BLOOMINGTON - This week Jack Lewis Fine Jewelry installed the billboard pictured to the left at Main & Buchanan Streets in Bloomington.  The billboard brought instant reaction from many who found the message offensive, and a photo of the billboard started circulating like wildfire.  Thanks to a tactful letter from Melinda Hany, the billboard has already been taken down.

Melinda wrote an e-mail saying "...As a proud, out lesbian raising a child with my partner, I would like to consider myself a respected member of this community.  I work hard, I do as much good as possible, I live my life the best I can every single day.  This billboard reinforces the fact that, as much as I'd like to believe that I am an equal member of society, myself and people like me are discriminated against constantly.  Without the man it doesn't work?  I would love to marry my partner someday and, since neither of us are men, I suppose we'll be taking our business elsewhere."

Within an hour of e-mailing the letter to the company, Melinda received the following reply "This is John Carter with Jack Lewis Fine Jewelry.  Please accept my deepest apologies for having offended you!  This board just went up and was carelessly chosen.  It is 100% my fault!  It slipped through the cracks of my marketing department because I do read it the same way that you do.  We are definitely a store that caters to all lifestyles and we don't wish to offend anyone.  I am currently working with my billboard company to take this board down IMMEDIATELY.  Please know that I am consumed with getting it down as quickly as possible.  I apologize for my insensitivity and my very embarassing error in allowing this board to go up at all!!!"

John also followed up with the additional message  that "I'm so sorry to have put something up that has been so hurtful!  Please don't think badly of us!  If you know of anyone else that has seen this, please pass along my personal disdain for the message it conveys!"

Out & About SALUTES Mr. Carter and Jack Lewis Fine Jewelry for their immediate and effective response, and for accepting accountability for the billboard so quickly.  Their response makes me, and hopefully everyone else, believe that they simply didn't read it the way that others did and that it was a simple mistake.  I encourage our community to accept Mr. Carter's apology and to thank him personally for his understanding and support, and to continue to support their business.

Dave

The McLean County AIDS Task Force, 313 N Main Street in downtown Bloomington is now offering free rapid HIV testing.

The test is the no-needle, oral swab type that produces a result in about 20 minutes.  The test costs are covered by a grant obtained by the task force to provide testing for men who have sex with men, one of the high risk groups for HIV/AIDS.

The task force was certified recently by the Illinois Department of Public Health to offer the tests.

For more information about the testing contact us at (309) 827-AIDS.  The testing is anonymous or confidential.

source: The Rainbow Connection, January 2009, published by The Advocacy Council for Human Rights

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