Date: Sat, 15 Jun 1996 20:32:02 -0700 From: Eros Publishing Subject: Press release For Immediate Release April 10, 1996 LeatherWomen United "Exposing Ourselves to Women's Health Care" Drive Update International Ms Leather, pat baillie, and LeatherWomen United sponsored a national drive from May 15 - June 30, 1996. The focus of this drive was LeatherWomen and Health Care and was called "Exposing Ourselves to Women's Health Care." pat heard from 22 states including: New Jersey, North Carolina, Kansas, California, Massachusetts, Texas, New Mexico, Ohio, Wisconsin, Georgia, Colorado, Minnesota, Kentucky and Florida. Other states began planning events to raise funds and women's awareness of the need for preventive care in the coming months. pat hosted events in San Jose and Albuquerque to raise funds for health fairs and buying vouchers for annual pap tests to ensure money doesn't keep women from having routine care. Mainline groups such as the Lesbian Health fund contacted pat with grant offers and a 4th year medical student at Harvard used the drive to educate some of her peers and will be taking her seminar to the Lesbian Doctors Conference this year. This network helped to connect several states and the organizers of the pony express motorcycle run for breast cancer research that is coming up. Several paper took the preventive care information and featured it in their publications. Some LeatherWomen just got around to scheduling their annual paps and mammograms. All this work had an important impact in building networks and communities but there is an even greater goal that we achieved. If only one woman is diagnosed early and she recovers to work, live and love in our communities, the drive is an unprecedented success. Thank you to everyone for the work that you're doing. If you'd like more information about this drive or would like to get involved with LeatherWomen United contact pat baillie at (505)332-4901 or by e-mail at CheshLthr@aol.com.