Downey Takes Heat for Louganis Column

In his Feb. 24 story on Greg Louganis competing in the 1988 Olympics while he knew he was HIV-positive, Mike Downey repeatedly used the irrelevant language of morality to discuss a health issue. Using the terms confession and sinful, Downey perpetuates a long and tragic history of viewing those with HIV as immoral outcasts, rather than as individuals with a medical condition.

Instead of blaming the HIV-infected for their status, we should require professional responsibility from all our health-care providers. The standard in the medical profession today, as in 1988, is to assume that every patient is HIV-infected and take the proper steps to prevent HIV transmission.

In our war against HIV, no battle is more important than that against such prejudice and moralism as that displayed by Mike Downey. Let’s fight the disease, not those who are affected by it.

LORRI L. JEAN, Executive

Director, Gay and Lesbian

Community Services Center

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I don’t know which was worse: Mike Downey’s blatantly sanctimonious attitude or his subtly racist and homophobic comments pertaining to Greg Louganis’ recent announcement of his HIV status.

What are “vaguely Polynesian features”? Was it necessary to describe Greg with this phrase?

All people with AIDS, including Greg--one of the very few gay athletic role models--deserve compassion and understanding, not the patronizing and judgmental character assassination led by Mike Downey.

EDWARD McCLOSKEY

Santa Monica

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Greg Louganis: The name recalls 1988 exploits that electrified the world of diving. There were few of us who felt Louganis was even mortal, much less barely human. The same person who put together the skill and courage to win the Olympic Games in Seoul couldn’t muster enough fortitude to admit to those he put at risk that he was HIV-positive. How or why it happened is not important. What resulted was an American Olympic champion with the backbone of a jellyfish.

DWIGHT CATES

Ventura

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Is a man whom history deserves to remember as achieving perfection in his field to be vilified for doing only what he could, at a time when our society was providing few tools to do it with?

Does Greg Louganis hitting his head once now overshadow Greg Louganis hitting his mark, perfectly, scores of times? Does Mr. Downey truly believe he would have done differently than Greg Louganis? If so, Mr. Downey’s hindsight is, as usual with editorial journalism, excellent.

Would that we were all so blessed with a column in which to right others’ wrongs, live others’ lives.

ANDREW G. CORREN

Los Angeles

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I think it’s time for a reality check, Mr. Downey.

When you can guarantee that one’s life will not be ruined by the prejudice and ostracizing that society often deems fit for people with HIV and AIDS, then maybe, just maybe, Greg would have felt free to disclose his status, although he was under no obligation to do so. You are probably right when you say that Greg “must have felt like screaming,” but it wouldn’t be because of the disease, it would be because of people like you who make this horrible plague all the more lonely and vicious by equating his totally valid fears with “sinful” behavior.

FRITZ HOFFINE

Los Angeles

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Greg Louganis not informing his fellow Olympians, medical staff, etc., that he had AIDS is akin to a person with a sexually transmitted disease not telling their partner(s) about it.

BOB HARDMAN

Orange