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This photograph of hotline assistant John Slovick at his
desk in an administrative office for the Southern California HIV/AIDS Hotline
was probably taken by William Neish. This is an expression I sometimes
saw in my discussions with John. Unfortunately, the hotline was terminated
and calls are now forwarded to Northern California. No attempt (other than
mine) was ever made by APLA to inform the community about the hotline's
demise. At the time the hotline ended and volunteer staff disbanded, the
Southern California HIV/AIDS Hotline was still listed in APLA funding brochures
and John became a so-called 'referral specialist.' I alerted L.A. newspapers
about the cover-up yet journalists chose not to report these circumstances.
Perhaps, if the community had known about the end of this local hotline,
the necessary funding would have been found so that it could continue.
This is another case of information about diminishing community services
being kept from the public due to what others believe is in their own best
self-interests; and of journalists failing to report news when there is
no press release involved. |