Late Microsoft Pioneer Leaves $65 Million to HIV/AIDS and Gay Rights Groups
The estate of Ric Weiland, an early pioneer at the Microsoft Corporation and a gay rights activist, has left $65 million to support HIV/AIDS and gay rights organizations, reports the Associated Press (AP) (ap.google.com, 2/24).
The Pride Foundation of Seattle, where Weiland was a board member, announced February 24 the funds they received, and called it the largest single bequest given to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender causes.
Weiland, who died in 2006, was a high school classmate of Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen. He was one of the first five people to work at the company.
Weiland’s estate has established a fund at the Pride Foundation to give $46 million to 10 national gay rights and HIV/AIDS groups over the next eight years. These groups include advocacy group Lambda Legal; the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays; and amfAR, according to the AP.
The Pride Foundation also received $19 million to establish scholarships and grants that support the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community in the Pacific Northwest.
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Beth Benne, RN, is HIV negative, but
the virus has impacted her life. She currently supervises a biannual HIV/AIDS awareness week as
the director of the student health center at Pierce College, a
community commuter school in Woodland Hills, California.
Woman of the Month is supported by exclusive advertising from Gilead.
Overheard in the Women's Forum
"I recently met a guy who is negative. I did tell him about my status and he decided to kiss me anyway (we didn't go further than that). But a day later, he called and said that he actually had a mouth ulcer that time when we kissed and he was very worried. Asked if he can get the virus from me that way. For that moment, I felt so insulted and yet I felt so bad. It was my first time having a contact with a "negative" guy."
