I Illnlutllullnntdlls I SEPTEMBER 2006 I MOUNTA|NPR|DEMED|A.ORG UEI‘IlIlIIIt IIEIIIS POLITICS North Country Justice of the Peace Mary Schwartz. Vies for a Second Term BY LYNN MCNICOL BAKERSFIELD - As one of Bakers- field’s seven justices of the peace, Mary Schwartz has performed two civil unions and no marriages to date, and so far has heard no tax grievances. “It’s a thrill to do civil unions,” said Schwartz, who is serving the second year of her first term as JP. It’s a low—key job, “not a real job,” she says. The other part of her job as JP will someday include hear- ing tax grievances. But since tax appraisals were completed prior to her first run for office, and may not occur again for another year or two, she has not yet been part of the grievance process. So for the time being, “doings are minimal” for the volunteer public servant. Schwartz, a Democrat, is rim- ning for a second two-year term, which will take effect in February 2007. If she is re-elected, she may get to hear some of those tax griev- ances that some JPs avoid by not running for office again, she said with a laugh. ‘ Justices of the peace also help count paper ballots at town meet- ings, and as notaries, may also register voters, Schwartz said. The number of J Ps is based on a town’s population, and may change as the number of residents goes up or down. Justices of the peace, along I with the town board, are members of the town’s Board of Civil Author- ity, which hears tax grievances dur- ing a reappraisal of property. Ver- mont’s Secretary of State provides workshops periodically to train the JPs in their work. . While JPs don’t receive salaries for the duties they perform, they may receive pay for holding civil unions, marriages and as notaries. Schwartz said she has not accepted pay for the services she has pro- vided. Serving as ajustice of the peace may be a “low—demand civic job,” but Schwartz strongly encourages / PHOTO: EUAN BEAR Mary Schwartz anyone interested in public service to run for JP in his or her area. “It’s certainly a way to get in- volved in town politics,” she said. Schwartz lives in Bakersfield with her parmer Euan Bear, former editor of OI TM. The couple was joined in a civil union in 2000. V , H EALTH 25 Years Later, AIDS Remains at Large BY JESSI BURG When AIDS first appeared, it was known as the gay disease. At the start of the pandemic, no one knew what caused AIDS, how it was spread or how it could be treated. As information slowly dribbled out, AIDS quickly became associ- ated with the queer community and immediately gained a stigma. Nearly 25 years later, there is a wealth of information available, along with a series of treatments, while. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 45 percent of all people liv- ing with AIDS in the United States are gay men. In Vermont, this figure rises to 58 percent, even though the Department of Health only keeps . statistics on residents of Vermont at the time of diagnosis. Statistics are tricky, however, and there are loopholes. For in- stance, the Depariment of Health claims there are only 438 people living with HIV/AIDS in Vermont, but Vermont CARES, Vermont’s largest and oldest HIV/AIDS orga- nization, claims the number is clos- er to 600, including people living with HIV/AIDS who don’t know it. Another example is the transgen- der community. There are no reli- able statistics on the actual num- ber of transpeople currently living with‘ HIV/AIDS, though they, are believed to be a high-risk group. High incidences of sex work, pov- erty and drug use contribute to the spread of AIDS in the trans com- munity, thus increasing the rate of HIV/AIDS. In addition, the trans community is physically at a higher risk for HIV/AIDS as genital surgery can irritate skin, causing breakage and increasing the risk of disease. This is especially true for male to female transwomen. Socially, _the transgender community suffers much higher rates of physical and sexual abuse, again increasing the ' likelihood of infection. The various methods of sexual activity have varying rates of dis- ease contraction, again putting gay men at high risk. Anal sex has a one in 20 chance of contracting - a disease, compared to one in 100 for male-to-female vaginal sex. In theory, it could be possible to transmit I-IIV/AIDS from female to female without the use of sex toys; however, there have been no prov- en cases. Regular testing and education programs are key to preventing the spread of AIDS. Vermont CARES offers anonymous testing every Monday from 4 to 7 pm. at their centers in Burlington, Rutland and St. Johnsbury. The organization also provides counseling, advocacy and other services for HIV-positive individuals. According to Kelly Brigham, Prevention Director at Vermont CARES, the organization has around 125 clients located all over Vermont. The majority of their clients are gay men, though there are representatives of all sectors of society. Many of their clients moved g to Vermont from out of state, due to the lack of health care in many places for HIV/AIDS patients. Ac- cording to Kelly, the spread of AIDS is more severe in large cities due to the greater concentration of people. Diseases proliferate when there are a lot of people in a small space, and AIDS is no exception. These days, AIDS is a political issue, along with a global one. It is important to be vocal in the fight for funding and research into both the disease itself and education about its causes and effects. Despite re- search, 40,000 new cases occur in the United States alone every year. Of these, just under half are gay men. Despite the decrease in cases and the increase in knowledge and information, clearly, AIDS in the queer community is something to remain concerned about.V Additional information can be ‘ found at the Centers for Dis- ease Control and Prevention's website at cdc.gov or locally at any of the Vermont CARES centers.