Newspapers / Q-notes (Charlotte, N.C.) / Sept. 1, 1986, edition 1 / Page 4
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PAGE 4 Q-Notes ■ September 1986 Under Kooyman, MAP Flourishes By MARK DRUM Associata Editoi The Metrolina AIDS Project is un like any other Charlotte organiza tion gay or nongay. This independent, non-profit health organization currently funded by private donations and benefits held at bars in the gay com munity has only two purposes: to provide direct support ser vices for persons with AIDS (PWAs) and to help educate the Charlotte area about AIDS. A 20-member board of directors consists primarily of health care professionals and is operated by a six-member executive committee made up of the founders. Les Kooy man, one of the founders, currently Eooymaii Safe-Sex Guidelines SAFE Massage, Hugging Mutual Masturbation Social (Dry) Kissing Body-to-Body Rubbing (Frottage) Voyeurism, Exhibitionism, Fantasy POSSIBLY SAFE French (Wet) Kissing Anal Intercourse With Condom Vaginal Intercourse With Condom Sucking (Stop Before Orgasm) Cunnilingus External Watersports Risk Increases With Multiple Partners UNSAFE Rimming, Fisting Blood Contact Sharing Sex Toys Or Needles Semen Or Urine In Mouth Anal Intercourse (No Condom) Vaginal Intercourse (No Condom) works 20 hours per week as a paid director in addition to his volunteer work on behalf of MAP. All other workers are volunteers. Q-Notes recently interviewed Kooyman in the MAP offices: Gl-NOTES: Lets start at the begin ning. What motivated you to take on a project of such magnitude? Kooyman: I was introduced to (a man diagnosed as having AIDS). We had dinner one night and real ized we had the same goal — a local support group to help persons with AIDS. We decided to see what kind of interest there was in Char lotte for forming such a group. We had eight people for the first meet ing. Of those, six are still actively involved. Q-NOTES: What were your own reasons lor becoming involved with this work? Kooyman: Having lived in north ern California, I watched friends re act to all of this back in 1980 to 1982. Someone would be sick, but we didn't understand what was really going on. We didn't know anything about AIDS. My own doctor got sick and started to lose a lot of weight, and the next year I went back to visit and he had died. I was living in Charlotte by this time. I wondered if the same thing was going on in Charlotte. I thought, if I were to get sick too, what would be available for me? I knew of agencies in larger cities such as San Francisco or New York. There was nothing here. Q-NOTES: What were your first steps? Kooyman: We started by speak ing to medical personnel to see what was happening to AIDS pa tients. Then, these same people started calling on us and asked Never A Cover At The Brass Rail CHARLOTTE’S HOTTEST 7 DAYS A WEEK MONDAYS All The Canned Beer You Want At 75(t/Can Schnapps $1.50 All Night TUESDAYS Free Pool $1.50 Schnapps ■ 90(t Bottled Beer WEDNESDAYS Pool Tournament: $20 Bar Tab To Winner Schnapps $1.50 All Night THURSDAYS All The Canned Beer You Want At 75d;/Can Schnapps $1.50 All Night! FRIDAYS Rail T-Shirt Night Schnapps $1.50 All Night SATURDAYS Schnapps $1.50 All Night SUNDAYS All House Drinks $1.50 Mon-Sat 5-2:30 ■ Sun 1-2:30 Visit Ciub South After Hours At 1708 South Bouievard 333-3859 ■ Open 24 Hours Every Day MAP Education Projects Program Target Audience Purpose Safe Sex Campaign Gay Men AIDS prevention: educate gay men about how to protect themselves from receiving or transmitting the AIDS virus. Format: safe- sex party concept. AIDS In The Workplace Corporate Managers AIDS education: inform, prepare and assist corporations in dealing with AIDS in relation to the workplace. Information Hotline 333-AIDS 6-9 p.m. Mon-Fri General Population Information and referral: answer general questions about AIDS; referrals to doctors, therapists; peer counseling. AIDS In A Community Of Faith General Population And Churches, Charlotte Area AIDS eduction: discussion and education with members of various churches in the Charlotte area about AIDS and related is sues. Gay Health Workshop Gay Men Health education: instruct gay men about health issues related to AIDS — nutrition, stress management, exercise, etc. Format: eight-week series one night per week. General AIDS Presentations General Population And Gay Community AIDS education: inform persons about the nature of AIDS and related issues. Format: Forums, lectures and discussion groups. MAP Support