continued tom page 5
again the bonding and community
strength that has sprung from tragedy.
In this sense, the one virtue of the
virus is its non-discriminatory nature,
the fact that it has affected gays from
all walks of life, all races and all
creeds.
sex and love
The one effect of the AIDS virus that
has perhaps been overcommented upon is
its effect on gay relationships. All
sicrns indicate that AIDS has caused
many gay men to form longer-lasting
relationships and renounce promiscuity.
Yet most comments in this subject are
based on the assumption that this is a
desireable change. The important
questions are whether we are affirming
the value of relationships and monogamy
strictly out of necessity or whether
this change is not merely necessary but
also desireable.
Personally, I believe that it is.
However, the only true test of this
will come after we have conquered AIDS.
If in a post-AIDS world men continue in
the new pattern, perhaps AIDS will
someday be seen as a catalyst that
caused gays to re-evaluate their lives
and re-assign priorities. Today the
"jury remains hung" as to whether this
change in the way gay men view sex and
love will be lasting.
the "political awakening"
conammity
of
our
In 1988, one of the largest and best
organized lobbying groups on Capitol
Hill is the Human Rights Campaign Fund.
The HRCF is fighting for the rights of
all gay men and lesbians, but the fact
remains that it would not be the
organization that it is today without
AIDS as a rallying cry.
In a post-AIDS world, organizations
such as the HRCF will have made
considerable progress in changing old
legislation and in passing new
legislation to provide lesbian and gay
rights on topics ranging from adoption
and parenting to anti-gay
discrimination and violence.
Hopefully, in the process, many
formerly apolitical gays and lesbians
will come to the realization that
institutional change will come about
only through our combined efforts to
affect political change.
too early to say. ..
Unfortunately, it is too early to say
whether or not the "positive" side
effects I enumerate will actually
continue into the post-AIDS world. If,
however, we can focus on what some of
the positive consequences may be, them
making it through the present crisis
may be more bearable. We must remain
"positive" in this time of crisis and
maintain our conviction that AIDS will
not get the better of us.
--D.B.
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A Ninth Street tradition for eleven years.
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WORLD AIDS DAY
UNC-CH sponsored a fair on Thursday,
December 1, in observance of World AIDS
day, an international program of the
World Health Organization to
disseminate information about the
disease. The program took place from
11:30 AM to 2:00 PM in the Great Hall
of the Student Union.
More than 50 researchers, doctors,
nurses, lawyers, pharmacists, public
health specialists and others from
throughout the Triangle gathered to
discuss their work. CGLA staffed a
booth at the fair, and also marked
World AIDS Day by decorating a tree in
the Pit with 358 ribbons, one for every
North Carolinian who has died of AIDS.
According to Patrick Lamerson, CGLA co-
chair, there have been 655 reported
cases of AIDS in the state. A
statistical breakdown shows that 578 of
the cases are male and 69 female, 342
are white and 298 black, 118 were IV
drug users, and 14 were children under
the age of 13.
Dr. Inge Corless, a member of the
University's AIDS Task Force and
chairperson of the Secondary Care
Department at UNO's School of Nursing,
explained that the fair in the Great
Hall considered all aspects of the
illness. In particular, the fair hoped
to convince people that responsible
behavior can protect them against the
disease. It also encouraged compassion
and understanding towards those who
have AIDS or are infected with the HIV
virus.