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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (March 7, 1997)
4 ▼ m arch 7, 1 9 0 7 ▼ juat o u t VIEW FROM HERE vj \ 7 ?ose Gi/t/ cian ana/surgeon^ \3 b s ig ^ r iç ^ in d Where to? c^ G ^ c o i p ^ ï s -m / j " 4 'V * v ' ' t< * Suite 3£0 97210 Portland, M | H ôp ital is Portland’s oldest pet hospital. jg ► A s the new owner, I am proud to he able I Ï to carry on this tradition of service to the p i " V x# / n X x V v v '^ s 'fc ' o .<N Ì$ Ì & |3 y, ,^ -v^ r', « City of Roses hy giving your pet the finest SSB Sk î. I ' , i t . ' , -■ ' <•■ i , a m s- f , r:>r - :>■-• medical care, boarding and grooming as I 22^-7 EXOTIC S • F ilver ▼ A venue 1 1 3 0 N .W . Founded in 1911, Rose City Veterinary As the community faces the prospect of a “post-AIDS” era, now is the time to ponder new directions for activism u r nitu re and gifts from the world over by Hastings Wyman Jr. and popular culture—have portrayed gay men he 50 percent decline in AIDS deaths with AIDS as heroic, if tragic, figures. While in New York City is a most welcome some of this sympathy has been cloying, it has put sign that this terrible plague may be beginning to come to an end. Other gay people and our concerns on the front pages, omens are also promising: The Na on prime time, on Broadway and on the best seller lists. Moreover, this sympathetic portrayal tional Institutes of Health’s Dr. Anthony Fauci has made homophobic politicians look like they’re says he expects that as statistics become available kicking us when we’re down. We may soon have from across the country, this pattern will be rep to resume being, if not invisible, at least less licated. In Los Angeles, hospitals and hospices newsworthy. are already reporting similar trends. There are, of course, still plenty of dark clouds. Fourth, because the money saved from the decrease in AIDS hospitalizations more than It is already clear that protease inhibitors do not work for everyone. In those for whom they do makes up for the high price tag of protease inhibi work, it is unclear how long these drugs will keep tors, the total per-patient cost of AIDS is already declining—by 23 percent, according to one esti AIDS in remission, or whether they can remove mate. u So could begin to a n of wi the w virus. v 11 . r u i u even vv ii v • i • uiciiw. u we w V/ v v u iu u v ^ iu iv/ all And when they work perfectly, the tYl t i m e t r i e p r o p o r t i o n OJ see some easing of financial cost of protease inhibitors is g a y and lesbian com- demands made by the dis- ease on both public and pri far more than is affordable . , . for many people. mumty s assets and en- vate resources. Working to Moreover, the need for ergy that need to be de see that some of the savings are used to develop an AIDS AIDS prevention programs will remain, particularly as VOted tO AIDS issues may vaccine and less-expensive HIV infection increases treatments could be high pri diminish, so that more orities among women and minori for the gay commu ties. And policy questions people, time and money nity. about access to life-saving Fifth, in time the propor can be directed toward prescriptions for those with tion of the gay and lesbian neither money nor health in community’s assets and en other goals. surance are likely to be a ma ergy that need to be devoted jor issue for some time. Nevertheless, the news to AIDS issues may diminish, so that more people, about HIV and AIDS is increasingly encourag time and money can be directed toward other ing. goals, such as employment protections, the repeal While the most important development is that of state sodomy laws, same-gender marriage, the the human toll is lessening, like all mass trag right to adopt children, and a more secure envi edies—war, famine, plague— AIDS has political ronment for gay and lesbian youth. implications and the possible decline of AIDS With HIV under control—“to be managed will also. Now is not too soon to contemplate like high blood pressure,” as one TV commenta some of the changes in tor optimistically put it— the political climate that other medical issues, such could result if the AIDS as breast cancer, could as- epidemic begins a steady sume greater priority decline in ferocity. within the gay and les First, the gay move bian community. And ment will no longer be with AIDS no longer re weakened by the steady ducing the number of gay attrition from the prema men who live to old age, ture deaths of so many there could be more in gay men as in the past centive to develop retire decade and a half. The ment communities and gay movement, especially services for elderly gay on the male side, has seen people. activists, legislators, lob Finally, the serious byists and thousands of ness of the challenge of volunteers succumb first AIDS has helped unify to incapacitating illness, the nation’s lesbian and then death. With them gay community, which— have died knowledge, ex like the nation itself—has perience and the support differences of race, gen they developed within the der, political persuasion, gay community and with wotobvund ^ ^ ^ r ethnicity, etc., etc. For the public. Now, perhaps, we will begin to see example, lesbians, who are among the least at risk more elder statesmen. for HIV, have been prominent in the AIDS battle. Second, syndicated columnist William Rasp If the threat of AIDS is substantially diminished, berry, in an excellent column favoring same-sex gay people will have to work even harder to find marriage, recently noted that among the reasons common goals and, where the goals are different, people give for opposing same-gender matri nonetheless, cooperate. mony is that it might “help spread such diseases as If the promise of the latest trends materializes, AIDS.” The decline of AIDS would decrease the gay people can think about entering a new, post- fear of gay men as a threat to public health. Such AIDS era. Let us plan now to make the most of it. attitudes have been skillfully manipulated by op ponents of civil rights for gay people; the lost Hastings Wyman Jr. is a Washington. D.C., opportunity for exploiting them will be helpful to journalist whose political column, “The Gay the homophile cause. Agenda, ” appears monthly in the Washington Third, since the AIDS crisis developed, much Blade and other lesbian and gay newspapers. of the news media— as well as the creators of high T hi uj \* f* ■ financial 1talks about security. . Financial planning is a long-term client-advisor relationship built upon two-way communication. By listening to you, I can understand your individual needs, concerns and goals. T 1 • « 1 listen. Then, together, we make decisions that prepare you with the solutions, strategies and honest answers that take you toward achieving those goals. Waddell & Ree FINANCIAL SERVICES Eric Brown Account Representative 503 - 238-6036 / 800 - 684-5245
