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Monday, August 19, 2002HHS officials describe the congressional request for information on the groups' funding as routine and one that, in any case, the department is duty-bound to honor. Observers both inside and outside the department, however, say that some people at HHS are genuinely angry and are seeking to prevent what they view as disrespectful behavior in the future. Thompson was heckled on the third day of the weeklong conference when he delivered a speech on the U.S. government's overseas AIDS activities. Protesters blew whistles, chanted "Shame, Shame," rhythmically jabbed their fingers and eventually surrounded Thompson on the stage. He read his address to the end but his remarks were entirely inaudible. Handouts in both English and Spanish criticized the government for not spending enough on care and treatment of people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in poor countries. At the bottom of the flier was a list of 12 organizations. The request for the investigation came from Congress, some of whose members were shocked and disappointed that the activists behaved in such an unseemly manner. It is a pity that the activits felt compelled to behave like adolescent thugs. The description of their behavior sounds like an agressive shakedown for more funding. While their actions were physically threatening and distatestful, it appears their motivation was to grab the spotlight more than anything else: The heckling of Thompson was especially dramatic because it occurred in a movie-theater-sized space and went on for half an hour. (The Spanish health minister was heckled into inaudibility at the conference's opening ceremony, but that protest took place in a cavernous sports arena and lasted only 10 minutes.) Nevertheless, the quasi-ritualized nature of the protest was evident in what happened in the hours after it. Afterward, one group of protesters held a scheduled news conference in the media center to explain their action. About a dozen activists, including numerous hecklers, met with Thompson in a previously scheduled meeting at his hotel. According to several people there, the secretary was told that the protesters' vehemence was not directed at him personally. Anthony S. Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a key Thompson adviser, mentioned that Larry Kramer, a founder of ACT-UP, used to call him a "murderer" but was now his friend. An hour-long discussion of AIDS policy ensued. AIDS activists need to learn to behave as mature adults rather than spoiled children. While such behavior gets them press attention, it isn't necessarily the kind of attention they need. People aren't more likely to think kindly upon them when they see this sort of protest on the evening news. Such behavior only serves to strengthen prejudicial stereotypes about homosexuals and does nothing to foster acceptance and understanding in the community at large. While the actions of Congress and the HHS come across as punitive, they are justified in reconsidering their funding relationship with groups that resort to abuse in an attempt to garner even more money from them. Note to AIDS activists: Consider changing the name of "ACT UP" to "GROW UP". posted by Sydney on 8/19/2002 07:09:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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