SAINT VALENTINE'S LIVES! POZ’s
online personals do a great service for positive people [“You’ve Got
Love,” February/March 2005]. They helped me finally find the right man.
We planned to meet in the beginning of April but couldn’t wait and met
at the end of March. We found we have even more in common than we
thought. I live in St. Joseph, Missouri, and he lives in St. Ann. We
agree that the saints are watching out for us. Thank you for making the
site free. It’s not always easy to access personals sites on a fixed
income. Good luck to everyone trying out this service. Hopefully you,
too, will find the right match.
Craig Fowler St. Joseph, Missouri
THE FRAUD SQUAD “Doin’
the Hustle” [February/March 2005] exaggerates the problem of
HIVers illegally selling their Medicaid-subsidized meds on the street.
It was reminiscent of sensationalized exposés on “welfare mothers” that
incorrectly implied that tens of thousands of people were cheating the
system. Congressional representatives could use this article as an
excuse to reduce or not increase ADAP funding. It’s true that the
fraud exists. But the people who really pay the price are those who
shorten their lifespans by selling their meds. The fundamental problem
is that people on the lowest economic rung are forced to make these
untenable choices.
Dennis deLeon President, Latino Commission on AIDS New York City
DRIVER’S ED I
support HIVer Tom Donohue’s putting his face on a highway billboard to
educate the public about the virus [“Hey, What’s Your Sign?,”
February/March 2005]. I resent that his neighboring ASO and its
director, Brian Bluth, don’t support him. How can an effective
AIDS organization not understand that people need education from all
sorts of HIVers? Why don’t they put their money where their mouth is
and put up a billboard of their own? If Bluth wants to continue
receiving the donations that pay his paycheck, he should support Mr.
Donohue’s attempt to promote community awareness.
Kenneth Vergonet Omaha, Nebraska
I’M GONNA TELL Your
disclosure advice should clarify that sometimes it benefits an employee
to disclose in the workplace [“Legal Eye,” February/March 2005]. If an
employee’s HIV status is unknown, he or she cannot claim
discrimination. In the late ’80s, I was often late to my job as a
paralegal after a morning managing harsh med side effects. I was fired.
I revealed my HIV status to defend myself, but it fell on deaf ears.
Ironically, this law firm had been the first to sue under New York
City’s disability-discrimination law. Perhaps if I had disclosed in
writing, they would not have fired me to avoid a similar suit.
Mike Davis Riegelsville, Pennsylvania
BRINGING UP THE REAR After POZ published an article about my
company’s pads, which make lipodystrophy-affected butts look better,
February became the highest-selling month in company history [“Booty
Call,” February/March 2005]. Because of the increased business, we can
now develop a women’s line and a waterproof line. I met Butt for
You’s founder, Ken Christman, in the hospital. Luckily for me, HIV
drugs worked, and I made a great recovery, but due to lipo, I left my
butt behind! So I started working for Ken. He passed away last spring
and left his company to his sister and me. We are working hard to keep
his dream alive.
Jack Timlock Managing Director, Butt for You Toronto
QUIT BEACHIN' Cancel
my subscription until you stop running the obscene Reyataz ad featuring
a cell-phone call from buddies at the beach [February/March 2005]. I am
on Reyataz and four other HIV meds and am offended by the notion that
“life’s a beach with HIV.” But a far greater offense is the flagrant
disregard for the millions of people with HIV who don’t have cell
phones, jobs that allow them to head off to the beach, medical
insurance or money to pay for HIV meds. It’s disgusting to see millions
of advertising dollars wasted while millions are dying without any
medication. I will not read any future issues until these ads stop
appearing in what I used to think was a useful and trustworthy magazine.
Jim Ross San Diego
POZ
responds: Yours isn’t the only response we got about this “talking”
ad—and our guess is the folks who make Reyataz heard about it, too. We
understand the advertiser won’t be running the ad again.
Correction:
Due to a printing error in our April issue, the “April Showers” byline
of Jack Kaplan, Edgewood, New Mexico, was omitted.