Services Program Clients Served Purpose Buddy System (Caregivers, Errands) Persons With AIDS (PWAs) Provide care for primary needs and compan ionship. Liaison to MAP. PWA Support Group PWAs, Their Families, Their Friends Provide emotional support in a positive group environment. HTLV-III Test Positive Support Group Persons Testing Posi tive To HTLV-III Virus Provide emotional support and information in a positive group environment. Social Services Advocacy PWAs Provide advocacy and liaison to social ser vices agencies in Mecklenburg County. what to do because they were start ing to deal with more AIDS patients. It was hard, though, because we had no volunteers trained at that time. So the six of us were trying to get the organization going and at the same time trying to take care of PWAs. We finally started training volun teers in February of '86. We finished our second training session in July. We now have about 30 active vol- ■unteers trained. Q-NOTES: Not everyone who may want to can deal with such a sensi tive and emotionally demanding type of work. How do you screen volunteers? Kooyman: Now we have a pre training interview, then the actual training itself and finally a follow-up interview. We try to make sure that volunteers are sensitive to the issues and are really prepared to deal with the reality of the situation. Not everyone can do that. Q-NOTES: Where do you find per sons who need help? Kooyman: Usually they call us. A sister, a lover or mother calls. That's the point where we step in. We talk to the AIDS patient and let him know we are coming out to visit. Q-NOTES: You hove come a long way since the six of you started the project. At what level are you now? Kooyman: A few months ago I was hired as a part-time director because the demand for service had grown so much. Our workers are gay and nongay; many are helping professionals such as doc tors, social workers and therapists. There is a great diversity among members of the board, with a wealth of knowledge and expertise. We moved into our offices a few months ago and have a fairly com prehensive set of programs. Around January, we were incorporated. Our executive committee meets reg ularly for the day-to-day work. The board meets every other month to tackle larger issues and long range planning. Q-NOTES: How ate you funded? How do you support the hot-line, offices and salaries? Kooyman: Our funding has been. up until now, through private dona tions from the gay community. Around March or April of this year, we had grown too much to operate out of the back of my house. We wanted to stand as an independent agency because we are not just dealing with the gay community. It was a risk, we realized, to move into offices. But we had to. In addition to private donations, we have had very successful bar benefits. We want to start a major donor cam paign and are looking to writing some grants. Q-NOTES: This type of work must be very demanding. What keeps you motivated? Kooyman: Sometimes you really question what you are doing. But then you get that call from a mar ried man or someone still in the closet, or a gay man who thinks he has symptoms and you say to your self, "Yes, it is all worth it ... to be there for that call." You can turn that fear around for them. It may be the first time they have ever talked to someone about AIDS. Or they may have had a doctor who diagnosed them as having AIDS when in fact they did not have it. Q-NOTES: Then is there a lot of bad information in the gay com munity as well as the straight com munity? Kooyman: Yes! One of the biggest myths is that if you test positive (to the HTLV-III antibody test) that you will get AIDS, "rhat's simply not the case. Eighty percent of those who test positive do not show symptoms. Q-NOTES: Do you find resistance to safe sex practices? Kooyman: Some people don't want to know about safe sex prac tices. They have the attitude that if they don't know about safe sex, then they don't have to practice it. Others think that only-people with AIDS can pass it to someone else. But right now, safe sex is the only real pre ventative measure we have. Addi tionally, people are just afraid of feeling awkward. That's one of the things we address in our safe sex parties. We want people to learn to relax and enjoy themselves ... and even learn to laugh about using a SEE KOOYMAN, NEXT PAGE
Q-notes (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Sept. 1, 1986, edition 1
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