Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Commons^™

Gay Marriage And The Black Community, A Policy Maker’S Perspective: Interview With State Senator Dianne Wilkerson, Castellano Turner

Trotter Review

A vocal supporter of gay marriage, Senator Dianne Wilkerson explains in this interview that her support stems from her own reality as a Black person, a child of the Civil Rights movement, and her personal experiences with discrimination stemming from her skin color. As a policy maker, Wilkerson asserts her unwillingness to subject other human beings to the same treatment that she has been subjected to, because of their sexual orientation.

The Aids Epidemic: A Prism Distorting Social And Legal Principles, Alec Gray

New England Journal of Public Policy

The AIDS epidemic is affecting American society in far-reaching and unexpected ways. It touches our institutions, our value systems, and our private lives. Social issues seem to change and become distorted by the epidemic 's prismlike effect. This article examines some of the major public health issues raised by the epidemic, ranging from testing to contact tracing and quarantine. It argues that while the civil rights of individuals may have to be sacrificed to stem the spread of the disease, those rights should not be abandoned unless a clear benefit to the public health would result.

Issues of discrimination in …