996 Democratic, Republican,
and Reform Party national conventions
about the vital needs of Americans living
with and affected by HIV and AIDS.
AIDS Action '96 was officially launched
August 11 at the Reform Party Convention
in Long Beach, Calif. AIDS Action staff distributed our five-point AIDS agenda for the
second decade of the epidemic to Reform
Party candidates Ross Perot and Gov. Richard Lamm, to party delegates, and to members of the media. The agenda, which also
was widely distributed to GOP convention
delegates in San Diego and to Democratic
delegates in Chicago, outlines what must
be priorities for the next President of the
United States as he leads the national battle
against AIDS [see article below].
"Our five-point agenda should serve as
a roadmap for the next administration to
deal with the vital needs of American s living with and affected by HIV and AIDS, including prevention, research and treatment, care, housing, and civil rights," said
Christine Lubinski, AIDS Action's Deputy
Executive Director.
Lubinski was AIDS Action's spokesperson in several public and media forums in

F

Christine Lubinski addresses a crowd across the street from the
Republican Convention in San Diego (left); Jose Zuniga "spins" at
the Reform Party Convention in Long Beach (middle); Lubinski
briefing the media at a Voices '96 media forum (right).
Long Beach and San Diego. These forums,
sponsored by AIDS Action, the AIDS Foundation of San Diego, Mothers' Voices, and
Voices '96, garnered press attention and
drew unprecedented local and national
community involvement. Dan Bross, AIDS
Action Foundation board member and
former AIDS Action Executive Director,
was AIDS Action's spokesperson at the
Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
"AIDS Action's message was very well
received in San Diego, in Long Beach, and
in Chicago. It is clear that Americans are
unwilling to allow for silence around AIDS
during the national debate about the fu-

ture of our country," said Jose Zuniga,
AIDS Action's Director of Public Affairs.
"Our message is a simple one: More than
320,000 Americans have already died and
countless thousands more will continue
to die unless the next President backs
words with actions in the fight against
AID S?'
AIDS Action's travel to California was
made possible through the generosity of an
AIDS Action donor who contributed frequent flier flights. For more information
about donating flights, please call Claudia
French, Director of Development and Membership, at (202) 986-1300, ext. 3044. I

AIDS Action's 5-point AIDS agenda
AIDS Action's five-point AIDS agenda
was released in time for the start of the
1996 election year frenzy in San Diego,
Chicago, and Long Beach-host cities of
the Republican, Democratic, and Reform Party conventions.
"The Second Decade of AIDS & The
Next U.S. President: A Challenge to Presidential Candidates in Campaign '96,"
speaks to five critical challenges faced by
all Americans living with and affected by
HIV and AIDS-prevention, research,
care, housing and civil rights-and makes
concrete leadership recommendations
on each for the next President of the
United States.

''After fifteen painful years ofliving under the specter of AIDS, there can be no
question that the President of the United
States must be the Commander-inChiefin thefightagainstAIDS," said
Fred Miller, AlDS Action's Interim
Executive Director. "Today, more
than ever, ending the AIDS epidemic and caring for those already
infected must be a political priority
for the highest elected official in the
land. Unwavering presidential commitment and leadership are required if
we are to win the battle against AIDS?'

Continued on page.>

··· ·· · ·· · · · · · · · ······ · ·············· · · ·· · ··· ··· ···· ······· · ·· ··············· ············· · · ··· ··········· · ·· ··· · W

AIDS ACTION POLICY UPDATES

llJ

~!! !~o:i~~f~l~l: :o~:i

coalition of AIDS advocacy
groups, spearheaded by
AIDS Action and the
Human Rights Campaign, paid off again last
month with the passage of a 1997
Department of Defense Authorization bill
free of Rep. Bob Dornan's (R-Calif.)
amendment mandating the discharge of
HIV-positive military personnel. The
provision's removal marks the second
defeat in less than four months of Rep.
Dornan's persistence to discriminate
against service members on the basis of
their HIV serostatus.
"This latest defeat should send a clear
message to Rep. Dornan, and others who
would legislate discrimination, that we will
not stand idly by and allow you to destroy
the careers and lives of patriotic Americans
who happen to be HIV-positive," said Legislative Representative Jay Coburn, AIDS
Action's chief strategist on this issue.
Rep. Dornan's amendment was replaced by one championed by Sen. John
McCain (R-Ariz.) which calls for equal
treatment of all service members who are
non-worldwide deployable because of a
chronic health condition. I

