The AmFAR Report

COLORADO AND AMENDMENT 2:
HOMOPHOBIA IS A COFACTOR OF AIDS

n November 20,1992,
AmFAR withdrew as
beneficiary from a
planned fundraising event in
Aspen to protest the passage of
Amendment 2, an amendment to
Colorado's state constitution that
denies civil rights protection to
gay, lesbian, and bisexual people.
Amendment 2 is the kind of
officially sanctioned homophobia
which, in AmFAR's experience,
fuels the fires of the AIDS epidemic. If allowed to stand, this
amendment could set a precedent
for other states, and would make
our fight against HIV and AIDS
all the more difficult.
AmFAR was one of the first
groups to withdraw from Colorado
events. Since then calls for a
boycott of Colorado have come
from the city councils of Los
Angeles, New York, Atlanta, San
Francisco, Seattle, Boston, and
Philadelphia; the United Conference of Mayors; the Southern
California American Civil Liberties
Union; professional associations
canceling conventions; TV production companies; The New York
Times; entertainers Barbra Streisand,
Joan Rivers, and Whoopi Goldberg;
film director Jonathan Demme, and"
many others.
In the past weeks, AmFAR has
received unsolicited congratulations and contributions from people
across the country supportive of
our position. Ranging in size from
$25 to $2,500, these gifts already
total more than $20,000. With such
support, we are making every effort
to offset the loss of the $200,000
which would have been raised by
the event.
We share with our donors and
friends the letter sent to Colorado
governor Roy Romer explaining
the reasons for AmFAR's withdrawal from the event in Aspen.

November 20,1992
Dear Governor Romer:
The American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR) was scheduled to be
the beneficiary of a major fundraiser tobe held Thanksgiving Weekend in
Aspen. Due to the recent passage of Amendment 2 in your state, however,
we cannot in good conscience go forward with this event."
We know of your own opposition to Amendment 2, and we applaud
your efforts to battle bigotry. We however believe that expressions of opposition by AmFA1 and other organizations and concerned Americans will, in
the long term, not only help your state achieve its vision of a just society, but
also will send a strong message that bigotry cannot be tolerated.
Amendment 2 represents just the kind of officially sanctioned
homophobia which has fueled the consuming fires of this plague we know as
the AIDS epidemic. HIV may be the direct cause of AIDS, but the virus is
aided and abetted by denial, hatred and extremists who seek to pit Americans
one against the other. Discrimination against gay and lesbian people has
slowed funding for AIDS research, hindered education for prevention efforts,.
restricted access to care, and in many other ways helped AIDS become the
threat it is today. Homophobia is a cofactor of AIDS.
The gay and lesbian people of America were the first to respond to the
most deadly plague of modern times. It was the gay and lesbian people of
America who established most of this nation's oldest, largest and most
respected organizations fighting this disease.
These organizations have cared for our brothers and sisters, educated our
sons and daughters, adopted those orphaned by AIDS and held the hands of
the abandoned who have nowhere else to turn. Since then, other caring
Americans have stepped forward to follow their leadership, to nurse the
dying, petition the states, lobby the government, and fund new research. As
the plague worsens, the numbers of people united in the cause grows as
concern sweeps our nation. Amendment 2 is a blow to these selflesl and
serving citizens who seek to help and heal.
This decision to withdraw our participation was not an easy one for
AmFAR to make. As you canimagine, it will result in a substantial loss of
critically needed funds for AIDS research. We will have to.fird ways to offset
this loss of $200,000; however, the public policy ramifications of Amendment
2 far outweigh the other aspects of being in Aspen at this time. As an unfortunate side effect, the good people of Aspen - who voted resoundingly
against this amendment - will also suffer economic loss, and we deeply
regret this result of Colorado's passage of Amendment 2.
When the people of Colorado realize the enormity of the affront to social
justice that is represented by Amendment 2 and affirm the value of all people,
we will be happy to return to your beautiful state.
Sincerely,
Mervyn F. Silverman, M.D., M.P.H. President