Original article from
May 04, 2005
Minnesota house eliminates funding for state's largest
AIDS group
The Minnesota house on Friday passed a budget bill
that contains an amendment that strips all state funding from the
Minnesota AIDS Project because of objections to sexually explicit language and content in the group's HIV prevention
programs, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. The amendment was
sponsored by Representative Tom Emmer, who objected to language on the
MAP-sponsored Pride Alive Web site, designed to provide HIV and sexually
transmitted disease prevention information to sexually active gay men.
Emmer's amendment also bans any state funds from going to any organization
that uses sexually explicit language or imagery in any Web site, pamphlet,
or other HIV prevention information.
Lorraine Teel, executive director of MAP, says Emmer's amendment would
eliminate about $425,000 from the agency's annual budget.
State health officials had opposed Emmer's amendment, saying MAP provides
needed services in the state and the language in question was appropriate for its target audience.
The version of the health department budget bill currently before the
state senate does not include HIV spending restrictions, but MAP officials
expect attempts to introduce a
similar amendment there to eliminate MAP's funding.
MAP is the largest HIV services provider in Minnesota, with about 60
full-time employees and 1,400 volunteers.
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