From: MPetrelis@aol.com
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 1999 17:42:46 EDT
Subject: Public meetings demanded in SF over syphilis scare


[Dear friends,
Please take the time to call Dr. Katz (415-554-2600) and ask why his STD 
branch has thus far failed to hold a single open meeting in the gay community 
to share its evidence of a supposed syphilis outbreak amng gay men who cruise 
AOL chatrooms.
It is frightening to realize that since the SF STD branch issued a syphilis 
outbreak alert, not a shred of scientific proof has been publicly presented 
to the gay community.  
Why can't the SF health department provide gays with public meetings to 
communicate diectly with sexually active gay men concerned over the hysteria 
being whipped up against us?  Only Katz knows for sure. --MP]
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             PLEASE REPOST!!    PLEASE REPOST!!

August 24, 1999

Dr. Mitch Katz, Health Director; (Phone): 415-554-2600
Department of Public Health
101 Grove Street
San Francisco, CA 94103


Dear Dr. Katz:

I see Dr. Jeff Klausner, director of the STD control and prevention branch, 
may 
have recorded a possible seventh case of a gay male allegedly contracting 
syphilis through a sexual partner met through an America Online chat room, 
according to the August 23 edition of the SF Examiner.  How unique, if such a 
cluster of syphilis cases has truly occurred.

I find it odd Klausner has failed to hold a single public meeting with the 
gay 
community to explain this alleged STD outbreak.  While Klausner has plenty of 
time and resources to issue health alerts, place hysterical full page ads in 
the Bay Area Reporter, and work with Examiner journalists, he has not yet 
seen a need to communicate directly with the gay community.

In the past month it appears as though Klausner has targeted sexually active 
gay 
males for a campaign related to alleged increases in syphilis, but not a 
single public opportunity has been provided to allow for honest dialogue 
about Klausner's STD agenda related to gays.  Why has Klausner failed to 
engage in public discourse about his alleged findings?

Before this week is over I would like for you to announce a monthly series of 
public forums between your STD control branch and the gay community, 
preferably in the Castro neighborhood.  If Klausner and the STD branch are 
indeed seeing syphilis increases as they claim, then they have an overriding 
responsibility to conduct public town hall meetings to better inform gays, 
and to listen to our concerns.

I believe the confusion in the gay community regarding the alleged increases 
and 
the numbers in the monthly STD reports, which do not document an upswing, can 
be cleared up, if Klausner and his unit present themselves and their research 
directly to the gay community.

I look forward to a written reply from you announcing monthly public sessions 
between Klausner and the gay community.

Sincerely,
Michael Petrelis

cc: 
Bay Area Reporter
Bay Times
Frontiers
Spectrum