NEWS RELEASE
October 8, 2004

EQUALITY MARYLAND
Contact: Dan Furmansky, Executive Director
Phone:    Office 410-685-6567
Cell    301-461-4900
Email:  dan@equalitymaryland.org

COALITION OF ORGANIZATIONS CONDEMNS DISCRIMINATORY REMARKS MADE BY MARYLAND COMPTROLLER

William Donald Schaefer Says Public Should Have Access to List of Individuals Living With HIV/AIDS

From The Gazette weekend edition, October 8, 2004:

It's been a while

After the summer's English-no English, multicultural bunk brouhaha, our comptroller roared back Wednesday, saying the public should know the names of people with HIV infections.

"What's wrong with identifying them by name?" he asked Naomi Tomoyasu, acting administrator of the state AIDS Administration.

The feisty former guv recalled that people with tuberculosis were named decades ago.

Why shouldn't the taxpayers who are paying millions for AIDS treatment know the names of the infected? he asked.

"They don't get AIDS by standing in the wind," he said.

If their names are made public, Tomoyasu said, she fears people would be less likely to seek testing and counseling. Under federal law, however, the names of people with full-blown AIDS are collected by the state, she said.

Don't think that changed his mind.

-- Steven T. Dennis

STATEMENT CONDEMING DISCRIMINATORY COMMENTS MADE BY COMPTROLLER SCHAEFER CONCERNING HIV/AIDS

As a coalition of local, state, and national organizations concerned with the battle against HIV/AIDS, and on behalf of all those infected or affected by this horrible disease, we condemn the discriminatory, insensitive and damaging remarks made by Maryland Comptroller and former Governor William Donald Schaefer that were printed in The Montgomery Gazette Weekend Edition on October 8, 2004. In his statement, the Comptroller suggests, among other things, that the names of those with HIV should be made public.

We condemn this belief on the grounds that making public the names of those living with HIV would in no way better the state of Maryland, its citizens, or those infected or affected by HIV. It would, in fact, have a detrimental effect, causing fears of discrimination among people with HIV and those who should be tested, thus discouraging interactions with the health care system.

The State of Maryland and the Baltimore/Washington, DC metropolitan region are battling an epidemic that threatens the health and security of its citizens. Thousands of citizens, the local, state, and federal governments, and scores of community organizations have dedicated countless hours and made valiant efforts to stem the spread of this disease. We have made significant progress in outreaching to people with HIV/AIDS.

We believe that publicly naming those who contract this disease will discourage many of those who are at risk from seeking testing or health care, thus promoting HIV transmission. Such a policy would also open the doors to blacklisting and a return to medical McCarthyism that has stalled progress to defeat other diseases in history.

Further, the Comptroller's comments that "They don't get AIDS by standing in the wind" are viewed by this coalition as an insult to those of our neighbors who live with this disease every day. We condemn the Comptroller's comments as a simplified overgeneralization, inflammatory and insensitive to people courageously living with a life-threatening disease. We believe Mr. Schaefer's statement undermines HIV/AIDS education, prevention and treatment options, as well as the implementation of sound public policy. Further, we believe his statement to be personally hurtful to our neighbors with the disease, who deserve the right to privacy as well as compassion in their time of need.

We also find the Comptrollers comments to be a repetition of a debate that has long since been decided by Maryland's General Assembly.

In the interest of all Maryland citizens, especially those living with the disease, we call on Comptroller Schaefer to retract his remarks about the disease, which now exists in every county and community in the state. At a time when the Centers for Disease Control has committed to massive new counseling and testing initiatives, it is essential that people be encouraged - not discouraged - from learning their HIV status. The battle against HIV/AIDS, and public policy, must be executed with unity, decisiveness and compassion.

Until AIDS discrimination and stigma have been totally eliminated, we believe that a statement from a high-ranking elected official, which so deviates from sound public policy, both delays and jeopardizes our ultimate victory over this tragic and life threatening epidemic.

###

GENERAL PRESS CONTACT:
Joe Berg
Communications Director
Moveable Feast
O: 410-327-3420, ext 30
C: 443-904-3316
jberg@mfeast.org

AGENCIES SUPPORTING THIS STATEMENT, and press contacts:

Equality Maryland
Dan Furmasky
Executive Director
301-587-7500
Dan@equalitymaryland.org

Moveable Feast
Joe Berg
410-327-3420, ext 30
Cell: 443-904-3316

Chase Brexton
David Halltiwanger
Director of Public Policy
(410) 752-0954 ext.2420

Health Education Resource Organization
Leo Ortega
Executive Director
410-685-1180
heroceo@aol.com

AIRS
Leslie Wright
Development Associate
410-576-5070 x 11

Whitman Walker Clinic
Brian Justice
Associate Executive Director, Public Affairs and Communications
O: 202-797-3590
C: 202-441-7244 till 6p.m.
bjustice@wwc.org

AIDS Action Baltimore
Lynda Dee
410-332-1170
lyndamdee@aol.com

ACLU of Maryland Foundation
Stacy Mink
Development Director
410-889-8550, ext 103
mink@aclu-md.org

Human Rights Campaign

National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA-US)
1413 K. St. NW
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20005
Paul Feldman
Public Affairs Director
202-898-0414
pfeldman@napwa.org