Controversy Over ACT UP Film
As an AIDS activist and a member of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) L.A., I am offended by Mahony’s implication that ACT UP is a hate group that engages in Catholic-bashing. This is an ill-informed response to criticism and activism against the Catholic Church’s policy on HIV (the virus believed to be the cause of AIDS) prevention. I am in no way attacking Catholicism as a religion, but as an influential political institution that aggressively expounds and lobbies on public policy and health issues.
The leaders of the Catholic Church vehemently oppose safe-sex education, condom use and clean-needle exchange, the most effective weapons in the fight against the spread of HIV. The church’s policy on HIV prevention ignores the scientific findings of respected academics.
ACT UP is a responsible direct action organization with legitimate concerns--the preservation of human life.
JAMES McDANIELS
Altadena
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