Churches' attitude to AIDS hasn't changed.[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dear editor, Re: Conference urges religious leaders to step up war on AIDS (October Journal), an event that apparently took place in Colombo. One statement, however, took my breath away, with its marginalization mar·gin·al·ize tr.v. mar·gin·al·ized, mar·gin·al·iz·ing, mar·gin·al·iz·es To relegate or confine to a lower or outer limit or edge, as of social standing. of history. HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome has been the dominant factor in my life since the beginning of the epidemic. Your story noted that participants in the conference released the statement, "We acknowledge that we have not done enough in this area and have at times contributed to their (those living with HIV/AIDS) sense of exclusion and stigmatization stigmatization /stig·ma·ti·za·tion/ (stig?mah-ti-za´shun) 1. the developing of or being identified as possessing one or more stigmata. 2. the act or process of negatively labelling or characterizing another. ." It must have been a fairly young group at the conference, with no memory of the advent of AIDS. As for myself, I was a Canadian living Canadian Living is a monthly Canadian lifestyle magazine, which publishes articles relating to food, fashion, crafts, and health and family advice. The magazine, along with its French language counterpart Coup de Pouce, was launched in 1975 by Telemedia. in southern California (San Diego) when first we heard of what was initially called GRID, before HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. was actually identified. During the earliest years of the AIDS catastrophe, conservative Christian groups fought vociferously in opposition to any public finding for research into HIV and the development of treatment options. The subsequent delay in acquiring and retroviral medications denied thousands a fighting chance one dependent upon the issue of a struggle. See also: Fighting at extended life Inevitably it also helped in the disease becoming the global epidemic we see today. Through the years, I have buried 57 remarkable friends. Attitudes and perspectives from the "faith-based" leaders have changed very little from the early days of AIDS. H. (Bart) Vincelette Vancouver |
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