HOUSING. AIDS Action's
efforts to secure additional
funding for the Housing
Opportunities for People
With AIDS (HOPWA)
program continue, even though both
houses of Congress have passed fiscal year
1997 bills funding this vital housing
program at the fiscal year 1995 level of$171
million. HOPWA is the only federal housing
program specifically designed to provide
cities and states with the resources needed
to meet the housing needs of people living
with HIV and AIDS who are homeless, or
are at imminent risk of homelessness.
AIDS Action's Director of Government
Affairs, Aimee Berenson, and a small group
of AIDS housing advocates nationwide, are
leading efforts to rescue HOPWA funding
from the budget axe. These efforts have already resulted in an eleventh-hour move
by the Clinton administration to seek a
HO PWA funding increase of $25 million for
fiscal year 1997, and in commitments by key
members of Congress to push for increased
funding during negotiations on the fiscal
year 1997 Veterans Affairs/Housing &

II

FDA REFORM. Three pieces
of legislation that propose
stripping the Food and Drug
Administration of its regulatory ability to safeguard
the American public from unsafe or
ineffective drugs have been stalled due, in
large part, to the efforts of AIDS Action, and
the Patients' Coalition.
AIDS Action Legislative Representative
Gary Rose explained that the threat that a
large number of amendments would be attached to the bills made the bills unappealing to many members of Congress who believed passage of FDA reform would be a
1-2-3 exercise.
"This delay provides more time for AIDS
and patients advocates to negotiate with
members of Congress over the more troubling provisions in the bills," Rose said. I

HIV PREVENTION. Under
the guise of HIV prevention,
Rep. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)
unveiled the HIV Prevention
Act of 1996 in mid-August.
Rep. Coburn's bill would allow medical
professionals to test patients for HIV
without obtaining patients' consent, and
would require that states report to the
federal government the names of all people
testing positive for HIV.
Further, the bill threatens to withhold
Medicaid funds to any state that fails to
comply with Rep. Coburn's prevention
measures. Medicaid finances health care
services for over half of all Americans living with HIV and AIDS.
"These policies have either been rejected by medical, public health, and prevention experts worldwide, or represent
one-size fits all solutions from Washington
that tie the hands of state and communities trying to effectively respond to the specific demographics of the HIV epidemic,"
said AIDS Action Legislative Representative Jay Coburn. I

WELFARE REFORM. Despite vociferous opposition
from AIDS Action and other
advocacy groups, a "bipartisan" welfare reform bill
passed the House of Representatives and
the Senate in August and was subsequently
signed into law by President Clinton. The
President indicated that, while disappointed
with key provisions in the bill, the bill's
positives outweighed the negatives.
This is the third version of the GOP congressional leadership's efforts to dismantle
the welfare system. For the past 60 years,
welfare has guaranteed federal assistance,
including access to health care services, to
America's most impoverished citizens, including people living with HIV and AIDS.
Especially troubling to AIDS advocates
are provisions in the bill which erode access to health care through Medicaid. These
provisions include barring legal immigrants from a variety offederal benefits, including access to Medicaid.
"We demand that President Clinton
work to eliminate or improve key provisions of the welfare bill which unfairly penalize this nation's most vulnerable populations, including people living with HIV
and AIDS," said Christine Lubinski, AIDS
Action's Deputy Executive Director. I

HEALTH INSURANCE
REFORM. Congress' passage, and the subsequent
signing into law August 20,
of the Health Coverage
Availability and Affordability Act of 1996
[Kennedy/Kassebaum, R.R. 3103] ushers
in modest but important health insurance
reforms.
These reforms include limits on pre-existing condition exclusions, expanded guarantees of availability and portability of
health insurance coverage, prohibitions on
discrimination in eligibility for health insurance coverage based on health status,
and changes to make the tax treatment of
proceeds from viatical settlements more
beneficial to consumers.
R.R. 3103 also includes a compromise
on the controversial issue of medical savings accounts (MSAs)-a four-year MSA
demonstration project with some important consumer protections such as limits
on deductibles and out-of-pocket costs.
"Unfortunately, while R.R. 3103 makes
it easier to obtain and maintain health insurance coverage, there is no guarantee
that that coverage will provide the care you
need at a price you can afford," said AIDS
Action Legislative Representative Amy
Andersen. I

Urban Development bill in early September.
"It is time for the Clinton administration and Congress to stop the excuses and
ensure that funding for the HOPWA program is increased," Berenson said. I

