AIDS Action Day
On Tuesday, March 6, I attended AIDS Action Day 2007 at the Minnesota State Capitol. I have been working on my senior thesis entitled: AIDS, Ethics, and Accountability: Local Activism and Global Politics, and I decided attending this event would give me insight into local AIDS activism. AIDS Action Day is organized by Minnesota AIDS Project, (MAP), and it serves as an opportunity for the community to personally lobby their representatives and senators about policy issues. This AIDS Action Day, volunteers came to lobby for the Senate initiative S.F. 678, (House initiative H.F. 942) regarding the MAP AIDSLine. The AIDSLine is a vital resource for Minnesota as it is the most recognized comprehensive source for AIDS-related information and medical services. In recent years the AIDSLine has experienced drastic cuts in funding that resulted from cuts in federal HIV prevention allowances. Lobbyists came to participate in AIDS Action Day to lobby for public health by advocating increased state funding to keep the line in operation.
I arrived at the capitol building at ten am and went down to the Great Hall to check in. I introduced myself to the MAP interns that were orchestrating the event and talked with them about my thesis and my particular interest in HIV/AIDS. At 10:30 a MAP lobbyist gave a half-hour lobby training session and then we were off in groups to our respective constituent meetings. My first meeting was with the DFL representative Phyllis Kahn at 11:00 am. Representative Kahn’s office is located in the State Office Building. I was with four other constituents and we briefed our representative on the upcoming bill and asked for her support of the AIDSLine. Representative Kahn expressed sympathy for our cause and informed us that she would support the upcoming health bill.
After this meeting I returned to the Great Hall with my group to eat lunch and photograph for my activism exhibit. (This is currently in progress- on display at Cupcake off of University ave.) I will include the photos from AIDS Action Day that I used in my exhibit.
After lunch I had a meeting with DFL senator Lawrence Pogemiller at 1pm. His office is located at 235 in the Capitol building. My group met first with his secretary and then with Senator Pogemiller and again, briefed them on the upcoming bill and its importance. This meeting lasted for over a half-hour and we were promised the support of the Senator for the upcoming health bill.
Upon my return to the Great Hall, I wrote thank you cards to the legislators I met with. I completed two meeting reports and an evaluation for MAP and said my goodbyes to those I had met. I am so glad I attended this event because I had the opportunity to have a voice in my government and experience activism first-hand. AIDS is a political issue framed by race and gender politics and thus such activism is essential for feminist theory and gender, race and culture studies.