Vol. 9, No. 1
January 1994
The
Rising
Right
A Crisis in
Gay America
Special Section
...Pages 15-18
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The Carol'mae Most Comprehensive Gay & Lesbian Newspaper Printed on Recycled Paper ^
South Carolina loses important AIDS advocate
by Frank Dalrymple
Special to Q-Notes
COLUMBIA—At midnight, November
26, Bill Edens, director of Palmetto AIDS
Life Support Services (PALSS) died at age
42. A committed and informed advocate for
the rights and support of the HIV/AIDS
community in South Carolina, Edens was
often remembered for saying, “I want the
people in South Carolina who have AIDS to
know that if somebody, somewhere steps on
their toes. Pm going to holler.”
Although Edens’ energy seemed bound
less, he was actually suffering from the
disease himself. He died of full body
neuropathy, one of only three such cases
nationally, a symptom which usuallly strikes
a small area of the body.
Edens kept the knowledge of his ovm
battle with the disease between himself and
a few close friends, not wanting to obscure
and distract his more important community
service work, challenging state policies, edu
cating and raising public awareness.
In 1992, Edens was the first recipient of
Q-Notes’ Mark Drum Memorial Award,
given in recognition of outstanding work in
the struggle against AIDS.
Bom in Allendale, SC to Elise and Wil
liam Edens, and reared in Columbia, Bill
attended Wofford College. From there, he
completed Sewanee Military Academy, and
became a commissioned officer in the U.S.
Army, serving at Fort Benning, GA.
Edens kept Sewanee ’ s honor code framed
on his wall at home. “It was his guide for life,
and he took it seriously,” said his mother.
When PALSS opened its doors in 1985,
Edens was not one of its original founders,
but was one of its first volunteers. He soon
rose to a pivital leadership role, training and
motivating a group of volunteers that cur
rently serves some 15,000 people each year.
In addition to outreach services for patients,
PALSS conducts a toll-free hot line and
family support programs.
Eventually appointed to the director’s
position, Edens worked without pay for al
most a year. Not owning a car at the time,
Edens travelled the state on a moped to raise
funds for the organization. Very quickly.
Bill Edens’ name was synonymous with
PALSS.
PALSS founder, Columbia attorney
Harriet Hancock remembers Edens fondly,
“He had a vision of what AIDS was going to
mean to the state medically, economically,
socially, in human terms, long before any
one else seemed to realize what a serious
problem it was going to be for South Caro
lina... he kept going because he knew that
PALSS was providing a service that no one
else would. In the end I think he fought for
PALSS as hard as he fought for his own life.”
Hancock and other attorneys are handling
a lawsuit against state insurance officials,
and they remain steadfast without Edens.
“He was the John Doe in that lawsuit chal-
Continued on page 24
Foundation develops AIDS adult day care
by Jonathan Padget
Special to Q-Notes
CHARLOTTE—^The Brothers Founda
tion, Charlotte’s non-profit organization
working to p’ovide low-cost housing for
people living with HIV/AIDS, has announced
plans to broaden its services by developing
Charlotte’s first adult day health care pro
gram designed to meet the unique needs of
HIV/AIDS patients and caregivers. Projected
to serve up to 25 participants per day when it
opens in 1994, the day care program will
provide a variety of services Monday through
Friday from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Under the leadership of Program Director
Lyndall Hare, a six-year veteran of the adult
day care field. The Brothers Foundation
project will focus on several areas and activi
ties for its participants—including health
education, art therapy, massage therapy, nu
tritional counseling, exercise, off-site edu
cational and cultural excursions, individual
counseling and group therapy. A registered
nurse on staff will provide daily on-site
medical support, and daily transportation
will be provided for participants to and from
the center as well as off-site medical ap
pointments.
A crucial goal of the adult day care pro
gram will be met by providing respite care
for caregivers who must meet the challenge
of working full-time and seeing that daily
health care needs are met when the person
for whom they are care at home is HIV
positive or has AIDS. Dealing with that
particular issue also helps the day care pro
gram meet an ultimate purpose of preventing
homeless situations for people living with
HIV/AIDS. The proposed program will also
create an outlet and forum for other organi
zations to volunteer time and services.
With the receipt of a $70,000 start-up
grant from the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development’s “Housing Oppor
tunities for Persons with AIDS Program,”
The Brothers Foundation is able to make its
adult day health care program a top priority
for the new year. At the close of 1993, The
Brothers Foundation also confirmed signifi
cant financial commitments for the day care
project that included a three-year allocation
of $191,244 from the Kate B. Reynolds
Health Care Trust, $10,000 from the re
gional HIV/AIDS Consortium, and $2,000
in start-up funds from Lutherans Con
cerned—a group that has also pledged an
undetermined amount for any necessary fa
cility renovations.
However, the promise of financial
progress has been tempered by the insistent
voice of community fear and misgivings.
