California Public Television Show Examines Controversy Over Los Angeles AIDS Memorial Project
KCET's "Life & Times," a California public television program, on Thursday examined the controversy over the construction of an AIDS memorial in Lincoln Park in northeast Los Angeles (Zavala, "Life & Times," KCET, 9/25). The memorial, titled "The Wall -- Las Memorias," which would commemorate Latinos and non-Latinos who have died of AIDS-related illnesses, would include a rose garden, benches, a walking path, a sculpture and eight wall panels on which the names of people who have died would be listed. Some opponents in March allegedly shouted anti-gay statements at a project meeting and distributed fliers stating, "Latino gay men [have] been covertly trying to make a monument to themselves." The flier was signed by the Coalition to Save Lincoln Park, but the people distributing the flier did not know who was responsible for the material or who was involved in the coalition (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 4/24). Critics of the memorial say that it is "inappropriate for a park where children play," while supporters say that the opposition to the project is the result of "traditional denial and homophobia," KCET reports. The KCET segment includes comments from AIDS advocate and project executive director Richard Zaldivar and Lincoln Park-area residents ("Life & Times," KCET, 9/25). The full transcript of the segment is available online.The segment is available online in RealPlayer. This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.