Date: Wed, 5 Oct 1994 14:54:00 -0700 (PDT) From: "David J. Edmondson" THE QUILL Queer Individual Liberty Letter, Vol, 2, No. 3, June, 1994 A publication of Gays and Lesbians for Individual Liberty GLIL PRIDE DAY BOOTH A SUCCESS Dave Edmondson GLIL operated a booth at the Gay Pride Day festival this year to spread the message of libertarianism in the D.C.-area lesbian, gay, and bisexual community. We used the World's Smallest Political Quiz (reproduced further down) to discover new libertarians among those attending the festival. In this way we gained 21 new names for our mailing list. We also distributed leaflets on libertarianism, one with general information and one written specifically from a gay perspective, and back issues of _The Quill_. Especially popular was the issue with Austin Fulk's article on the right to keep and bear arms as a lesbian and gay issue. We obtained 65 scores on the World's Smallest Political Quiz, which we posted on a 2' x 3' copy of the Nolan Chart attached to our table. Most of the scores were distributed in a band along the upper left edge of the Nolan Chart, as respondents generally scored at least 70 on the personal section but were all over the chart on the economic section. This band passes through the liberal and libertarian quadrants of the Nolan Chart. Many "liberals" were astonished to see their scores posted well within the libertarian quadrant. We also had a few centrists and authoritarians, but no conservatives. A few persons started the Quiz, but left without completing it, sometimes muttering under their breaths about us heathens. One person who characterized himself variously as a "libertarian socialist" and a syndicalist lectured us on the sameness of rule by government and rule by corporations, but ran off when others dared challenge his views. REPORT FROM GLIL BUSINESS MEETING GLIL held a business meeting on Sunday, May 22, at the home of Rick Sincere. At this business meeting, we elected new officers and othewise plotted the course of GLIL. We elected David Morris as president, Austin Fulk as secre tary, and Odell Huff as treasurer to replace the outgoing offi cers, Kelly Young, Rick Sincere, and Dave Edmondson. Morris won by acclamation. Edmondson will retain his position as newsletter editor. We also planned our booth for Pride Day (see article above), with particular attention to the content of the "World's Smallest Political Quiz" flyer, but decided not to participate in the Montgomery County pride day. In addition, we will participate in AIDSWalk '94. We approved advertising rates for _The Quill_ (see box further down). We also considered various proposals to establish categories of formal membership in GLIL, but reached no conclu sions. FREEDOM OF CHOICE IN HIV TESTING: ALLOWING HOME TESTING MAKES SENSE Dave Edmondson Home test kits available in drugstores have allowed people privacy and convenience in testing themselves for pregnancy and the like. Nonetheless, leaders in the gay community have opposed government approval for such test kits for HIV. Rather than opposing such approval, we should support the availability of home test kits for HIV, out of concern both for the proper scope of government and for those who would buy such kits. We should not confuse the questions of whether a particular testing method is the best one and whether government should use its powers of force to pick the best one, as a "yes" answer to one of these questions does not imply a "yes" answer to the other. Because government may not initiate force, it is not in the business of protecting a competent adult against her own lapses of judgment. Further, we cannot assume that a single optimal testing mode exists for all persons in all situations and that the federal government knows (or cares) what this optimal testing mode is. Indeed, home testing may be the best testing method for many. While some argue that home testing will be deficient in such areas as counseling and doctor-patient contact, such argu ments do not prove the need to forbid home test kits. For example, opponents commonly argue that home test kits will leave users without adequate counseling. Telephone counsel ing, however, has traditionally served many purposes, both AIDS- related and non-AIDS-related, without the risks imagined in the home-testing situation. Moreover, it is naive to assume that face-to-face counseling always achieves its ends or proceeds without incident. When I obtained my HIV test results face-to- face, I received abysmal counseling. For some persons, counseling over the telephone may be preferable to face-to-face counseling. To understand why, we need only consider the experience of the Catholic Church with its anonymous confessionals. Within the confessional, a Catholic may bare her soul to a priest whom she cannot see through the parti- tion, recounting things that she would never dare say face-to- face to a priest or to anyone else. Such anonymity has obvious value in an area as sensitive as HIV counseling. Opponents further argue that HIV testing should not take place outside the context of health care. That is, one should seek testing from one's doctor because it is from one's doctor that one will receive the necessary care. This argument does not explain how home testing separates a person from the medical community any more than does any other form of anonymous testing. Also, those who will not submit