II

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Latinos at the Crossroads:
•
AIDS Action lends a voice
to the debate
IDS Action made its premiere
appearance this summer at
the annual conference of the
National Council of La Raza
(NCLR) in Denver, adding our
voice to that of over 3,000 participants and more than 15,000 visitors attending "Latinos At The Crossroads: A Time
for Action?' Based in Washington, D.C., the
NCLR is the largest Hispanic civil rights organization in the country.
AIDS Action's Community Liaison, Anthony Rios, exhibited and distributed federal AIDS policy educational information,
including AIDS Action congressional voting records, Action Alerts, and related federal funding information. Our exhibit space
was spiced up by joining forces with the

A

Center for Health Policy Development
(CHPD), a Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention-funded project based in San Antonio, Texas. The combination of colorful,
culturally sensitive HIV prevention messages designed by CHPD, and the federal
AIDS policy and funding information supplied by AIDS Action were well received
by exhibit visitors.
Rios also participated in two very important education presentations made to
NCLR conference attendees. The first presentation, which was delivered to over 100
members of NCLR's college youth leadership program, focused on the importance
of voter registration and education. The second presentation involved an advocacy
"wrap-up" at the end of a bilingual work-

AIDS ACTION 5-POINT AIDS AGENDA

shop entitled, "Empowering Latinas in the
Prevention of HIV and STDs?' This workshop was standing room only,
which Rios explained, should
serve as a testament to the increasing need for tailored prevention programs for women of
color that are delivered in both
the English and Spanish languages.
AIDS Action looks forward
to expanding the relationships
Anthony Rios
made in Denver and our increasing work with other advocates from around the country. For more
information about AIDS Action's Community Outreach department, call (202) 9861300, ext 3067. I

continued from page 3

The AIDS Action agenda's five points are:

1

PREVENTION. The nextPresident must ensure that all
Americans have access to effective, skills-based HIV education and prevention programs targeting the diverse communities affected by
the epidemic. These programs must be
open, honest and sensitive to the needs
of communities at risk for HIV. He must
also fight attempts at any level to restrict
the content of HIV prevention programs
and education materials; must commit
to adequate funding for substance abuse
prevention and treatment; and must lift
the prohibition on federal funding for
needle exchange programs.

2

RESEARCH. The next President must increase funding at
the National Institutes of
Health (NIH) and maintain
the consolidated budget authority of the
NIH's Office of AIDS Research (OAR).
Additionally, he must use his authority
to hasten the pace and productivity of
AIDS research and ensure the expedient development of promising new

drugs that are affordable and accessible
to all people living with HIV and AIDS.
However, steps to accomplish this goal
must not jeopardize the Food and Drug
Administration's public health mission.

5

CARE. The next President
must commit to strengthening
federal support for health care
and social services such as the
Ryan White CARE Act and the Medicaid
program; advocate for full Ryan White
CARE Act funding, which includes the
50-state network of AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAP); and maintain
the Medicaid entitlement.

4

HOUSING. ThenextPresident
must demonstrate a commitment to the reauthorization of
the Housing Opportunities for
People with AIDS program (HOPWA)
and other federal housing programs
with a concurrent commitment to increase HOPWA's funding as the demand
for adequate housing among Americans

living with HIV and AIDS continues to
increase.

5

CIVIL RIGHTS. ThenextPresident must show that mandatory testing and other HIVrelated discrimination are
un-American and unacceptable; ensure
that the moral and legal authority of the
federal government is used to fight
discrimination against people living
with HIV and AIDS; and fully implement
the Americans With Disabilities Act to
prevent policies that bar people living
with HIV and AIDS from insurance
coverage, employment, housing and
entrance into the country. Additionally,
he must ensure that the HIV antibody
test is not used as a means of social
control or as a tool of discrimination.

For a full text of AIDS Action's ffvepoint AIDS agenda, please call (202)
986-1500, ext. 5065, or look for it on
the World Wide Web (http/ /www.
thebody.com). I

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George Gund
grant funds
Medicaid work
AIDS Action Foundation recently
received a generous grant from The
George Gund Foundation for a Medicaid policy project. The project's
goal is to examine the policy implications of Medicaid restructuring for
people living with HIV and AIDS,
and to ensure that policy makers are
aware of the needs of people living
with HIV and AIDS who depend on
Medicaid for life-saving care.
Support from the Gund Foundation will enable AIDS Action to develop and disseminate information
about proposals for Medicaid reform
that will enable the diverse AIDS
communities to participate in the
Medicaid policy debate as it affects
health care for people with AIDS.
Because Medicaid pays for so
much AIDS care, current and future
efforts to reform this vital health care
safety-net program will profoundly
affect the health and well-being of
hundreds of thousands of Americans
living with HIV and AIDS. For this
reason, AIDS Action will continue its
fight to protect and strengthen the
Medicaid program. I

