Letters in VIEW : Profiles of 13 Victims of AIDS

I would like to thank you for your excellent article on people with AIDS.

It was good to see The Times print the term PWAs (Persons With AIDS) as it has not, to my knowledge, done so previously. The Times has, however, consistently had good editorials and coverage of the AIDS crisis.

What pleased me most about Lynn Simross’ compassionate and well-written article was that it showed how the people who have AIDS have families, loved ones, that their lives and deaths have changed people. I was also pleased that it was not another listing of celebrities who have died from AIDS. AIDS is not a subject for gossip; it is not trivia.

As a gay man, I was heartened to read that the gay community was able to help the Reynolds family. The non-gay community can come to the gay community for compassion and help in dealing with this disease, or they can try and blame us for it.

While the increase in anti-gay violence indicates the second option, I still hope that the need for understanding and compassion will prevail and allow all of us, gay and non-gay, to work together in helping each other and battling AIDS.

KEN JACKSON

Los Angeles