the planning council is a federal mandate under the Ryan White Care Act. the legislation was just extended for a 3 year period in December of last year. the council is a body of individuals made up of a mixture of treatment providers, hiv positive individuals, and ordinary citizens and has a function which consists of helping to determine the ratio of monies spent in different categories with regard to treatment and healthcare for persons living with hiv.
here in denver this body falls under the domain of the city and county of denver. the persons sitting on this council are mayoral appointees. an the council is required to be made up of at least 1/3 hiv poz. the actual meetings are so very dry and dull and bizness like. nothing sexy at all. but the work is mandatory, and the potential for disaster is likely if no poz voices are present. and i guess i feel some guilt because in the eighties, when i first tested positive, i took care of myself and went into denial. it was the only thing i could do at the time. losing my best friend, and having all those other guys around dropping like flies left me helpless. i was unable to muster anger, like so many of my contemporaries did. instead, my instinct was to run and to duck. after all i am a sissy. and i always have been.
but i digress. so where was i? oh, i got appointed to the council last november. and so now, on a monthly basis, i participate in this process. it is robert's rules of order and topics that are rarely newsworthy and some would feel the topics are a lullaby. and sometimes i think i do too. but then i remember that these ideas and issues also touch many peoples lives. and they have touched my life, too. when i was completely spun out and couldn't land on my feet, ryan white funds did pull my ass outta the toilet.
it's a two-sided aspect to my life, this planning council. i am blessed to be in a position that i can participate. that i am not so scattered in my head and trying to keep my head above water. on the flipside, it is a challenge for me not to play devil's advocate in a lot of debates. that has always been my nature, and although quite appropriate for debate, it may only serve to hinder the decision making process. the dilemna sometimes may be how to be myself and still allow room for progress to be made.
all of these ramblings may be inconsequential in just a few short years. the ryan white program may go away and something else may take its place. hiv has changed. people are no longer dying in huge numbers. the crisis situation is receding. the bulk of the people still affected by new diagnosis as well as long term survivors remain in the "persona non grata" categories: gay men, iv drug users, immigrants, minorities. these are not the people that others will be compelled to advocate for health care. especially if they don't seem to care about it themselves. especially if they take healthcare for granted and don't have any value for it. so if the plethora of healthcare options goes away for these folks, who would notice? and there is always somebody standing in line waiting to get some funding.
1 comment:
I hear you on the person non grata status within the gay community. As soon as you get a sunken face, a bloated stomach, "the look" that's it, you become invisible.
Even though the infection rates may be different within the gay communities there are still others where it is growing disproportionately. The fact that HIV positive people are living longer increases termendously the need for your council. The need to all the social determinants of health are now becoming the areas of important advocacy work. We need to be out of poverty, in stable and and supportive housing, proper access to treatment and health care, addiction and mental health services for the growing number of people living with HIV instead of dying from HIV. Thats where my work is going these days.
Ok, I'm rambling. It's great you are doing that, it's important to have your voice there.
Post a Comment