AIDS IN A 'SECOND-TIER' CITY

OCTOBER 29, 1993

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE 3

AIDS as a metaphor for change

by Charlton Harper

Viewed from any perspective, AIDS and HIV present a challenge: to alter conventional thinking and traditions in order to find solutions. Administrators, educators, care providers and people within the spectrum themselves all know the need for adaptability. It's an aspect that this very series has tried to illustrate. Ron Stewart and the Citizen's Committee on AIDS are searching 'for new ways to unite community response. At HIT, Chrisse France struggles with cre-

ating new ways to present the same message, while Sylvia Colon must feed more people with the same recipe of services. Within the spec-

Fifth in a series trum, Janis, Gregg and Steve have been challenged to reassess their lives in order to find healthy ways of living with this disease.

The pursuit of AIDS with western medicine has proven to be an area in great need of reassessment and evaluation. A decade

Lakewood candidate speaks

Continued from Page 1

phone number and they called and said, "Hey listen, the Christian Coalition has some information on the issues and candidates," and they asked me if I would help and I said "sure"... [Later] I called and asked to talk to the county director and they said "Well, you're it." I kind of landed it. I had a meeting and we had a handful of people, forty-some people and that's really how it started. We're a group of individuals who meet on a monthly basis. We haven't really been able to deal with too many of the issues.

We did go into outcome-based education, which basically is removing things which are standard: "we don't need proficiency tests, we really don't need grades".. It's ridiculous. . . So we made some phone calls to the government about this and that really was about it. The outcry across the state was overwhelming. They dropped it. What title do you hold in the Coalition? Chairman. It sounds so fancy. How do you feel about the Rainbow Curriculum being taught in schools?

I'm against it. The problem is, first off, I don't think it's the role of the school to be teaching sexuality...I think it is the role of the parents and this goes back a long way

It's not just that I'm against the teaching of homosexuality. I don't want children taught, as they do in some schools that have little kindergarten kids, a boy will point to a girl's genitals and give the street name for it, and vice-versa. That is garbage.

What about introducing the Rainbow Curriculum at the high school level?

I don't have a problem with it as long as it's an elective. I'm not very comfortable with making it mandatory, but I'll tell you what, I would love to have an atmosphere where all notions could be expressed.

Where do you see a woman's role in the church?

In the church? I would say the woman's role in not just the church, but in society is very, very compatible with that of the men. The biblical teaching goes, in my belief, God made man, and made woman from man . . . She was made from a rib so they could be side by side. So woman has an equal footing . . . And as far as career, a woman can hold any career that a man can hold. She has the God-given right to do so. It just happens that messed-up Christians think that a woman should stay home with the children.

Where do you stand on the legalization of same-sex marriages?

That I'm against, and the reason I'm against it is based very much on my own beliefs as a Christian. I believe a marriage is between a man and a woman. I think it is a very Christian thing... I think we have to give a special right, a special emphasis to married individuals. . . I think we have to give preference to a man and a woman who bring children into the world and make that kind of sacrifice. I think it's something we need to hold up in high esteem.

Where do you stand on the question of abortion and a woman's right to choose?

I am adamantly, 100 percent, unequivocally opposed to it... The questions are always there: "Why would you want the government to interfere with a woman's right to choose?” First off, I think the problem there is that we have to identify what the government's role is . . . it comes down to any humane government exists to check

and protect the rights of its citizens. If the pro-life feel (a fetus) is a human life, then they feel it is the government's role to protect human life. It is only consistent that the government protect the rights of the born and the unborn.

And in the case of the mother whose life is endangered by the pregnancy?

Out of the two OB-GYNs that I have talked with... [one] said that only three times was the woman's life actually in danger [out of thousands and thousands of deliveries]. It happens very, very, very rarely. I don't think it comes up often enough to make it an issue...

In the case of rape and incest, you have to look at the percentages. The number of women who get pregnant from rape is miniscule. Statistically, 50 percent of those women choose to keep that child even though it is the product of rape. Now of the 50 percent left over, 30 percent of those choose to give that child up for adoption. So you really only have 20 percent left who choose the abortion option in a rape case.