Profile in Courage: Pedro Zamora
AIDS educator, advocate, MTV star. In
Pedro's mother died of cancer just a
his short life, Pedro Zamora excelled in alfew weeks later.
most everything he did. Pedro touched the
Like many young people, Pedro did not
lives of thousands of young people, changhave the tools to deal with this kind ofloss.
ing forever the way they think about people
Pedro threw himself into school, becoming
living with HIV and AIDS.
a star athlete and an honor roll member. But
Despite his fear of public speaking,
he also sought affection and reassurance
Pedro chose to live his life as a national
through unprotected sex. At age 17, Pedro
AIDS educator and advocate.
was diagnosed HIV-positive.
Once when speaking to students
Pedro is best known for his
at an inner-city high school,
role on MTV's The Real World.
Pedro was asked, "What makes
In 1994, Pedro moved to San
you care about people like us?"
Francisco to live with six strangPedro's answer demonstrated
ers on national television. Alhis courage and commitment:
though Pedro knew that living
"The pain that I feel, the ansuch a public life would be difger, the hurt. I don't want anyficult, he also understood that
body else to go through this. Nohe had an unprecedented opbody deserves to get this disportunity to educate millions of
young people about HIV disease. I don't care who they are
or what they did ... You think
ease. As a member of AIDS AcPedro Zamora
it's easy to be here and be pertion Council's board of direcsonal and answer all these
tors, Pedro used the last months
questions? It's not. But if you see me, you
of his life, whether on screen or in the halls
might realize it could happen to you. That
of Congress, transforming the public's
is why I am here;'
understanding of people living with HIV
An eight-year-old Pedro and his family
and AIDS.
came to the United States from Cuba in
Pedro died of AIDS-related complica1980 during th e Mari el boatlift. The
tions on Nov. 11, 1994. In a short life marked
by loss-his homeland, his family, his
close-knit Zamora family was devastated
when four of Pedro's older brothers were
mother, and, ultimately, his life-Pedro
denied permission to leave Cuba. The
demonstrated the power of one to change
tragedy of this separation deepened when
the world. I

Pedro's legacy lives on in Zamora Fellovvs
Three of the nation's brightest young
people shared more than just work space
with AIDS Action staff this summer; they
shared and actively participated in AIDS Action's work
to effect sound AIDS policy.
The Pedro Zamora Public
Policy Fellowship Program,
named in honor of AIDS
Action's former board member and MTV The Real World
star Pedro Zamora, welcomed
its first fellows this spring.
Edna Flores
AIDS Action has been honored to host, and impressed by
the work and dedication of, three Zamora
fellows: Monique Glover, Alon Unger, and
Edna Flores.
Monique has worked on HIV and AIDS
issues since she learned about AIDS in a
sixth grade science class. While she was a

student at Colgate University in upstate
New York, Monique developed, designed,
raised money for, and distributed 1,000 copies of a day planner with information, facts,
and prevention tips on HIV and AIDS for
the incoming freshman class. She has also
taught a seminar on HIV and AIDS, and
will be studying public health at the University of Michigan. Monique says she is
contemplating running for public office
some day.
Alon represents young people ages 16
to 19 on the boards of two local HIV prevention organizations in his home state of
Arizona. One organization is implementing a pilot program that uses sophisticated
marketing techniques to develop prevention activities targeting at-risk groups. It
was out of this work that Alon became involved with AIDS Action and the Pedro
Zamora Public Policy Fellowship Program.

With the knowledge he has acquired this
summer, Alon, who is also a medical student, is considering spearheading a
grassroots advocacy effort in Arizona.
Edna became involved in HIV and AIDS
education when she found out that the
number of AIDS cases in the Filipino community was increasing at an alarming rate.
When she completes her fellowship with
AIDS Action, Edna plans to study medicine
and health policy and run an organization
that works on HIV and AIDS issues in the
Asian-American community.
While at AIDS Action, each fellows had
the opportunity to analyze legislation, to
speak with elected representatives, to draft
policy briefs, and to attend hearings and
coalition meetings. It is through the work
of these young people and their dedication
to the fight against HIV and AIDS, thatPedro
Zamora's legacy will live on. I

C!!J· .... ......... ....... ... ........... ... ........ ....... ... .................. ......... ........ ............... .

