From: MPetrelis@aol.com Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2000 17:04:59 EDT Subject: SF DPH researchers confronted; Act Up messes up Mitch Katz's office July 24, 2000 Dear friends: The lingering question of Where in the world is Willi McFarland? was not answered this morning. At 9:12 am today a dozen members of ACT UP SF marched into the SF Public Health Department's AIDS Office at 25 Van Ness Avenue. Waiting for them was Sam, the head of DPH security, a security office for the building, and a uniformed member of the SF police department. Members of the activist group asked the receptionist, Barbara Rezuska, to call McFarland so they could meet with him. "On June 30 McFarland, as head AIDS epidemiologist for the city and an employee of UCSF, was quoted in the SF Chronicle saying HIV rates here were equal to sub-Saharan African levels of transmission," said David Pasquarelli of ACT UP SF. "He's been on a taxpayer funded vacation ever since and we want answers about how he concocted the alleged HIV increases. Where's Willi?" Rezuska replied, "Trust me, Dave. If Willi were here I would give him to you. You know, we called his wife at home trying to get him, but he went off to a meeting at UCSF and didn't come here." I couldn't believe my ears were hearing talk alleging Willi is heterosexual and has a kid with his wife. This straight researcher has made a wealthy career at DPH and UCSF designing endless meaningless mathematical models on gay males and HIV, and what do we have to show for it? A supposed tripling of HIV rates among queers. "So that explains the ugly frosted tips in his new hairdo," I grumbled to Rezuska. The last issue I wanted to deal with this morning was learning McFarland was truly out of touch of his subjects' lives. While passing the time, Tate Swindell presented Rezuska with hot pink "pink slips" of dismissal for McFarland. We sat there until 10:00 am and then went down to the street where ACT UP SF held a news conference. Or most of them did. Several activists gleefully threw pastel numbers on soft paper all over the sidewalk, creating a rainbow of messy numerals. Among the assembled news outlets were the Associated Press, KCBS radio, KFPA radio, KRON TV, KPIX TV, KTVU TV, KABC TV, WB-20 TV San Jose, Univision (Hispanic TV), and me from PIS, Petrelis' Information Service, recording the event on tape and snapping photos. All reporters and camera operators received a packet of stories about the growing questions surrounding McFarland's HIV numbers shell game. ACT UP SF afterwards walked five blocks to the DPH headquarters at 101 Grove Street, where they swiftly entered director Mitch Katz's inner office unannounced by his secretary. Katz was there in a meeting with one of his top aides James Loyce, formerly head of Aids Project Los Angeles. Unflappable as ever, Katz sat at his meeting table with a blank look in his eyes. Loyce shook his head with resignation, got up and called security. Members of the activist group tossed hundred of multicolored playing card size pastel numbers up in the air. Before the numbers hit the floor someone was shouting at Katz, "Need some AIDS numbers, Mitch? Why not pull some out of thin air again?" Tate Swindell tried to give Katz his pink slip, but he refused to accept it. Swindell dropped several pink slips on his desk. Standing now behind his desk, Katz in his calm demeanor replied, "You guys are so smart. Everyone tells me how smart ACT UP members are." The second in command of DPH security appeared at this point and issued a loud thirty-second warning for the activists to leave Katz's inner office, which they did. Throughout the protest I kept the tape recorder going and clicked my camera. As always, if you have any questions about McFarland's voodoo epidemiology, you can reach him at 415-554-9016 -w-, or at 415-824-6959, home. Maybe you can help me find Willi and his research. If you need photos of today's events, call me at 415-621-6267. Michael Petrelis Welcome to AIDS-STATISTICS www.AIDS-statistics.com 2215-R Market Street, #413 San Francisco, CA 94114