Now, the other problem, in the case of incest, the first thing you do is prosecute the father for sexual abuse against his daughter. That's one thing. The other thing, the termination of the product.

Your campaign manager, John Farina, is a gay man. How did this come about?

How did the chairman of the Christian Coalition hire a gay man to be his campaign manager? Well, I'm a member of the Lakewood Republican Club and so is John; that is how we met. I saw John was bright, motivated and an articulate individual. When I began my campaign he was the first person who came to mind. He told me, when he was considering it, "I just wanted you to know, because I know where you stand with your beliefs, that I'm gay." Which, you know, took me aback for awhile... So I gave it a lot of thought [but] I'm not going to judge John on that basis because John agreed to be my campaign manager and there are things he disagrees with me about.

What can Lakewood's gay and lesbian community expect of you?

I think fairness. . . I don't care about classifications. You're a citizen of Lakewood, and a citizen of Lakewood has certain rights that I would be representing. I would represent you. I don't like to put people in groups: gay, straight, black, Hispanic; you're a citizen, period.

There is talk among the fundamentalists of a “gay agenda;” how would you define it?

The major disagreement between the fundamentalists and the gay community is that fundamentalists believe that homosexuality is a choice and the gay people feel that it's genetic. So, coming from the Christian viewpoint on being gay, [the gay agenda] is a matter of getting mainstream society to accept it, meaning a right to adopt children, a right to have your views and your lifestyle mixed with everybody else's.

What specifically would you like to say to the gay community of Lakewood?

Although we disagree on obviously the most important issue to you, you're not going to find a better public servant to the citizens of Lakewood than myself. I don't want to say I'm better, but I'll do my damnedest to make sure that I'm honest and straightforward with everybody, including the gay people.

of ineffectual drug therapies like AZT, (and more information indicates that AZT may actually shorten life), has led some people to explore complimentary therapies, often as alternatives, but frequently in conjunction with other conventional approaches. With the current emphasis on early detection and treatment, people with AIDS are living longer. This has brought a shift in focus to quality of life issues, largely centered on alleviating side-effects from drugs like AZT, neuropathy, anemia, night sweats and weight loss.

Where western medicine, with its emphasis on disease isolation and surgical removal of the "problem" has failed, eastern medicine, which emphasizes strengthening the whole body and identifying symptoms rather than isolating viruses, is an area with vast growth potential. But it doesn't stop there. Stress reduction with meditation, nutritional therapy through herbs and raw foods, psychotherapy that emphasizes mind-body-spirit relationships, tapping into

the natural healing energies via Reiki— these are all viable complimentary therapies that can produce a wide range of results, from renewed appetite and undisturbed nighttime sleep, to increased T-cell count.

While there is still much work to be done applying complimentary approaches to observed study of HIV and AIDS, it's an exciting area that is beginning to win more converts. Says one medical professional, "as doctors have had to acknowledge their own helplessness, they've had to open their hearts and minds to other methods."

The next and final installment in this series will look at some of these therapies; what's happening in places like San Francisco, where experiments are being conducted with acupuncture and chronic hepatitis and HIV; available options on the local scene; and a look at services in nearby cities like Chicago and Washington, D.C., where some Clevelanders may find themselves looking in order to fill gaps at home.

Cincinnati referendum

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for the large numbers of heterosexual people involved, taking the issue well beyond the gay and lesbian community. Minson downplays any possible heroics, saying simply, "The structure of Equality Cincinnati represents people from across the community. Cincinnati has received a bad rap as a bigoted, conservative community. We are frightened and angered and mortified that this is on the ballot. Though it affects the gay community quite intimately, we see it as a human rights issue."

Efforts by Equality to keep the issue in

He

focus will continue with many public events, including Cincinnati's first rave, to be held Saturday, October 30, at 2001 Gilbert Avenue. Proceeds will benefit Stonewall Cincinnati and Equality Cincinnati. Tickets are $25.00 and a flashlight is mandatory for the warehouse-located event.

There is still great need for volunteers willing to help with the final work-weekend of October 30-31 and with chores at voting locations the day of the vote. Donations are also needed to help defray campaign costs. Monies can be sent to: Equality Cincinnati PAC, P.O. Box 271, Cincinnati, Ohio 452010271, or call 513-541-8000.

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