AIDS activism 2009

Blackheart 2, issue no 4, "the prison issue". a journal of writing and graphics by black gay men. A friend of mine produced the magazine. I found it in cleaning out stuff, sent him copy of the cover page. He has moved and much lost in the moving (as ever).

Interesting ...prison, gay men, AIDS, 1984, the social control. So much HIV has come through the penal system whatwith men locked up with poor system hygiene and certainly no protections. One could not have devised a better system to create an infection pool. The structural reality of racism, homophobia, social control.

was thinking of a piece by an AIDS activist complaining about the lack of HIV activism today. My sense is that once HIV got out of just the "gay" vector, the role of activism and advocacy changed. The Bush administration in particular funding so many abstinence groups having an orthodox religious perspective. The mainstream black church has never been the first to go to the barricades. Despite the myths, there have been few Bayard Rustin-like advocates in our world; it took a Martin Luther King, Jr. to step out of the comfort box! Today, the Roman Catholic pope sermonizes against condoms. In the real world it would be great not to have to use condoms but there is a reality.....

for me, HIV is a morass. The problems of so many systems as well as the psychological and social issues. I collapsed from working in-patient hospital with HIV patients and I am an educated person with diverse work experience. The lack of support, work loads, just exhaustion. 20% of my patients died and few cared. I bought the holiday presents as somehow the budget was spent on other things. I never met any AIDS activists, they were busy in the NYC life. The visitors were my friend the nun, the monsignor, monks, and people from a Baptist church giving out Bibles and asking patients to accept Jesus. Staff with good hearts but who lacked basic sexuality education..... mantras such as the orthodox line that all gay men have been abused. The second largest inhospital program in the US! Beyond sad...

jail.. whoa! 20% of the population is probably sociopathic. Police sweeps generally targeted in areas of visible crime and arresting those with few legal resources. Working with prisoners is a sad story as well. I have had my share of clients/patients. In real life, besides 2 of my siblings, I know 4 people with jail times well. For three of them, jail time was substance rehab time as they were out of control drugging in the streets! 2 of the guys have psychiatric issues. Jail is now the largest provider of institutional psychiatric care, another example of inappropriate social control. Of course, I know first hand the dangers in being the object of someone who is delusional, violent, and not taking one's medicine. Two of the 6 are basic sociopaths... endlessly looking to get over on anyone and ready to blame everyone else. Another morass....

thanks to the universe, there are progressive advocates, people with compassion, as well as basic social science researchers. the research is there on how to better the systems and to help people. In life it is always about engaging, educating, hoping to change ideological perspectives.

anyhow.. my buddy who did the Blackheart issues is still advocating! Big bravo to him for 30 years of engaging the world!

peace, hugs, compassion

backtrack to Purim

posting the pages of an invite to a fundraiser held in 1984 for klezmer music. Great music for Purim! I was on the event committee, organized by a NYC family foundation, predominately supported by employees of a leveraged buyout company. The company officers were all Harvard MBAs and the company was their endeavor. (I declined going into the Harvard MBA program as I had just finished my Columbia MSW degree in 1982). The family foundation was run by the CEO and his wife. They lived on East 82nd street doors from the Metropolitan. We usually met with committee members at the Stanhope Hotel around the corner.

Such a festive event! great music! excellent food. There was a pre-concert dinner of Moroccan food at a committee member's home. Nice apartment... 111 East 63rd St... close to today's infamous Bernie Madoff! I had written down Madoff's address but misplaced it as I knew the address was somewhat similiar. The hosts of the dinner moved south in 1986 and I didnt stay in touch. A really lovely family! They were very involved in NY Philharmonic fundrasing.

The concert took place at the Americas Society on Park Avenue. This November 2008, the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House held a klezmer music soiree but don't remember the performance spot. I was going to fax this 1984 invite to the assistant exec director just for fyi... I worked for Lenox Hill in the 1990s at the Park Avenue armory program (down the street from the Americas Society).

The fundraiser made some money although not sure of the results as in 1985, I was recruited to work for the NYC Board of Education to help create new social work programs. I didnt stay in touch with the foundation until the 1990s when I heard the couple had broken up, the foundation closed.

In 2009, I am amazed once again by how busy I was in the 1980s! But also over time the different meanings which locales and places have. In 1984, I paid no attention to the Park Avenue Armory. In 1985, I went to a fundraiser for the Nation magazine there. Ran into some Columbia professors which was great fun! Watched James Baldwin and Gordon Parks smoke cigarettes and drink at the bar! Who knew I would be working in the armory 11 years later! It is almost ten years that I have walked the streets of the UES (although I zoom through on the 6 train to the Bronx a lot)

hugs, peace, compassion