Petrelis Files

Mixner: AIDS Missing from Dallas Principles;
Arnold: Cut $55M From AIDS Drugs Program

David Mixner, a gay political consultant and blogger, has noticed the Dallas Princples are missing a very important element - AIDS, and I thank him for holding the invitation-only attendees at the Texas meeting almost two week ago accountable for omitting AIDS. From his blog:

The LGBT community has been abuzz about the group of twenty-four self described 'thinkers, activists and donors' who recently gathered in Dallas, Texas. Out of this meeting came The Dallas Principles which are demands for full equality now for the LGBT community. They are well thought out and well written but wish our community would also remember the huge numbers in our community with HIV/AIDS.

And speaking of HIV, in California, people with AIDS, a community which includes an overwhelming number of gay and bisexual men, myself included, are extremely worried about our state's budget crisis and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed reduction of a life-saving program.

Excerpted out of today's SF Chronicle:

Some proposed cuts, such as a $55.5 million reduction in the AIDS Drug Assistance Program and other state Office of AIDS programs, would be life-threatening ...

I'm not counting on the leaders behind the Dallas Principles to get too concerned about the looming battle with Sacramento over the HIV drug program. After all, they couldn't be bothered to even mention AIDS once in their preamble, call to action or goals.