Irked legislator targets AIDS-prevention funds

Warren Wolfe, Star Tribune
April 23, 2005

The website is at www.pridealive.org. The material may not be appropriate for all audiences.

A Minnesota legislator who said he was "shocked and disgusted" by explicit language on a gay-outreach website has won approval in a House committee to eliminate all Health Department funding for the state's largest AIDS-prevention program.

A measure sponsored by Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Delano, would end $425,000 in funding for the Minnesota AIDS Project (MAP). It would forbid state funding for "websites, pamphlets, or other communications that contain sexually explicit images or language." The bill next goes to the House floor.

Emmer said he objected to language and images in articles on the website of Pride Alive, a program sponsored by MAP that targets gay and bisexual men. The articles were from two Pride Alive magazines, Shameless and Outsight, published in printed and electronic forms.

While defending the website language, MAP said Friday that no state money is used for the Pride Alive project or its magazines, which are supported by private donations, a distinction noted on the Pride Alive site.

"The language is appropriate for the gay and bisexual audience it's aimed at, written with language that communicates directly with them," said Amy Weiss, MAP spokeswoman.

State Health Commissioner Aggie Leitheiser said her department is talking with House members about Emmer's amendment to the Health Department budget bill. "MAP has been a pretty good partner for us, doing things we can't do. But as far as sexually explicit language, I'm not sure what that means."

Said Emmer: "I'm not trying to change anybody's lifestyle. People can do whatever they want. I just don't think state money should be used for this childish and offensive language."

Emmer said he hasn't talked with Health Department officials about his concerns, and he isn't sure how to define inappropriate sexual language. "Maybe that's a role for the [Health] commissioner," he added.

Health officials said the department's review committee has approved AIDS-prevention material supported with public money, based on federal guidelines.

"There is a role for language that may be jarring for some people, and which is appropriately targeted to specific risk groups," said Kip Beardsley, the department's AIDS director. "But we don't pay for that."

Losing Health Department funding would cut the MAP budget by about 10 percent, including money for the state AIDS hot line, HIV testing clinics and HIV prevention outreach programs, said Lorraine Teel, MAP executive director.

"This amendment is telling us to shut up, and we won't shut up," she said. "We are doing important public health work to protect Minnesotans

Emmer, an attorney, said he might be persuaded to restore some MAP money but not to change the prohibition against sexually explicit language because "it's just plain wrong."

Warren Wolfe is at wolfe@startribune.com.