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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1986)
\ Health Division clarifies confidentiality To the editor: This letter is stim ulated by Carl Berggren's recent open letter to G overnor Atiyeh, published in your paper several weeks ago. N o recent public health issue has captured the pu blic's attention quite like Acquired Im m unodeficiency Syndrom e (AIDS). There is a good deal o f confusion in the public’s m ind regarding transm ission o f this disease and how one can be protected from acquiring the virus. Many incorrectly fear that AIDS can be acquired through casual co n ta ct and inap propriately ostracize individuals or groups perceived, incorrectly, as being a danger to the public health. The O regon Health Division has instituted a tw o-pronged approach to deal with HTLV-III infection in O regon. An educational program has been developed, and staff hired to pro vide training to m edical and civic leaders th ro u g h o u t the State. These trained individu als w ill then educate citizens in the com m un ity to better understand the disease, its causes and m ethods o f transm ission. The D ivision has also made HTLV-III anti body testing available through doctors and local health departm ents, in order to protect the state’s blood supply from infection by enabling individuals who seek the test to ob tain it w ithout having to donate blood or plasm a. At alternative sites, educational counseling is available for those who seek the test. Individuals seeking the test are asked their names, as are other individuals com ing to health departm ents for services. This allows fo r appropriate, and confidential m edical fo l low up o f individuals who test positive for anti bodies to the virus. All materials from public health records are kept confidential, and are protected by specific statutes. The Division is in the process o f creating a Task Force to consider the w ider range o f services needed by infected and ill individu als, and w ill be m aking proposals to the Legislature fo r necessary support. I encourage any reader to seek accurate inform ation about this infection from a local health departm ent, or a resource such as MASS, Inc., and to share ideas about overall program developm ent with the new Task Force, through m y office. Kristine Gebbie, Adm inistrator O regon Health Division Phoenix Rising Foundation proudly presents singers/songwriters - « k Romanovsky & Phillips * t Dear Disappointed: Try Dignity, MCC, others To the editor: I would like to respond to “ D isappointed" w ho wrote to "Dear Dr. Ray” in the March 1986 edition o f your paper. You may be experiencing the loss o f a com m un ity that acts from a com m on spiritual, m oral, and ethical focus. Apparently your background carried heavy Catholic influence, based on your remarks about your fam ily. The values taught by your church are not the prim ary values presented in gay bars, gay hiking groups, or gay service New Clear News takes no position on abortion To the editor: Just O ut prints lies. Prim ary chracteristics o f the Right-wing in clude inflexibility and the willingness to lie to the public. Unfortunately, m em bers o f the progressive com m unity recently displayed sim ilar traits in the pages o f Just Out. I am referring to Linda Reymers’ and Billy Russo’s charge that New Clear News and affiliated groups are anti-choice. In truth, New Clear News does not take a position on abortion and its affiliates are sol idly pro-choice. Here are some examples of what we’ve put in p rin t “ .. anti-chioce legis lation would result in health risks to women.” organizations. To m eet people w ho operate from a set of values sim ilar to your own, w ho can touch, understand, and respond to, your spiritual side, I suggest trying one o f the religious bodies in the gay and lesbian com m unity. D ignity is such a place, and is Catholic. M etropolitan C om m unity C hurch is another such place: though not C atholic, many C atholics find m eaning and spiritual feeding in o u r w orship services. There are other groups as well. Please feel free to call on the church or on m e personally if you w ould like to talk more about this. In Christ, Rev. Gary L. W ilson, Pastor M etropolitan C om m unity C hurch o f Portland " . . . anti-chioce legislation w ould make the lack o f concern fo r the problem s faced by wom en.” .. anti-choice legislation would violate the m oral directive not to judge others." We are also asking the City C ouncil to condem n attem pts to restrict reproductive freedom . The fact is we agree that abortion can be a m orally defensible act, and that only the w om an is in a position to make that ju d g e m e n t We are concerned about the 32,000 abor tions per week in the (J.S., b u t as W illam ette W eek correctly reported, “ O ur prim ary area o f concern is those abortions w hich occur o u t o f econom ic necessity.” Perhaps Linda Reymers, MRG, and others are so thoroughly pro-abortion rather than pro-choice, and so unconcerned about econom ic justice that they no longer qualify as progressives. Jeffrey J. U ddicoat Portland, Oregon PERSONAL SERVICE W hat we sell at Vista Travel is good, old-fashioned personal service. We m ake an art of custom itinerary planning, vacation travel packages and quick-response commercial business travel. Then we a d d the extra touch: well-trained, courteous, friendly travel consultants who know their business and are here to serve you. 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