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^^^^^^ WARM GREETINGS FROM ^^^^^^^^^^^^ :-) Ivan Suzman 49/39/36 [log in to unmask] :-) Portland, Maine land of lighthouses 20 deg. F :-) ******************************************************************** Camilla Flinterman wrote: " Did Hilary say that he was gay? Did HE? And what does that have to do with his being a lone PWP in need of better care, which would have been the focus of their interview with him." Camilla, thanks for raising this question! I hope I answer it adequately: My struggle to find open-hearted caregivers is inseparably tied to society's prejudices and attitudes towards gay men. We are sinners, cast out of our familes. Dealing with these attitudes, while also surviving as a single, low-income PWP, is an enormous additional burden. I believe that the PBS higher-ups simply do not want to be perceived as too gay-friendly on a show like the Lehrer Hour! I personally told Niki Hoose, when she called me in December, that I perform with the Maine Gay Men's Chorus, We talked about how the singing prevents my voice from weakening. I also talked about how homophobia was preventing some of my own family from visiting me, and how isolating and difficult young PD really can be. Camilla, I have had all of these situations to overcome: Imagine if you were spat upon, your art was defaced, your cat swatted by caregivers. Imagine being called a fag in public by a caregiver. Imagine a nurse telling you that you are doomed to hell. Imagine a caregiver wearing latex rubber gloves before she would touch you. Imagine another who would only cook breakfast with gloves on. Imagine another caregiver spreading her legs to show you her private parts, in an attempt to" heal " you. Imagine a caregiver taking your magazines and throwing them in the trash. Imagine a skinhead caregiver showing up at your door. Imagine a caregiver spitting ON you, on a public sidewalk. Imagine a caregiver refusing to work in your home until you removed your personal sex education materials from your own bedroom. Imagine a caregiver refusing to assist you to dry your hair. Imaigne a doctor telling you that he doesn't need to know you're gay, but asking your marital status on his patient information form. Imagine a caregiver refusing to help you fold CLEAN laundry. Imagine a caregiver refusing to enter the bathroom to help you get out of a tub. Imagine a caregiver arriving late, and refusing to enter your bedroom when you have to get dressed in a hurry. Imagine a caregiver refusing to take you to your church for choir practice. Imagine a caregiver placing a large bible on your breakfast table, and announcing that she wants you to read three different passages of her choice to her before she will allow you to eat breakfast.Imagine a caregiver blocking your car with his car, and calling you a "fag." Imagine a cargiver's wife refusing to let him park the car on your property. Imagine anti-gay jokes being told openly at you by a caregiver. Imagine being sued by a caregiver who was fired for calling you a fag. Imagine an agency (which later lost its license) refusing to schedule you for coverage. The e-mail packet about me from our own Listmembers, that reached the various media, mentions the impact of homophobia on me I now realize that the PBS higher-ups simply do not want to let homophobia interfere with "their" focus. Either I play their game, and deny who I am, or tell only partial truths .I am not a good liar. __________________________________________________________________________________ Hans van der Genugten wrote: "people with such a discriminative attitude towards a minority of people (the homosexuals), give IMO a strong signal for not accepting ANY people that are "different". And as we know PWP are often considered "different" (as being a chronic ill person) too." Exactly, Hans. Any minority group experiences discrimination. Now that I know where PBS stands, I will try to avoid the heartache, embarrassment and expense they have just caused me, treat this as a learning experience, and move on. I GUARANTEE you that the bosses of PBS would rush to cover a gay PWP if he were a major public figure. By the way, Alexander the Great, Tschaikovsky and Clark Gable were all gay. I