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From: C94882SM%WUVMD.BITNET@oac.ucla.edu (Steve Middlebrook)
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
Subject: Re: (1542) To Politicising Aids
Message-ID: <29843@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Date: 7 Dec 89 21:50:41 GMT
Sender: news@CS.UCLA.EDU
Organization: Washington University-Educational Computing Services
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Approved: aids@cs.ucla.edu
Archive-number: 1546

On Thu, 7 Dec 89 05:02:27 pst Support Account for SCI.MED.AIDS said:
>>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.

I'm not sure that I understand what you are saying.  It comes across as
"Medical discrimination isn't new--don't take it personally" with the
implicit argument that I shouldn't be outraged by it or work to combat it.
Discrimination is bad regardless of its historical precedence.  The fact that
people have been wronged in the past should not lessen our enthusiasm for
rederessing the evils of today and preventing the wrongs of the future.

It's also naive not to expect gays to react to Jerry Falwell saying that
AIDS is God's punishment or the news media focusing on "innocent victims" or
Reagan ignoring the recommendations of his experts.  When Jesse Helms
kills support for educational materials, not because they aren't needed, not
because they could have been made cheaper, not because they duplicate an effort
somewhere else, but because they talk about gay sex which is evil, nasty and
immoral and a threat to family which is "the cornerstone of *OUR* (I guess
I must live somewhere else) society it's hard not to take it personally.

<<  some discussion omitted >>>>>

>I don't think any of the "reactionary" people believe that discrimination bega
>with AIDS or will end with AIDS.

No, I don't think many folks believe this either.  They do think, however,
that their actions can improve things.  And I personally believe that progress
in the area of AIDS and/or gay rights benefits many other people.  The reforms
brought about by ACT UP's protests at the FDA could potentially effect millions
of people suffering from a variety of conditions, all of whom are being treated
rather shabbily by the medical system.  Further, advances in any area of civil
rights help motivate change in others.  Progress for blacks indirectly helps
women, progress for women helps gays and so on.  Utlimately, all people are
people while fear and ignorance, regardless of the details, are fear and
ignorance.

Steve Middlebrook