WELCOME

Orange County Consortium ioins AIDS Action
IDS Action is pleased to welcome the Orange County Consortium to the Board of Directors. The Orange County Consortium represents a region
that is both politically conservative and powerful, and brings a needed
perspective to the AIDS Action Council
Board of Directors and its Public Policy
Committee.
"Our member organizations and consortia are at the heart of AIDS Action's mission to represent the interests of communities and individuals affected by HIV and
AIDS," said Claudia French, Director of
Development and Membership. "We are
delighted to welcome the Orange County
Consortium and look forward to their active participation in all of AIDS Action's
programs and advocacy campaigns!'
Members of the Orange County Consortium include the University of California
at Irvine-College of Medicine, Hannah's
House, AIDS Services Foundation, The

A

Center/ARP,
Casa Delhi, Laguna Shanti,
Public Law Center, and Straight
Talk.
"The Orange
County Consortium is excited to
join AIDS Action.
Our vote was unanimous," said Robert
Gentry, chair of the Orange County Planning Advisory Council. "We have
been consistently impressed
with the quality of work, the
level of information, and the professionalism that comes from AIDS
Action?'
Full or consortium members appoint
a representative to the AIDS Action Council Board of Directors and the Public Policy
Committee. Gentry will represent the Or-

ange County Consortium on
both.
For more information
about board membership,
please contact the Development and Membership Department at (202) 986-1300,
ext. 3045. I

AIDS Action Alliance Program

Monthly Giving Made Easy
In response to the needs of our donors, AIDS Action is
launching a monthly giving program called The Alliance
Program. The Alliance Program is an exciting new way for
you to support AIDS Action without ever having to write a
check again!
The program works by directly transferring a monthly
donation from your checking account to AIDS Action. You
will receive a record of the transfer on your monthly bank
statement, and an annual summary of your contributions for
income tax purposes. The Alliance Program is being added
to a program already used by AIDS Action donors who
can charge contributions to
MasterCard or Visa, on a schedule best suited to that individual,
usually monthly or
quarterly.
To take advantage
of this easy and convenient program just check
the appropriate box on the enclosed envelope, or call us at
(202) 986-1300, ext. 3040. I

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ···· ·· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ··· · · · · · · · · · · · · ·· · ···· ··· ··· · · · · · · [ z ]

AIDS Action staff turn up the heat in Houston
s if Houston in July weren't hot
enough, an AIDS Action trio
recently headed southwest to
turn up the heat on AIDS advocacy: Christine Lubinski,
Deputy Executive Director;
Claudia French, Director of Development
and Membership; and Tracy MickensHundley, Director of Community Outreach.
AIDS Action's trip to Houston began
with an appeal to some of Houston's finest
to support AIDS Action through membership in the Advocate program-donors who
contribute $1,200 or greater to help fight
for the needs and rights of people with HIV
and AIDS. Houston philanthropist Clark
L. Carrol, M.D., opened his home for a special reception where former AIDS Action
Foundation board member and longtime
friend, Phil Lacey, and current board
member John Gonzalez, gave impassioned
speeches on the critical need for supporting AIDS Action's work.
AIDS Action, along with representatives from the congressional offices of
Reps. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas) and

A

AID~

Action

Ken Bentsen (D-Texas), were at the center
of a community forum hosted by The
Bering Community Service Foundation,
Amigos Volunteers in Education and Services, and Windsor AIDS Ministry Foundation. The stories shared during this forum were heart wrenching. One was from
a 72-year-old grandmother spending her
twilight years grieving for the loss of her
daughter and raising two teenagers orphaned by that.death. Other people spoke
of the pain, destruction, and sadness that
comes with surviving when individuals
and organizations are pitted against each
other for scarce resources.
Community leaders and organizations
representing varied affected populations
pledged that night to mobilize their energies to maximize political influence, dollars, and support for people infected and
affected by HIV and AIDS in Houston and
in the State of Texas.
The trip culminated in a visit with the
editorial board of The Houston Chronicle,
who were challenged to cover the real
stories about HIV and AIDS in Americathe high rate of infection among young

Key AIDS Action
stqff working in
Houston (top left
to right, clockwise):
Christine Lubinski,
Claudia French,
and Tracy
Mickens-Hundley.

Americans and communities of color, the
hope that combination drugs provide, and
the practicality and reality of a drug
therapy program that assumes a level of
affluence and accessibility. I

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AIDS Action Update is the newsletter
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