Subject: Hands Around the White House
From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 24 Sep 1996 09:24:21 -0400

Hands Around the White House planned for Quilt Display
Activists call for Presidential leadership on Needle Exchange
for immediate release
contact Wayne Turner at 202.547.6780
 
The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, ACT UP, in Washington DC, will be
hosting once again 'Hands Around the White House' during the 1996 AIDS
Memorial Quilt display.  Participants will gather at the Ellipse at 1 PM on
Saturday, October 12 and encircle the White House for a peaceful
demonstration.  This year's 'Hands Around' event will focus specifically on
support for needle exchange and other under-utilized prevention programs.
 Needle exchange, though a highly proven HIV prevention strategy, remains
drastically underfunded due to a federal funding ban.  Activists, scientists,
and even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have long urged
President Clinton to lift the federal needle exchange ban.  
 "The federal government spends millions on HIV prevention programs, yet not
one dime can go to the purchase of a clean needle or syringe." states ACT UP
Washington spokesperson Steve Michael.  
 The funding ban will be lifted once the White House certifies that needle
exchange programs are effective in reducing HIV transmission and do not
increase drug use.  Administration officials have been delaying action,
despite urgings of the President's own HIV/AIDS Advisory Council, which
stated in its June, 1996 'Progress Report' "Federal policy regarding needle
exchange...are not consistent with current knowledge regarding the impact of
such programs."  An estimated 51 percent of new HIV infections can be traced
to injection drug use.  
 AIDS activists are also concerned that new infection rates among Gay and
Bi-sexual men are rising, and are calling for a re-invigoration of prevention
efforts.  "Developments such as microbicides and the internal anal condom are
understudied and unavailable to Gay and Bisexual men.  Many people still
don't realize that latex condoms may only be used with water-based
lubricants" states San Francisco activist Michael Petrelis.  
 ACT UP's last 'Hands Around the White House' event held during the Quilt
display in 1992 drew more than 10,000 participants.  Following 'Hands Around
the White House', participants are encouraged to attend the Candlelight March
to Congress, organized by the Whitman-Walker Clinic on Saturday, October 12
at 6 PM.  

For more information on 'Hands Around the White House' and other ACT UP
events call 202.547.6780.