Instead, until the end ot 1986. the government had spent a pitiful £3.5 million total on publicity resenten treatment Even the effectiveness this sop has been hamper ed by health service cuts While the ministers were cautioning gay men and drug addicts not to give blood from August 1985, government cutbacks had prevented any blood monitoring between 1983 and 1985. This cuts statements BMA ago over wnc electorally inspired publicity since January LIC need lack HIle research, health Care Indeed the valenna hand declarations possible, that 'public Cite we Now we have the government AIDS In short, preand high on the Values' government. The main plicit' leaflet delivered through your letter boxes, is not information but encouragement monogamy The central idea is that AIDS must be contained controlled through strict regulation of sexual activity, than geared OI through researching effective treatment The ing on the condom.
For rather resee have was Hellenc banned television UVC selected cinemas.
essively limited campaign are quite straightforward. I he government is willing to take only the most minIlal chores lo assure pud• lic opinion, in order not to breach its own reactionary moral code.
serious educational flooding schools and colleges with clear factual material, and an open and funded wall alri about 'safe sex' — would involve recognising the extent of relationships among young people and sanctioning to some degree lesbian and gay sexuality and sexual activity outside of marriage. Instead the government has wholly ac. commodated its campaign to its reactionary moral offensive, which has inthe Powell Bill, the rands the Powell Bill, the on bookshops like Gay's the Word, the media campromote a minimal educa tional awareness of lesbian and gay sexuality, and support for right wing coun cils such as Nottingham which refuse equal opportunities to lebsians and gay men.
Assaults In this context police assaults on the gay community, such as raiding iterature at customs ane pubs seizing quite logically on the inWhile the central axis of the government' campaign is the bolsterin of the family by arguing to contain AIDS heterosexual monogamy AIDS will continue to br falsely 'gay plague'. Violence agains gay community will continue in an atmosphere of fear and ignorance, AIDS victims will still have nowhere to turn.
The real action needed on AIDS is clear. It is being avoided by the government at all costs.
government-funded information campaign, low in terror and with the kind of facts people need must be fought for. It is a disgrace that such a cam paign is left to the sole efof the Terence Hig gins Trust A generation of young people have learned but fear the government s medla call paign. Even with this cam paign several colleges hav reported that students are simply not being supplied with the information material by the government.
A basic factual campaign sull nas be organised must be parlicularly directed schools. Contrary to Mrs doms and sit education Gillick's should made available to all young peo. ple.
Resources More than anything, huge resources must be channelled into the research for a cure. The demagogy of Fowler that 'education is the only vac cine' is a cynical abuse of the failure to find a cure so far The real meaning . is that money is being denied o researen Inere is no cure, there can be no cure therefore will seriously fund research to develop one This must be opposed and a campaign waged for adequate resources for research to prevent many thousands of deaths.
Socralist Action 6 Feb 1987