AGNOSTICS, ATHEISTS, AND SECULAR HUMANISTS INFECTED/AFFECTED WITH AIDS/HIV ILLNESS

From Philosopedia

AGNOSTICS, ATHEISTS, AND SECULAR HUMANISTS INFECTED/AFFECTED WITH AIDS/HIV ILLNESS (AASH)

Agnostics, Atheists, and Secular Humanists Who Are Infected/Affected with AIDS/HIV Illness (AASH) was founded in 1992 by Larry Gutenburg, Randy Wicker, and the pseudonymous Allen Windsor.

It commenced as an action group within the Secular Humanist Society of New York chapter. Unofficially, it was formed in memory of Fernando Vargas and friends of Gutenburg and Wicker who had died of the disease. However, when the secular humanist chapter’s board of directors appeared uncomfortable with the association, Windsor pulled the group out and, simultaneously, resigned as editor of Pique, the society’s newsletter.

Gutenburg, who had been president in 1990—1991 of People With AIDS (PWA), arranged for the group to meet in a Greenwich Village Episcopal meeting room which formerly PWA had been allowed to use without compensation. As many as thirty individuals attended different meetings until, upon Gutenberg’s death, the group was disbanded in 1995. Except for Wicker and Windsor, the members were HIV-positive and exchanged information about drugs they were or were not using, hospitals they preferred, wills, living will proxies, and health care proxies.

AASH arranged visits to hospitalized members and get-togethers at brunches and dinners. The Secular Humanist Bulletin (Summer 1995) and Free Inquiry carried items about the unusual group.

AASH held secular memorials for Michael Callen, the lead singer of the Flirtations; for author Paul Monette; for Father Andrew DeMasi (who was a Jesuit-trained priest-turned-atheist); for businessman Luke Stanton; and for radio notable Larry Gutenburg.

(See entry for AIDS.)