Republican lawmaker: AIDS memorial exhibit belongs in ‘a sewage treatment plant’

I read this article tonight with the same headline in a UK gay newspaper called the Pink News.

A number of right-wing Republican lawmakers in Georgia have hit out at a memorial exhibit for victims of the AIDS crisis, claiming it belongs in a “sewage treatment plant”.

The exhibition, titled ‘Art AIDS America’ was originally created by the Tacoma Art Museum in October and is set to appear at Kennesaw State University as part of a tour.

It “explores the whole spectrum of artistic responses to AIDS, from the politically outspoken to the quietly mournful, surveying works from the early 1980s to the present” – chronicling the way art was used as a form of protest amid silence from the Reagan Administration.

State Senator Lindsey Tippins said: “Typically, communities send their garbage to the dump and dispose of their body waste at the local sewage treatment plant.

“KSU has chosen to celebrate and elevate it to an ‘art’ exhibit. Trash is trash. I think it speaks for itself.”

Republican Earl Ehrhart, who chairs the committee responsible for university funding, issued a veiled threat to the university over the memorial exhibit, which he claims was “sickening” and “a blatant political statement.”

Republican lawmaker: AIDS memorial exhibit belongs in ‘a sewage treatment plant’

I decided to check out the source article in the Marietta Daily Journal as I know Pink News, the gay equivalent of the Daily Mail, is partial to flamboyant sensationalism and 'pink' propaganda. It appears the objections were more related to a perceived political statement, the trivialisation of the AIDS epidemic and the use of HIV+ blood as an art form.

State Rep. Ed Setzler, R-Acworth, said the exhibit undermines the university’s reputation.

Making this kind of trash publicly undermines the otherwise great work that’s happening at Kennesaw State University and makes it much more difficult for those who love the university to talk about the great things that are happening there,” Setzler said Thursday. “I think this sadly trivializes the very serious issue of AIDS, which is something that we as a nation are committed to dealing with in a serious way.

Ehrhart objected to work by Robert Sherer being featured in the exhibit. Sherer is a professor of drawing and painting and regarded as one of KSU’s most distinguished visual artists. He is known for his use of unconventional media (HIV-positive blood) and four incidents of art censorship.

Ehrhart said painting with infected blood should be against the law.

“I mean, you could infect somebody and kill them with that. Why don’t we just paint with the Ebola virus?” he said.

Cobb lawmakers blast Kennesaw State’s AIDS museum exhibit

I would be interested to know what US members' take on this is (anyone from Georgia?). Is this a small group of busy bodies who are looking for something to get upset as voiced by Sheeran? There is a political motive in some of the exhibits.

An electronic scrolling sign reads “Let the record show” before going into a countdown on how many people died from AIDS before Reagan publicly mentioned the disease. The countdown goes on and on, leaving the impression that Reagan didn’t care about the epidemic.

The wall includes quotes from Helms, who suggested a quarantine of the infected, Falwell, who suggested the disease was punishment from God, and Buckley, who defended Reagan.

The Pink News also suggests this as well, particularly with this link:

Listen: President Reagan’s staff joked about gay people’s deaths during AIDS crisis

I know art can be emotional and at times shocking. I think Ehrhart is right about HIV+ blood being used an art form. Some of the other exhibits described in the source are not in good taste in my opinion. For example: framed pieces of soiled underwear; a painting by Jerome Caja of a naked man wearing a clown mask engaged in a sex act with a skeleton and a a framed Band-Aid, using materials of “blood and eyeliner.” On the Band-Aid is a bloody picture of a man’s face.

Let's call it what it is.

Bigoted outcry.


While I may not approve of HIV+ blood being used as a decorative...

Art is supposed to be controversial...
It is paramount.


These repugnant republicans are only pissed because it involves the word Gay.

a reply to: Morrad
I don't know. I saw some art that was supposed to represent Hiroshima. The artist used blood, feces, hair, nails, and who knows what else as his medium. It eeked my folks out, and I was indifferent. Art is subjective and all up to the viewer to interpret as they wish.
Personally, I just don't get the whole art world.

a reply to: Hazardous1408

How come we are not allowed to view the prophet in works of art? Is this a double standard? Republicans are repugnant for calling this art trash, yet paintings of the prophet are enough to start riots over?

Please, try to explain this one to me.

originally posted by: Hazardous1408
Let's call it what it is.

Bigoted outcry.


While I may not approve of HIV+ blood being used as a decorative...

Art is supposed to be controversial...
It is paramount.


These repugnant republicans are only pissed because it involves the word Gay.

Well seeing as how the blood has dried i do not see a issue. Blood makes a good medium to paint with if treated right and adding a few chemicals.
No what they are upset about is REGANs image. He is a Saint to the republican establishment. Sure i liked regans stance on defense but his other stuff? not so much.

originally posted by: rollanotherone
a reply to: Hazardous1408

How come we are not allowed to view the prophet in works of art? Is this a double standard? Republicans are repugnant for calling this art trash, yet paintings of the prophet are enough to start riots over?

Please, try to explain this one to me.

There has been plenty of draw Muhammad events.

I'm not Sunni so I couldn't explain it if I tried.

a reply to: Morrad

Enough with this horse crap...so tired of people that produce crap and call it art...

So some folks on here are fine with art regardless of it's content...would those same folks be ok with pictures of a grown man in some provactive act with a minor under the guise of artistic expression?

a reply to: Hazardous1408

Ahh. Shia?

originally posted by: rollanotherone
a reply to: Hazardous1408

Ahh. Shia?

Quranist.

originally posted by: rollanotherone
a reply to: Hazardous1408

How come we are not allowed to view the prophet in works of art? Is this a double standard? Republicans are repugnant for calling this art trash, yet paintings of the prophet are enough to start riots over?

Please, try to explain this one to me.

What about democrats who call this art trash? I know plenty who are calling it trash.
Double standard much?

originally posted by: Hazardous1408

originally posted by: rollanotherone
a reply to: Hazardous1408

Ahh. Shia?

Quranist.

Would that equate to a biblist in western terminology? The only thing I know about Islam is what I've read from Huston Smith's The World's Religion's. He mainly discusses the 5 pillars of Islam. Not any of the stuff we read about in the news.

originally posted by: NoCorruptionAllowed

originally posted by: rollanotherone
a reply to: Hazardous1408

How come we are not allowed to view the prophet in works of art? Is this a double standard? Republicans are repugnant for calling this art trash, yet paintings of the prophet are enough to start riots over?

Please, try to explain this one to me.

What about democrats who call this art trash? I know plenty who are calling it trash.
Double standard much?

Sorry. Didn't post my reply for some reason.

Round 2.

Not sure what you're arguing here. I just don't get the art world. Meh, so someone used feces and blood to make a statement. So do monkeys. You want to ask me something, then ask. I am not a democrat or republican. I am only registered republican this election cycle. I have been registered democrat up until this election. I don't hold allegiance to either party.

a reply to: rollanotherone

I'm not sure what a Biblist is.


A Quranist is a Muslim who follows only the Quran...

Not following the Hadith & Sunna (alleged teachings of the Prophet).

a reply to: Hazardous1408
Ahh. So his teachings and the Quran are two different things. Good to know.

a reply to: Morrad

pink news? never heard of it before

a reply to: Morrad


was it bill Clinton? I saw a picture of him and he looks like he has aids

a reply to: Morrad


ok have you seen the bill Clinton picture he looks so white and the lesions on his face are so bad what disease do you think bill has gotten?