Response to Sentinel's Uganda Article
22 12 09 - 15:47
On December 20th, the Keene Sentinel ran an article about Uganda's proposed legislation, which will punish gay men and hamper AIDS efforts in that country. In its current form the legislation would mandate a death sentence for active homosexuals living with HIV.
The full article can be read here (
) or on SentinelSource.com.
An open response to the Keene Sentinel article by ASMR's MacNeil is below:
To the Editor:
I was horrified to read the AP article, Uganda mulls death penalty for gays. Aside from the fact that a nation could believe sexual orientation was a justifiable reason to end the life of a man or woman who identifies as gay or lesbian, the story rightly concludes that this legislation would severely hamper efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa. The proposal mandates that anyone who helps or counsels individuals - AIDS service organizations, medical professionals, landlords, church ministries - identifying as active homosexuals will be subject to imprisonment. Such national action conjures up the terror of the Holocaust where gay individuals were a targeted subset for eradication from the human family.
One would think this sort of genocide could exist only in places where cultural norms and unenlightened thinking provide a narrow context of understanding, but here in the United States we are now seeing our own particular kind of genocide against people living with HIV/AIDS -- a return of ADAP (AIDS Drug Assistance Program) waiting lists. These lists occur when federal funding is reduced and cannot keep pace with current demand. Given the fact that we are entering the 28th year of the AIDS pandemic, it is easy to understand how this situation has developed. In 2007 the CDC increased its assessment of new HIV infections in the United States, from 40,000 new infections annually to 63,000, a 51% increase, and there are now 1.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S.
ADAP provides life-saving medications, as part of the federal Ryan White CARE Act, to people living with HIV/AIDS who are uninsured or under-insured. When a person is placed on a waiting list, it means they must hope that someone will die in order to be eligible, a gruesome way to be able to access necessary medication. In June 2009 the list stood at 99. In August the list was at 157. In December, the list has risen to 418 persons in 9 states; Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming. A 400% increase over seven months is inexcusable. (Visit http://www.adapadvocacyassociation.org/ for details.) Lack of access to treatment and medication means that HIV+ persons will likely develop opportunistic infections that cost far more to contain medically, and become increasingly unstable in their lives.
The bottom line is that, worldwide, individuals should not be denied basic human rights to dignity and safety because of who they are or the definition of their life experience. Let us hope that the global community will not allow Uganda to succeed with such heinous legislation, and that here in the world's richest nation our leaders will serve their most vulnerable constituents with respect and honor rather than disdain.
Susan MacNeil, Executive Director
AIDS Services for the Monadnock Region
POB 396 - Gilsum, NH
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