February 1986

Gay Peoples Chronicle

page 9

AGENCY AIDS CONFERENCE

Father John Murphy

Fred Griffith

When asked what makes people homosexual, he suggested ittributing it to exposure o Judy Garland records at in early age. Often asked low old he was when he decided to become a homosexuil, he points out that your nly decision is whether to ict on your homosexuality. Isked why gay men continue so take sexual risks, his response is that gay people ire constantly forced to ake a wide variety of risks in this society.

Corporate Responsibility Armstrong, Katherine lealth Programs Director for he Bank of America-San rancisco, commended Ohio or its progressive approach o AIDS. As a model for cororate social responsibility she described the 5-point lan adopted by the Bank of merica and other progressive companies. It includes in explicit policy of nonliscrimination; redesigning enefits for employees with ife-threatening diseases; retraining managers; a comunication strategy informng employees what the Bank considers important; and providing support and reSources to all employees ith life-threatening dis-

lases.

AIDS and the Community Session III, focussing on AIDS and the community, was moderated by Father John Murphy, Superintendent of the Cleveland Catholic Diocesan Schools. Asked what role the Church should play in countering the misuse of AIDS hysteria by certain denominations, Father Murphy responded that he believes the Church should educate its members about the facts of AIDS, rather than its myths. He also believes the Church should show "pastoral care" toward AIDS victims.

educa-

He doubted that an tional program would eliminate existing prejudice against gay people.

Speakers at the session included Levine and Silverman, as well as Dr. Thomas J. Halpin, Acting Director of the Ohio Department Health and Director of the State AIDS Advisory Group; Dr. Phyllis Workentin, Associate Director of the Northern Ohio Red Cross Blood Service; Robert L. Samsot, Plain Dealer City Editori Fred Griffith, Channel 5 Editorial Commentator and Morning Exchange host; and Dr. Michael J. Murphy, United Labor Organization.

High School Module Halpin described an AIDS education module for high school health classes, devised by the Ohio Department of Health, and almost ready for implementation. He noted that as of last December, Ohio had only three pediatric cases of AIDS.

Blood Supply

Workentin described a critical shortage of blood over the holidays in the Cleveland area, attributing this, at least in part, to fear of AIDS. She repeated the frevoiced assurance quently that it is absolutely impossible to acquire AIDS through donating blood.

Media Responsibility The two media representatives differed somewhat in assessing the respective roles of the press and television in the current epidemic of AIDS hysteria.

Samsot, in a rather defensive statement, emphasized that a daily newspaper has "problems of compressed time and space to cover complex issues comprehensively, simply, and accessibly to the general public. In the crush and rush of time and space, we sometimes slip."

He also argued, "The press follows events, it doesn't create them. The press nas

followed AIDS hysteria; it hasn't created it.

"Our biggest problem in dealing with AIDS is that no one can give us black-andwhite answers, and the public doesn't give a hoot about grey. Much of the information won't sink in as long as there are no sure

answers.

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Griffith frankly admitted that until recently the broadcast media "did a bad job covering all aspects of the disease. We didn't cover it in the early years."

He recalled an incident when the Morning Exchange wanted to interview a person with AIDS but had a very hard time finding a crew that would agree to do it.

"They wanted to know what we would do with the microphone after the AIDS patient had touched it. This happened despite the scientific information that was clearly telling us that there was no

risk."

Education Again Stressed Silverman, speaking for the third time, reiterated the need for education about AIDS.

He said, "Our best weapon against this disease is education. If we could educate everyone we could stop the spread of AIDS tomorrow."