[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 39 (Wednesday, April 13, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 13, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                           AIDS AND EDUCATION

                                 ______


                               speech of

                         HON. NEIL ABERCROMBIE

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 12, 1994

  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring to the attention 
of my colleagues a speech that draws a parallel to the floor debate on 
the H.R. 6 Hancock amendment.
  If, as the amendment proposed, funding were cut to schools that have 
implemented programs or activities that deal with homosexuality, some 
of this country's most at-risk candidates for AIDS could be denied 
essential educational material. AIDS is a real threat and has the 
potential to destroy and debilitate a large segment of the homosexual 
and heterosexual population. There are some 200,000 documented cases of 
AIDS in the United States and probably more than 1 million people 
infected with the HIV virus in this country.
  On March 21, 1994, in his acceptance speech for the best performance 
by an actor in a leading role Tom Hanks spoke the following words:

       Here's what I know. I could not be standing here without 
     that undying love that was just sung about by not Bruce, but 
     Neil Young. And I have that in a lover that is so close to 
     fine we should all be able to experience such heaven right 
     here on earth. I know also that I should not be doing this, I 
     should not be here, but I am because of the union of such 
     film makers as Ed Saxon, Ron Nyswaner, Kristi Zea, Tak 
     Fujimoto, Jonathan Demme, who seems to have these attached to 
     his limbs for every actor that works with him of late. And a 
     cast that includes Antonio Banderas, who second to my lover 
     is the only person I would trade for. And a cast that 
     includes many other people but the actor who really put his 
     film-image at risk and shown because of his integrity, Mr. 
     Denzel Washington, who I really must share this with. I would 
     not be standing here if it weren't for two very important men 
     in my life. Two that I haven't spoken with in a while, but I 
     had the pleasure of just the other evening, Mr. Raleigh 
     Farnsworth, who was my high school drama teacher, who taught 
     me to act well the part, there all the glory lies. And one of 
     my classmates under Mr. Farnsworth, Mr. John Gilkerson. I 
     mention their names because they are two of the finest gay 
     Americans, two wonderful men that I had the good fortune to 
     be associated with, to fall under their inspiration at such a 
     young age. I wish my babies could have the same sort of 
     teachers, the same sort of friends. And there lies my dilemma 
     here tonight. I know that my work in this case is magnified 
     by the fact that the streets of heaven are too crowded with 
     angels. We know their names. They number a thousand for each 
     one of the red ribbons that we wear here tonight. They 
     finally rest in the warm embrace of the gracious creator of 
     us all. A healing embrace that cools their fevers, that 
     clears their skin and allows their eyes to see the simple, 
     self-evident common sense truth that is made manifest by the 
     benevolent creator of us all, and was written down on paper 
     by wise men, tolerant men, in the city of Philadelphia two 
     hundred years ago. God bless you all. God have mercy on us 
     all and God bless America.

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