march 15. 2002 ’
ÎTTîTîTïTTTRîlnetvs
A P olitical A genda
CAP seeks to advocate for the HIV community by throwing
its hat into the public policy ring by Timothy Krause
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Office
ention the word “advocate”
and many gay men will think
of the national magazine about
queer culture. Thomas Bruner,
however, sees an opportunity
for Cascade AIDS Project to fulfill its mission by
learning new ways to speak out on behalf of peo
ple affected by HIV.
Changes began at the nonprofit about a year
ago when its board created a public policy com
mittee chaired by Sam Adams, Mayor Vera
Katz’s openly gay chief of staff. It then hired
Portland attorney Paul Cosgrove to join Bruner
as registered lobbyists. C A P also began to share
advocacy resources with Seattle-based Lifelong
AIDS Alliance.
Building on this momentum, four forums were
held last month in Portland and Vancouver, Wash.
The first two were “AIDS Advocacy 101"
workshops presented in conjunction with Life
long. A total of 29 people attended the ses
sions, which discussed what advocacy means,
why it matters, how the political process works
and ways to approach elected officials. The
heart of the workshops’ message was how grass-
nxits constituents can influence government
representatives.
“Hearing from organizations representing
large numbers of people matters and hearing Portland attorney Paul Cosgrove is helping with
from lobbyists matters, but neither is a substitute Cascade A ID S Project’s public policy efforts
for hearing from real people living with the issue
funding remains C A P’s priority this year. But it
every day,” suggests Bruner, C A P executive
anticipates significant challenges to federal
director. “Those constituents can tell stories
appropriations, beginning with an administra
that are more compelling, more immediate and
tion that, with few exceptions, has flat-funded
more local than a lobbyist can— and they can do
AIDS programs. Com bined with increased
it with more credibility.”
defense expenditures and further tax cuts,
Next, C A P played hast to a breakfast work
Bmner foresees dramatic reductions in domestic
session for leaders of area HIV service providers.
spending.
A total of 16 people participated, representing
“W hen you don’t increase something, even
county and state health agencies, Partnership
by inflation, what you do is cut on a grassroots
Project, W om en’s Intercom m unity AIDS
level the amount of stuff th at’s actually able to
Resource, O ur House of Portland, Project
get done,” he explains. “We have a less sympa
Quest, For Us Northwest, Outside In and HIV
thetic administration, and we can’t count on
Day Center.
them to be our natural allies.”
“The whole purpose was to explore how we,
More aggressive agenda items, therefore, are
as an HIV provider community, could have a
likely to he put on hold. Instead of supporting
more powerful voice in public policy,” Bmner
notes, adding that this type of big-picture col needle exchanges or defending Oregon’s assisted
suicide law, for example, advocates instead must
laboration was unknown among organizations
often more concerned with day-to-day exis battle simply to maintain existing services.
Such is the case in Salem, too, where C A P’s
tence. “There was a general consensus that this
public policy work will focus on the well-being
was important and of interest to other providers,
of
the Oregon Health Plan. Many in the state’s
not just CAP."
HIV community rely on the program as their
Much of the session was spent clarifying how
sole access to expensive medications.
nonprofits are permitted to lobby and looking at
But Bmner doesn’t think this connection has
what other advocacy organizations are doing.
O ut of this emerged a tentative list of how col been made clear. “We’re not right there in the
middle of it, and we have to be,” he says.
laboration might continue. Attendees explored
C A P will follow suit at other levels, too,
the mechanics of working together, such as who
where
the organization will work with city and
would he willing to lobby, how an information
network could be promoted and how issues county governments to ensure HIV programs are
“held harmless”— that is, neither reduced nor cut
could he prioritized.
as local agencies face their own fiscal challenges.
"Part of what will ensure success is partnering
"We need to work hard to ensure the pro
with like-minded organizations. A chorus is
much stronger than a solo artist in the legisla grams that impact the issues of HIV and AIDS
are preserved and enhanced,” Adams says. “This
tive arena," Adams proposes.
is a life and safety issue, and we need to make
The fourth event was a public policy recep
sure that it’s a high priority among political deci
tion. A total of 42 people attended the evening
sion makers.’
soiree, among them representatives from city
and county commissioners’ offices as well as
For more infmrmatitm about the CASCADE AIDS
state legislators. T he gathering might have
PROJECT action alert network, contact Wambui
kx>ked like a ctx:ktail party, but Adams and
Bmner agree the conversations were an impor Machuaat 503-223-5907, ext. 21 6, or
umachuafScascadeauLs. org.
tant first step to familiarize politicians with
CAP's new initiative.
TIMOTHY K rause is a writer and editor m Portland.
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