U.S. Senator Dick Durbin ( D-Ill. ) got a crash course in GLBT health, HIV and AIDS Sunday during his first-ever visit to Howard Brown Health Center ( HBHC ) .
"I really need your input," Durbin told center staff, board members and supporters. "This is the place to come because you're all on the front lines."
The visit was arranged by activist Michael Bauer, a long-time Durbin supporter who wanted to educate the senator about Howard Brown's programs and funding needs.
Outgoing HBHC board President Paul Lutter gave Durbin a brief history of the center, emphasizing its role as the largest facility of its kind in the region and its genesis in the AIDS crisis.
During a tour of the offices, staff physicians filled Durbin in on the various services they provide, from HIV care to fertility assistance.
At a sit-down discussion, staffers laid out some of the agency's concerns, including ever-growing health insurance costs, HIV funding and patients' ability to afford treatment.
At news of the center's rising employee insurance costs, Durbin said, "I think this is a time bomb for small employers."
Bauer said he put together the walk-through of Howard Brown after a meeting with Durbin about a year ago when the senator returned from a tour of Africa. Durbin was stunned by the devastation wreaked by AIDS there, and Bauer noted that America's problems are far from over.
At Sunday's meeting, Durbin admitted that he, like many in the U.S., had thought of the AIDS crisis as over. Meeting with Bauer had opened his eyes, he said.
"This whole question about the AIDS epidemic around the world, this is the holocaust of our generation," Durbin said. "We need to work at home and dedicate ourselves to the world."
He asked HBHC staff to "pick out areas where you think there are gaps—and plenty of them—so we can keep raising the attention level on them."
He heard about the growing impact of the virus on communities of color, the prevalence of AIDS burnout and the continuing problems getting the prevention message out—especially to youth.
He called the Bush administration tax cut "the single worst thing we can do for Americans," and predicted that it will take its financial toll on organizations and clinics like Howard Brown.
About half-way through the meeting, Durbin stepped outside to use Howard Brown as the backdrop to announce his highly publicized support for more runways at O'Hare Airport. After speaking before a handful of local media, he headed back inside to hear more input from staff.
Staffers said they were satisfied by their talk with Durbin.
Courtney Reid, interim executive director of Howard Brown, said she felt that Durbin's visit was beneficial for both sides, calling his presence "a wake-up call" for the staff.
"I think the senator seemed to be extremely interested in learning more about the impact of HIV on the gay and lesbian community," said board President-elect Randy Talcott. "I really think that he seemed genuinely interested."