An AIDS Activist who is Piss at Poz Magazine and Poz.com

[iMec]

Now, I been an activist for twenty years now in various forms in Canada. I have a noted background particularly in embarrassing our conservative Canadian government etc. Recently I was part of a documentary following people with HIV through out the International AIDS Conference in Toronto last year by the Ontario HIV Treatment Network, bla bla bla. You see at least I have a background in working publicly with HIV related-issues. My face has been gracing the media long before there was even the internet.

I recently joined a great site callled Thinkpoz.com Now Poz Magazine is threatening legal action because they believe the own the word poz. I have no relationship to this site other than being pleasantly surprised at this great site which helps break the isolation of this infection.

I take great umbridge with this arrogant attitude by taking language we have used to define ourselves long before this site even existed. Now with a Disney like attitude, these people who are SUPPOSED to be here to work four us, the HIV community, are telling us what we can and cannot use for language.

Instead of working towards a useful benefit to the HIV community Poz Magazine seems more intent trying to shut down hard working peoples efforts to help other people with HIV.

What's next? They own the acronym AIDS because of AIDS meds.

As a long time survivor, I am sickened by this kind of behaviour because it halls back to the days when the HIV community did nothing but bicker and fight over the pettiest of issues completely destroying my ability to work in AIDS service organizations in Canada.

This is such a strong issue for me. I am not going to allow some self-declared elites of the AIDS world to decide what language I can and cannot use in a title for a website when the very language comes from our the vernacular we ourselves created.

For me, this is so much more than a word. It represents people with HIV turning on their own when it is not warranted.

Brian Finch ( I believe in ownership of ones comments on the internet, hence not hiding behind a screen name).

[Ann]

Brian,

I would suggest you read this thread:

http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=9667.0;all

and particularly Sean Strub's comments:

http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=9667.msg120069#msg120069

Ann

[Andy Velez]

Brian, there are many people who would be sympathetic with the principles you are concerned about. And who have also lived through some of the destructive pettiness and in-fighting in the HIV community to which you refer.

Ann has pointed out a couple of threads which are worth reading. While I understand your concerns I am not at this point convinced the reality of this situation is what you have been led to believe. Hopefully we will have clarity about it shortly.

Until then I'd say hold your opinion in abeyance.

Sincerely,