Working tirelessly isn’t ‘too pretty’
I feel that I must respond to the article “Have we made the face of AIDS too pretty?” by David Webb in the June 11 issue of Dallas Voice.
Twenty-two years ago, my partner and I started a variety troupe for no other reason than because we sat many days and nights with friends in our bowling community as they were dying of this dreadful disease, making a difference by changing their briefs, bathing them or cleaning them up after a sick episode. Later, we would cry our eyes out, wishing we were able to help them more.
We started our group to help raise money in any way we could so those friends could have some chance at a quality life amid all the “toil and trouble.”
To say that in doing benefit shows we are glamorizing the face of AIDS, quite honestly, is crap. We, along with many of our friends, have seen the angry head of the “face of AIDS” rise up and take down far too soon so many of those whom we loved and cared for.
Did you know that 90 percent of money raised in our community is raised by men and women who donate their time and talents to entertain in some shape, form or fashion just to try and make a difference? Heaven knows, the government cares very little about the population that is faced with this dreaded disease every single day.
There have been many weekends I wanted to just stay home and watch movies with my partner and spend time with my animals. But my partner and I both believe we have a job to do. You may call it glamorizing the face of AIDS, but we do this with a heartfelt passion that should give hope to many that we are trying to make a difference in their lives somehow, someway, now.
So the next time you hear that someone has gone to get food from the food pantry, or that someone has gotten assistance with their rent so they didn’t have to live on the streets, or that someone who is at a critical stage in their disease and wants to visit their family one last time and they got the plane ticket they needed; remember it is because of all the many wonderful men and women of our community who spend their free time trying to help those in need.
Let me finish by challenging you to come watch us as we tirelessly work our butts off every weekend trying to raise money, one dollar at a time, for those brothers and sisters in need.
If you think what we do “glamorizes” AIDS, then get up off your sofa or bar stool and do your part by working as hard as we do.
I pray to God that the men and women who work so hard and care so much will always stand together, because, heaven knows, if it wasn’t for us, it wouldn’t get done.
Just know there are many organizations that stand with us and know what goes into the things we do, and why we do them.
Home for The Holidays Texas Inc., Legacy Counseling Center and Founders Cottage, Cedar Creek Lake Meals on Wheels, Fort Worth AIDS Food Pantry and AIDS LifeWalk are but a few.
Glamour is about guts — remember that!
Linze Serell, aka Bill Lindsey
Miss Charity America 2010
Hardy, don’t get so worked up
Re: “A platform of ideas — bad ideas” by Hardy Haberman (Dallas Voice, June 25)
Every convention cycle, the apparatchiks within the Texas GOP outdo themselves by passing increasingly bizarre, and unfortunately offensive, party platforms. Why get worked up over these manifestos, which are ground out by a roomful of tools, who are accountable to no one?
It’s an election year, so this is the time to talk to candidates and officeholders who are running under both party labels about the virtue of equal rights for gays and lesbians, and not give credibility to these documents which under our system of government maintain the same force of law as the most recent issue of Tiger Beat magazine.
Steve Labinski
Austin
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This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition July 02, 2010.
Linze:
Did you actually read my column? If you did, you can’t tell it from reading your letter. I never said anything about benefit shows glamorizing the face of AIDS. I didn’t use the words benefit show or any variation of glamor even once.
The column was about strengthening the AIDS prevention message in an effort to help prevent more infections. Events were only mentioned in the context of proposing adding such a message to them, which appears not to be happening now.
What’s more, I have repeatedly over the years praised people like you for the work you do, and I’ve attended and contributed to a lot of your benefit shows.
“The first big day for this movement was Tax Day, April 15. And organizers had a gimmick. They asked people to send a tea bag to the Oval Office. One of the exhortations was “Tea Bag the Fools in D.C.” A protester was spotted with a sign saying, “Tea Bag the Liberal Dems Before They Tea Bag You.” So, conservatives started it: started with this terminology. But others ran with it and ran with it. ”
https://nrd.nationalreview.com/article/?q=Mjk1YmRjNzIxNmUwMTI0ZWYxZWU4OWU2MzFiOWJmNDE=
If you’re really as offended by Tea Bagger as you are Faggot, then you really have no business leading an LGBT group. You’d be more than qualified to lead any rightwing, self-hating organization. So I’m sure your current position will be secure for sometime to come. (oh..don’ t be offended by that now too!)
Linze Thank you for your letter. It was an inspiration for me to read. It takes a special person to be in the middle of a horrible time and find a way out. Keep up the good work!!!!! You make the people you help have a better life, and make all of us proud of our community.