Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!usc!ucla-cs!Jack.Bowman@f38.n135.z1.fidonet.org
From: Jack.Bowman@f38.n135.z1.fidonet.org (Jack Bowman)
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
Subject: To Politicising Aids
Message-ID: <29817@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Date: 7 Dec 89 08:06:54 GMT
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Organization: FidoNet node 1:135/38 - C-Board, Miami FL
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>What bothers me is the reactionary screaming about Gay-bashing because of
>people's concerns about AIDS.  What bothers me is the assertion that medical
>discrimination began and ended with AIDS, and it is really just a thin cover
>for homophobia and hatred.

The news just brought us the story of a Florida jail where the jailers have  
decided to make all gays wear a pink plastic bracelet. The jailers claim the  
bracelets are to protect the wearers as it allows them to be segregated in the  
jails for their protection. Seems the other prisoners want to bash them due to  
their "causing" all this AIDS problem. History repeats itself with actions  
caused by hatred and ignorance. I do remember accounts of another jailer in  
another time in another country who used the same technique and even the same  
color although he added yellow and white for "variety".

I don't think any of the "reactionary" people believe that discrimination began  
with AIDS or will end with AIDS. I do feel that we all tend to adopt attitudes  
when someone gets our attention with something we would rather not deal with.  
How many times have I heard something like, "Those damned [your favorite  
minority here] think they are the only ones that have problems!" or, "Those  
damned [minority] are the cause of this [any problem here]", or "Those damned  
[minority] are just too pushy"...and so it goes for eternity as long as mankind  
has differences.

I was a student in the 50's and 60's and well remember the attitudes directed  
towards the civil rights advocates. They aren't much different today. It's not  
fashionable to be a racist anymore and that has helped but, the fundamental  
causes of discrimination, ignorance, fear and hate, are just as abundant.

I think I would prefer, if I had been forced to wear a pink arm band or denied  
access to a publicly funded nursing home so as not to alienate an ignorant  
population, that you be "bothered" by my brashness of complaint rather than  
ignorant of my plight.

The cold reality is that well worded letters to the editor do not effect  
changes in behavior .

--  
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