Originally intended to be open in early 1994
and designed with the cooperation of leaders
of an unnamed church who committed the
donated use of a church building, the adult
day care program is facing a reevaluation of
its financial structure and time frame since
the original commitment of church lead
ers—under pressure from congregational
members uneasy with the idea of an AIDS
program supported by their church—has been
withdrawn. The Brothers Foundation is cur
rently pursuing rental options for the day
care program, and the foundation foresees a
realistic opening date no earlier than March.
Fortunately, gaps in community support,
such as the church incident or the City of
Charlotte’s recent zoning ordinances block
ing progress on Taylor Home—another
Brothers Foundation project—^are met with
a dogged determination from the foundation
and its supporters. Betsy West, Executive
Director of the Brothers Foundation, faces
the daily challenge of educating the public
about the issues of HIV/AIDS and advocat
ing the needs of a local population affected
by the HFV/AIDS crisis in a community that
h^ proven itself frighteningly reluctant to
deal with this crisis on a widely effective
Continued on page 25
NC Governor presents AIDS volunteer awards
by David Jones
Q-Notes Staff
RALEIGH—World AIDS Day, Decem
ber 1, brought nine volunteers from around
the state to Raleigh to be honored by Gover
nor Jim Hunt and Secretary of Environment,
Health and Natural Resources (DEHNR),
Jonathan Howes. Several hundred people,
most holding candles, attended the evening
ceremony on the grounds of the capitol.
“We’re honoring tonight nine people who
are living examples of action and living
examples of the courage it takes to fight
AIDS,” Governor Hunt said during the cer
emony.
The volunteers were nominated by local
groups and chosen by members of the state
wide AIDS Advisory Council and staff of
DEHNR. Those recognized were presented
to the audience with the following introduc
tions
Dr. David Citron of Charlotte, a family
doctor who served as the chair of the first
AIDS study in Mecklenburg County and the
first chair of the Regional HIV/AIDS Con
sortium. The director of the Mecklenburg
County Consortium says that Dr. Citron is
propelled by “his sense of moral obligation
and his coiuageous vision.”
Willie Hamilton of Rocky Mount.
Hamilton went to the Rocky Mount Oppor-
timities Industrialization Center (QIC) in
search of 72-hours of community service
work. Hamilton was struggling with bouts of
substance abuse at the time. He has become
a key volunteer AIDS outreach worker, es
pecially for those with substance abuse prob
lems. He is now a “buddy” for four men
living with HIV and substance abuse, two of
whom have joined him in recovery, liie OIC
director describes him as “one of a kind,”
and says “ we are all better because our paths
have crossed.
Nan Hawkins of Greenville has worked
tirelessly with Afiican-American women
with HIV/AIDS. In Pitt County, Hawkins’
advocacy moved community leaders to ini
tiate an AIDS support group. She provides
transportation, serves as a volunteer counse
lor to HIV positive women and has been
instrumental in helping get people into sub
stance abuse treatment. “She has taught
many in Pitt County that happiness is what
you are, not what you have; what you give,
not what you get; not what somebody does
for you, but what you do for someone else,”
says one of her co-workers.
Ray Henderson ofThomasville has helped
support the Triad Health Project since its
beginning in 1989. He was often the only
person keeping the office open. In spite of
living with AIDS, he puts in as many hours
Continued on page 25
Bill Edens and Cynthia Poindexter
MAP treasurer
arrested, charged
by David Prybylo
Q-Notes Staff
CHARLOTTE—Officials at Metrolina
AIDS Project (MAP) announced that Stephen
O’Shields, their former treasurer, had been
arrested and charged with two counts of
embezzlement. The arrest came three weeks
after MAP’s discovery that more than
$120,000 was missing from their coffers.
O’Shields turned himself into police on
Thursday, December 16 and was released
after posting a $3,750 bond. He has been
charged with embezzling money from MAP
as well as taking $35,000 from the Hack-
berry Court Homeowners Association, where
he was also treasurer.
According to MAP board member Mary
Hopper, the agency has been working with
the accounting firm of Greer & Walker to
evaluate the financial safeguards in place at
the agency. “For an agency of its size, MAP
had an acceptable system of internal ac
counting controls in place,” said Kevin
Walker, a principal of the firm. “The agency
was defrauded by a criminal act that violated
and bypassed those controls on a temporary
basis.”
Despite the lay-offs of the agency’s Se-
lior Case Manager and one of two adminis-
ative aides. Chappie said he did not foresee
an interruption in services. And, despite
reports in the Charlotte Observer to the con
trary, he said the agency will continue to
provide direct financial support to its clients.
“We’re going to be providing direct client
assistance when we have the money,” he
said, noting that the money taken by
O’Shields included the Dennis Fund, ap
proximately $40,000 set aside to be used
exclusively for direct financial aid. He also
said that Lutherans Concerned allocated
$5,000 for MAP clients for the month of
December, which was dispersed through re
ferrals from MAP.
Still, MAP needs to raise money quickly,
and is looking to its individual donors for
help. “The loss of $118,000 in reserve funds
has temporarily taken away the financial
flexibility we need to fund current expenses,”
said Rein. “We anticipate continued fund
ing from our traditional sources of grants and
Continued on page 22