[Letter from John Thomas to Don Baker concerning infighting within the gay community in Dallas] Page: 3 of 4
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Then, at the 1987 LAGPAC endorsements, you commented that Bill needed
to crawl on his hands and knees to every gay group and ask for
forgiveness' rie PlID is 1 obrnallg ;VAws magazine quotes and attacks were
the last straw for Terry. and the reason he demanded on his death bed that
you not attend his funeral,
Only last year, you told me you really didn't know how to visit and spend
time with a PWA, and that you really didn t know anyone close to you who
had AIDS or who died of AIDS.
Don, .I went to you about the Parkland-A IDS situation. You were direct
about saying you would continue to do what you felt was right and felt you
needed to do. I asked you to refer complaints about DGA to me or to Dick
Weaver -- that we would be able ombudsmen. And then, you didn't even
call me. Well, for better or worse, this is all going public. I am saddened,
because I firmly believe you will be the one who will be hurt and damaged.
Bureaucrats. officials. enemies. convenient friends and self-declared leaders.
inside and outside of the gay community, would like nothing better than to
dismiss our concerns and demands. You have taken on the role of allowing
them to dismiss life and death issues for PWAs.
I am pleased that all of my friends who are officers and board members of
gay organizations do enthusiastically support the remarkable work that DGA
has been doing: with Parkland, with the Texas State AIDS Task Force, with
the County AIDS Task Force, with the City s budget and legislative agenda on
AIDS and 21.06; and the incredible work DGA continues to do with the AIDS
Resource Center. How dare you question the DGA commitment to fight AIDS!
Don, stop talking. stop writing; Don, start hugging PWAs, start cleaning up
after PWAs, start doing some real in-the-trenches work with PWAs yourself.
You are being used to single-handedly hurt the cause against AIDS in Dallas.
You have become the repository of all criticism and personal attacks against
DGA and its leaders
Once again, Don, I ask you to stop your destructive behavior, and get on with
your life and your relationship with Michael.
J~ U~~7oLUA 43
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[Letter from John Thomas to Don Baker concerning infighting within the gay community in Dallas], letter, May 3, 1988; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc947563/m1/3/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.