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From: rrizzo@bbncca.ARPA (Ron Rizzo)
Newsgroups: net.motss,net.med,net.kids,net.singles
Subject: Politics of AIDS, of Foster Care
Message-ID: <1551@bbncca.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 9-Sep-85 13:41:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: bbncca.1551
Posted: Mon Sep  9 13:41:54 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 10-Sep-85 04:26:50 EDT
Organization: Bolt, Beranek and Newman, Cambridge, Ma.
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AIDS Politics
=============

[ from 9/8/85 Boston Globe, p 22, "Congress moving on AIDS issue" by Steven
  Waldman, States News Service.  Quoted without permission. ]

The avalanche of media coverage of AIDS precipitated by Rock Hudson's
case has apparently stirred Washington to action, but different branches
of gov't are reacting quite differently.

Congress is being constructive: the House Appropriations human services
subcommittee "voted to double to $140 million" funding for research at
NIH "and provide an additional $27 million for public education on AIDS
in 1986."  Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), chair of the House Energy & Commerce
health & environment subcommittee, "will introduce legislation that would
prevent anyone from obtaining the records of those" whose blood tests for
HTLV-III are positive.  But Rep. Ted Weiss (D-NY), chair of the subcommittee
that oversees the Dept. of Health & Human Services, says concern about the
budget deficit will prevent "any large federal commitment to treatment."

And the executive branch & a local judiciary contemplate repression: 
Health & Human Services "will...recommend that labs inform blood donors
who show possible signs of AIDS that their names may be released to
outsiders."  The Florida Supreme Court is "considering a suit that could
open up the [blood donor] records to public inspection."

This represents a drastic broadening & worsening of the situation.  Only
weeks ago the American Red Cross retreated from its historic commitment
to donor confidentiality by allowing its local chapters to decide whether
they'd conform to a military demand to hand over HTLV-III bloodtest results
for all military personnel.

Finally, "the American Council of Life Insurers Board of Directors,
meeting this week in California, is likely to recommend that firms use
the HTLV test to assess the risk of an applicant..."

It now looks like AIDS policy will be determined by politics, not medical
or legal guidelines.  It's time to write & lobby our representatives and
maybe contribute to political action, to prevent gross public & private
violations of rudimentary civil rights & liberties and professional ethics.


FOSTER CARE
===========

For New Englanders, yesterday's Boston Globe Magazine contained a long
article by free-lancer Anita Diamant, "In the best interest of the child-
ren." It was a detailed account of the Babets-Jean case (the gay foster
parents in question) which included interviews.

The Massachusetts ACLU and Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders are "pre-
paring a legal challenge" that "will focus on two issues: equal protection
for homosexuals...and the state's interpretation of the `best interest of
the child.'"

Meanwhile the New Hampshire legislature continues to prepare a law that
would explicitly ban "known homosexuals" from foster care, guardianship,
or adoption.  The Massachusetts policy/proposed bill only gives priority
to "traditional families."

The Boston gay newspaper Bay Windows published an odd letter from Gov.
Michael Dukakis a while ago:  the Duke was very solicitous, pledging
support for the state gay rights bill (a first for him), regretting
the treatment of Babets & Jean and opposing homophobia.  He ended by
reiterating his support of the foster care policy change (which puts
gays at the bottom of the foster parent preference list)!  An amazing
performance.  My guess is his stonewall (a la Nixon, not the riot)
attitude toward gay outrage ("How many gay voters are there, anyway?"
he'd been reported as saying) has crumbled somewhat, not least due to
the zaps staged every time he appears in public (they continue, but
I have no news; does anyone else?).


					Regards,
					Ron Rizzo