Date: Wed, 31 Jan 1996 08:18:30 EST
From: TCCP00D@prodigy.com (MR ANDREW B EDDY)
Subject: Re: VETO AIDS DISCRIMINATION IN THE MILI

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Karl Clark, Executive Vice President
AmFedVets
P.O. Box 1281, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33302
E-mail: KarlClark@aol.com
(305) 782-1095

                        "We Are One"
              THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF VETERANS
              "An Alliance for Equality of Rights"
                       Veterans - Hall
                  246 Broadway, New York, N.Y.


The American Federation of Veterans supports the position of the American
Civil Liberties Union asking President Clinton not to codify further
discrimination against military personnel who are HIV positive by simply
signing the "defense budge bill" sent to his oval office.

Laura Murphy, Director of ACLU's Washington Office noted "this compromise
affords other abel-bodied  service personnel with chronic diseases relief
though assignment to noncombat job duty service." It basically denies
equality of treatment to a targeted segment of our population according to
Tom Swann, another long-time veteran rights activist.

In a South Florida interviews, Karl Clark, Executive Vice President for the
national organization The American Federation of Veterans asks, "What new
form of targeted discrimination must the members of the HIV community face
in their struggle to survive and live with dignity and compassionate
understanding?"

Dennis Delia, former President of Gays United to Attack Repression and
Discrimination (GUARD) reacted by stating that "We cannot tolerate the
continued abuse of those living with HIV from a group of self-serving
people that are less than righteous and blantantly homophobic." Moff of
Warren of the Citizens for Individual Freedom and President of Broward Log
Cabin Club of Florida stated that "There is no choice in dealing with
discrimination versus equality. By agreeing to another 'Don't Ask - Don't
Tell' fallacious deal many will unfairly suffer because of an
indiscriminate virus." Eric Van Pelt activist leader of Atlanta GLB Vets
asks President Clinton to "Decline to Sign."