About The News : a publication of the Atlanta Gay Center. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1984-199? | View Entire Issue (May 23, 1986)
The JournaTpf Alb Atlanta page 3 ACQUIRED MlMXEFICIEfCr SHOW (AIDS) MEEKLY SURVEILLANCE REPORT* - UNITED STATES AIDS IHOGBAM CENIER FOR. INFECTIOUS DISEASES CENTERS FOR DISEASE OQKDDL May 5, 1986 UNITED STATBS CASES HEPORTOD TO CPC 1* DISEASE CROUPt** Both KS and PCP KS without PCP PCP without KS 01 without KS or PCP Tbtal ADULT/APaESCENr KNOWN CASES (Z) DEATHS (Z) 1110 (6) 3526 (18) 11614 (58) 3766 (19) 20016 (100) PEDIATRICtt KNOWN CASES (Z) EEA3HS (Z) 739 1492 6357 2172 10760 (67) (42) (55) (58) (54) 4 (1) 6 (2) 153 (53) 126 (44) 289 (100) (100) (100) (71) (44) (60) TOTAL KNOW CASES (X) EEAJHS (ZDEAD) 1114 (5) 743 (67) 3532 (17) 1498 (42) 11767 (58) 6465 (55) 3892 (19) 2227 (57) 20305 (100) 10933 (54) AGE CASES (Z) 3. RM5/EHOTCITY ADULT/ADOLESCENT CASES (Z) PEDIADUCtt CASS (Z) TOTAL GASES (Z) Under 13 289 (1) White, not Hispanic 12013 (60) 54 (19) 12067 (59) 13-19 84 (0) Black, not Hispanic 4934 (25) 172 (60) 5106 (25) 20- 29 4248 (21) Hispanic 2842 (14) 61 (21) 2903 (14) 30-39 9528 (47) Other 116 ( 1) 0 ( 0) 116 ( 1) 40 - 49 4211 (21) Unknown 111 (1) 2 ( 1) 113 ( 1) Orer 49 1944 (10) Tbtal 20016 (100) 289 (100) 20305 (100) Unknown 1(0) Total 20305 (100) PATIENT GROUPS** Homosexual or -Bisexual Meri*** ADUU/ADOLESCfOT MIES (Z) FEMALES (Z) 14670 (78) - (-) TOTAL CASES (Z) 14670-- (73) Intravenous (IV) Drug User 2743 (15) 694 (52) 3437 (17) Hemphill a/fVvigiilaHnn QLsorder 153 (1) . 4 (0) 157 a) Heterosexual Cbntactttt 56 (0) 238 (18) 294 (i) Transfusion wLth Blood/Blood Products 201 (1) 120 ( 9) 321 (2) None of the Abcve/Other**** 870 (5) 267 (20) 1137 (6) Total 18693 (100) 1323 (100) 20016 (100) Henophilia/Chagulatlon Disorder ffiDIAXRICft MIES (Z) FEMMES (Z) 12 (8) 0 (0) TOTAL GASES (Z) 12 (4) Parent with AIDS/or at increased risk far AIDStttt 106 (68) 111 (85) 219 (76) Transfusion with Blood/ Blood Products 29 (18) 15 (12) 44 (15) None of the Abcve/Other 10 (6) 4 (3) 14 (5) Tbtal 159 (100) 130 floor 289 (100) *These data are prwlslonal tKS * Kaposi's sarcoma; PCP 3 Pnpimncystis carin-H pneumonia; 01 “ Other opportunistic infections **Gfcoupa n«f«d are ordered hierarchically; eases with miltipie pharartpri «Hnt are tabulated only in the group listed first. ttIncludes paHenfa mder 13 years of age at Unp of diagnosis. ***1601 (11%) of hcmosexual men also reported having used IV drugs tttWLth a person with AIDS or at risk for ADDS ****Includes 451 persons bom in countries in which most AIDS cases have not been associated with kncwn risk factors. ttttEpldasloiogic data suggest transmission from infected mother to child before, at, or shortly after the time of birth. AIDS: THE RISK FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR Some people think that AIDS is just a white boy’s disease. Since 25% of AIDS cases have occurred among blacks, another 15% among others (mainly Hispanic), and only 60% among whites, this is clearly not true. Homosexual and bisexual men who are not IV drug users account for 65% of the reported cases of AIDS; 14% of them are black 12% other and 74% white, about what would be expected given their numbers in the population. Among IV drug users with AIDS, however, whites are the minority; 42% are black, 26% are other, and just 33% are white. Women account for just 6.5% of AIDS cases among adults but a majority of them 52% are black (another 23% are other and 26% are white). Over half of the women with AIDS are IV drug users (54%). Only 1.4% of all AIDS cases occur among children, but again the majority (60%) are black (21% are other and26% are white). Most of them (83%) had parents with AIDS or at increased risk for AIDS. Thus, among homosexual and bisexual men who are not IV drug users, people of color are no more, or less, at risk for AIDS than whites. But people of color account for 67% of the remaining cases, considerably out of proportion to their numbers in the population. (These percentages are based on 20,016 adult and 289 pediatric cases reported to the CDC as of May 5,1986. Because the drug status of homosexual and bisexual men is sometimes reported as unknown or left blank, the percentages given here may underestimate the actual number of IV drug users and overestimate the number of homosexual and bisexual men who are not IV drug users.) Roger Bakeman, Ph.D. THE LACK OF ORGANIZATION AMONG BLACK GAYS IN ATLANTA by D. Teague, C. Jones Considering the size of Atlanta’s black population one can reasonably extrapolate that there is a large gay element within that population. As with other groups Atlanta has become a mecca for gay blacks in that it offers social and career options found nowhere else in the state and in few places in the southeast. To be sure, this city is more attractive to gay blacks because of the relative freedom it offers to blacks in general. With this thought in mind it is difficult to tunderstand why there are no active organizations for gay blacks. Let’s repeat that: There are no organizations for gay blacks in the city of Atlanta. The closest thing to an organized group are the various "party" groups that regualrly hold functions. But these groups don’t offer anything in the way of political or support activities. Unlike their white counterparts blacks do not have a group of peers to which they can tum. It is not easy to put a finger on the reasons for this. Obviously one can point to apathy, something to which blacks are no more immune than any other