Crisis in the LGBT Community: We Are Losing Our History

Crisis in the LGBT Community: We Are Losing Our History
By David Mixner
Copyright By David Mixner
Jun 30 2010
http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/06/crisis-in-the-lgbt-community-we-are-losing-our-history.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DavidMixnerCom+%28DavidMixner.com%29

Aristotle once wrote,

"If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development."

The quote contains enormous wisdom for young LGBT Americans. For them to understand the current epic battle for civil rights, they must understand how it emerged over time and was fashioned by heroes and heroines. The story of our journey is a magnificent one filled with amazing moments and astounding individuals. The LGBT community has emerged from a real greatness that must never be forgotten.

Storme_DeLarverie_portrait However, we are on the brink of losing a good portion of our history. Those individuals who fought in the trenches in the period from the 1950's through the 1980's are soon to become endangered species as more and more die from natural causes. As with World War II veterans, time is rapidly running out to capture their stories. The recent "New York Times" article on Stonewall pioneer lesbian Storme DeLarverie (photograph) reminds us all how important these stories are to be preserved for future generations.

Deeply aggravating the situation was the deliberate destruction of so much of our history during the HIV/AIDS crisis in the dark years of the 1980's and early 1990's. When some of our early pioneering activists died of HIV/AIDS their families, ashamed of them for both being gay and also dying of AIDS, destroyed any document, record or letter that would shine light on their journey as a homosexual. When I was organizing my papers for the "David Mixner Collection at Yale University," I was shocked at what little information was left from the early stages of the movement. For example, thinking I had just one of thousands of newsletters printed by organizations in the 1970's that no longer exist, I quickly found out that I had one of maybe a dozen that still survive! Entire sections of materials were erased by our families ashamed that we were homosexuals.

No sophisticated oral history project has surfaced and been well-financed to capture the remaining survivors of this period. Our LGBT pioneers are rapidly disappearing and along with them so are their stories. As the article on Storme illustrates, due to the stress of getting older, many who remain have trouble recalling details even now.

Our current young activists and future generations need to understand that we come from giants and a history of courage, dignity and bravery. Let's not lose our storie to those who wanted to erase our journey. Time is running out .....quickly.




Cut-Backs = Death
By David Mixner
Copyright By David Mixner
Jul 2 2010
http://www.davidmixner.com/2010/07/cutbacks-death.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DavidMixnerCom+%28DavidMixner.com%29

AIDS 3 The news is not good for those in need in America. Although they created tax loopholes for the rich, due to Republican retro-efforts, the United States Congress failed to extend unemployment benefits for those out of work. For the HIV/AIDS community the news this week has been depressing to say the least. Word has come that because of wide-spread cut-backs at the federal and state level, HIV/AIDS drugs that give life are being cut in many budgets across the country.

Antireroviral therapies are essential for the care and treatment of people with HIV/AIDS. A serious disruption in using these drugs can cause serious complications. Even more Draconian is that failure to obtain them at all could be a death sentence to the person with HIV/AIDS. Think for a moment of the ramifications to the health of the community. Pretend you have diabetes and you no longer can obtain insulin. The consequences would be dramatic. Even for the middle class, the cost to purchase these desperately needed AIDS drugs is prohibitive with monthly budgets.

Officially the number is at 1,800 of people on 'waiting lists' for the antirerovirals. Eleven states have formally closed any additional persons to enroll. Other states are dropping scores of existing patients from their lists in order to balance the budgets. This is stupidity at its peak. Clearly if people get sick the costs to society will run far greater than $1,000 a month. What are they thinking?

And let's be clear that 1,800 is just the tip of the iceberg. There is no question that in huge states like Florida, the word is out that these drugs are no longer easily accessible so patients are not even attempting to get on the waiting list. My educated guess is that we are going to be dealing with thousands no longer on life sustaining drugs. This is a very serious business.