to any testing except home testing may regard knowing one's HIV status as a prerequisite to seeing a doctor, rather than the other way around. In addition, while arguments in favor of banning home testing tacitly assume the ready availability of clinical test ing, we should assume no such thing. Even in major metropolitan areas, clinics cannot always meet the demand for HIV testing. In rural communities, testing may not be available at all. Finally, many persons believe that users will be unable to take samples of their own blood without a high risk of harm to themselves, to collect the blood samples correctly, or to inter pret the results. This argument proves too much, as it will allow government no end of room for interference with our choices over our own bodies. Besides, government permits industry to sell many products on the open marketplace that are demonstrably dangerous to some persons. Rather than opposing the availability of home test kits, we should welcome it. Many may benefit from such kits; whose who would benefit should be free to buy and use the kits. Even those who would not benefit should trust the decision to use such kits to individual freedom rather than to government force. ADVERTISE IN _THE QUILL_! Get your message out to lesbians, gay men, and bisexual persons who believe in free enterprise. Rates for one insertion: Full page $150 Half page $80 Quarter page (this size) $45 Business-card size $10 We will also consider ad swaps. No personals, please. To submit an advertisement or to request further information, contact Dave Edmondson at 703-519-0034 (voice/fax), or send e- mail to ghoti@netcom.com. Deadline is the 15th of every odd- numbered month. WHAT'S THE WORLD'S SMALLEST POLITICAL QUIZ? The World's Smallest Political Quiz is designed to place people politically on the Nolan chart (see below), which is more exhaustive than the usual left-right political spectrum. To find out your political identity, first answer these ten questions with "yes," "maybe," or "no." If your answer depends on circum stances, answer "maybe." Give yourself 20 points for each yes, 10 for each "maybe," and 0 for each "no." I. Personal individual liberty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Y/M/N *Military service should be voluntary (no draft) . . . . . .20/10/0 *Gov't should not control radio, TV, or the press. . . . . .20/10/0 *Repeal regulations on sex by consenting adults. . . . . . .20/10/0 *Drug laws do more harm than good; repeal them . . . . . . .20/10/0 *Let people immigrate and emigrate freely. . . . . . . . . .20/10/0 Add to get your personal individual liberty score. . . . . . . . . II. Economic individual liberty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Y/M/N *Businesses and farms should operate w/out gov't subsidies .20/10/0 *People are better off with free trade than with tariffs . .20/10/0 *Minimum-wage laws cause unemployment; repeal them . . . . .20/10/0 *End taxes; pay for services with user fees. . . . . . . . .20/10/0 *Europe and Japan should provide their own defense . . . . .20/10/0 Add to get your economic individual liberty score. . . . . . . . . Now, to find your position on the chart, mark your personal liberty score on the lower left side of the chart and your economic liberty score on the lower right side of the chart. Follow the grid lines until they meet to determine your political identity. The Quiz is (c) 1992 by Advocates for Self-Government. OK to reprint with credit to Advocates. . . . . . . . . . . . Libertarian . * . . . . * . * . . . * . . . * * * * . . . . . . . . . . . . Left . * . . * . Right . . Liberal . Centrist. Conservative. 100 . . . * . . * . . . 100 . . . . . . . . . 80 . . * * * * . . 80 . * x . . * . 60 * . . . . * 60 Personal . Authoritarian . Economic Self-Governor 40 . . . . 40 Self-Governor (%) . . . (%) 20 . . 20 . 0 WHAT IS GLIL? _The Quill: Queer Individual Liberty Letter_ is the bi monthly newsletter of Gays and Lesbians for Individual Liberty (GLIL), an organization of classical liberals, market liberals, limited-government libertarians, anarcho-capitalists, and objectivists. GLIL publishes _The Quill_ to promote the political philosophy of individual liberty, both generally and as it affects lesbians, gay men, and bisexual persons. In addition to this newsletter, GLIL sponsors a happy hour on the first Tuesday of every month at Trumpets, 17th and Q streets, N.W., from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. We also host speakers and debates on issues of concern to our community; as events are scheduled, they will be announced both in _The Quill_ and in _The Washington Blade_. For more information, please contact GLIL as follows: Mail: PO Box 65743, Washington Square Station, Washington DC 20035-5743 Telephone: 703-920-4023 Facsimile: 703-519-0034 Internet: ghoti@netcom.com We welcome articles and letters to the editor. You may send submissions for the next issue through July 15. We shall also be happy to add you to our mailing list; while we do not currently charge for _The Quill_, we should appreciate a contribution to help cover the costs of printing and mailing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Dave Edmondson ghoti@netcom.com, 72020.600@compuserve.com, dave.edmondson@glib.org "Exalted Master, you told us that the world would end yesterday." "My child, it did end yesterday, but you're too sinful to notice."