group. Black gays are perhaps more likely to be apathetic since, as a group, they have never had a voice: If one has always been speechless then one might assume he will never be heard. This touches on the issue of exclusion. Blacks have in the past been completely excluded from the affairs of the mainstream society. Only within the black community did blacks have an effective voice. Being gay in the black community is viewed the same way it is in the larger society-with misunderstanding and contempt. Having been effectively silenced as blacks, black gays are even more silenced. This, however, is more of an excuse than a reason. The active exclusion of blacks is not nearly as blatant or intese as say 20 years ago. Excisuion today takes on a decideiy passive bent often fostered by blacks. A common attitude is "why'should we have anything to do with them, they don’t want us around anyway?" The important question is not what "they" want, but what "we" need. Also figuring prominently into this lack of organization is the fear that someone's membership will be discovered and this will cause problems on the job, with family, etc. Once again this is more excuse than valid fear. It seldom happens that word of one’s discrete associations gets any further than other members of the group. Finally there doesn't seem to be any outside pressure to force black gays together. Here again is a misconception. While there may not be any overt discrimination there is covert discrimination. For several years Black-White Men Together has been waging a war on discrimination against minorities in Atlanta’s bars. Practices such as excessive I.D. requirements were common at some bars until this organization took action that resulted in standardized admission procedures in bars and nightclubs. BWMT stepped in to fill the void where blacks should have stepped in. There is also the pressing issue of AIDS in the black community and its perception by many as a "white boy’s disease." Blacks make up a disproportionately high percentage of AIDS cases. Getting information into the black ' community has proven difficult fora numberof reasons the main one being the lack of an organized pattern of information flow that organizations offer. Without a body rooted in the group of those being targetted there will usually be a number of individuals out of reach. Are these reasons enough to form such an organization? As pointed out there are a number of political functions to be served, i.e. "watchdogging" discriminatory practices both in and outside the gay community and dissemination of information importatn to black homosexuals. But there is a function transcending the political themes. There is little in the way of discussion among black gays on issues very relevant to the black gay experience. Open talk about sexuality, coming out, behavior in relationships and sexual roles js rare and the insights gained from this kind of rapport is lost. Too many are confused about themselves with no where to go for answers. Of course this begs the question: Why not join an established organization even if it is not entirely focused on the black gays? Now for many this is fine. A lot of people are able to work within established frameworks and move the group in directions they feel are important. On the other hand there are those who need the camaraderie of their racial peers. Many find it hard to talk openly among individuals of of another race, expecially on issues concerning race. There is often a sense of companionship of shared experience among blacks. This sense makes it easier to converse on things on a personal level. Coming out, for example, has different ramifications if you come from a black family where masculinity is stressed and there are few, ifany, positive black gay role models. An important function is setting up alternative channels for black gays to meet other black gays in an environment other than bars and parties. There needs to be a place where blacks can congregate without the sexual pressures implied by these institutions. Walking junto one of Atlant’s black bars one can’t help but notice the predominance of the under-thirty crowd and wonder where the older gays are hiding out. A lot ofthem have gone on to the straight bars and clubs while a lot of them have simply stopped going out. Finally the black gay community needs a body through which it can speak. When black gays are faced with a pressing issue, there shouldn’t have to be a period of getting organized before taking action. It would also lend credibility to the group if the voices heard are cohesive, not conflicting from diffemt quarters. The obvious remedy is to form a black gay structure , to address some of the needs mentioned. This can be done by putting together an independent body or by affiliating with an established body such as the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays. Whatever route is chose the organization formed needs to be built around political, social and economic concerns rather than exclusively put in place to conduct parties and other social gatherings. There is a great deal of black talent in this city and a need to focus that talent. There is a need for leadership among gay blacks because there are enough of them to tackle problems plagueing the balck community as whole. The problems of poor education, poverty, teen preganancy and black-on-black crime are major stumbling blocks to the progress of all blacks and are worthy of the attention of any group be they black, white, straight or gay.
