"Can Magic Johnson Fill Belinda Mason's Shoes?"

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1991. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

"Can Magic Johnson Fill Belinda Mason's Shoes?"

Gay Community News (11/30/91) Vol. 19, No. 19, P. 5
Rose, Steve

Abstract: Magic Johnson may be black, heterosexual, male, and exactly who President Bush would want to serve on the National Commission on AIDS, but he may not be able to compare to Belinda Mason, writes Steve Rose. Belinda Mason was unique because, although heterosexual, she did not separate herself from the rest of the AIDS community as many other heterosexuals do. President Bush may have appointed her to the commission because she was white, heterosexual, and exuded "innocence," but she included herself with the other AIDS patients that some consider "guilty." Mason's behavior outraged George Bush, and after her death she did not recieve one eulogy from the White House. Magic Johnson's new appointment to the commission may get a point across to young people, specifically heterosexual African-American young men and women who are at high risk of contracting HIV. Hopefully, Johnson will not be another person who isolates himself from the rest of the AIDS community, Rose concludes.

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