Kim Bannon has Passed Away

Kim Bannon in AIDS Denialist film
 'House of Numbers'

Kim Marie Bannon-Barber, 48, certified court reporter, passed away Tuesday, November 15, 2011. A celebration of Kim's life will be held, 1 p.m., Saturday, November 19, West Heights United Methodist Church. Private family inurnment will follow at a later date. Kim was born in Topeka, Kansas, graduated from Goddard High School as salutatorian of her class and was captain of the Roaring Wheatchix Drill Team. She loved to be outdoors riding horses, water and snow skiing and rollerblading. Preceded in death by grandparents, Gordon Barber, Mick Ewing and Erma McQuirk. Survivors: parents, Raymond and Anne (Ewing) Barber of Wichita; grandmother, Mary Barber of Topeka; her little dog, Daisy; aunts, uncles, cousins and many, many friends. Memorial established with Sweet Emergency Fund in memory of Kim Barber, 1010 N. Kansas, Wichita, KS 67214. Downing & Lahey Mortuary West. Tributes may be sent to the family via www.dlwichita.com 

No comments will are being accepted on this post out of respect for Kim and her family. An earlier post on Kim can be found here.  

The Truth, Nothing But the Truth: Celia Farber's Defamation Claim Against AIDS Activist Is Dismissed

Journalist's Defamation Claim Against AIDS Activist Is Dismissed

Brendan Pierson

New York Law Journal

November 8, 2011

A state judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a journalist against a prominent AIDS activist for allegedly defaming her in a public dispute over an article she wrote challenging the scientific consensus that AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Louis B. York ruled last week in Farber v. Jefferys, 106399/09, that the journalist, Celia Farber, was a public figure for the purpose of the lawsuit and that her defamation claims against AIDS activist Richard Jefferys could not survive the heightened scrutiny required for public figures.

Ms. Farber began covering the AIDS epidemic for Spin magazine in the 1980s. While at Spin, she conducted a sympathetic interview with Peter Duesberg, a professor of biology at the University of California at Berkeley who rejects the scientific consensus that AIDS is caused by HIV. Mr. Duesberg claims the disease is caused by recreational drug use, and is sometimes aggravated by antiviral drugs used to treat it. He contends that HIV is a harmless "passenger virus" and has argued that the pharmaceutical industry has suppressed dissent in order to sell antiviral drugs.

Don't Tell it so Straight: New Scientist Magazine takes on the anti-science movement

Published in New Scientist Magazine

October 31, 2011

by Peter Aldhous

Opponents of science are experts at winning the battle for hearts and minds. It’s time to learn their game and beat them at it, says Peter Aldhous

JOHN HOLDREN, science adviser to President Barack Obama, is a clever man. But when it comes to the science of communication, he can say some dumb things. In January, Holdren welcomed the prospect of climatologists being called to testify before Congress: “I think we’ll probably move the opinions of some of the members of Congress who currently call themselves sceptics, because I think a lot of good scientists are going to come in and explain very clearly what we know and how we know it and what  it means, and it’s a very persuasive case.”

Fat chance.

Surprise (NOT): AIDS Deniers Contribute to Vax Hysteria

This article relies heavily on an interview with Rethinking AIDS Board Member Christian Fiala. It is no surprise that AIDS Deniers have their hands in anti-vaccine hysteria; but it is not any less disturbing.

Gardasil controversy soars, as Bachmann, Perry drop Drug blasted as 'money-making machine' that's useless in fighting cervical cancer
Posted: October 02, 2011
By Bob Unruh
© 2011 WND

Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann, two presidential candidates who sparred over the issue of Texas vaccinations, may be floundering in the polls, but the topic of Merck's controversial Gardasilis heating up – with an Austrian physician who studied the drug saying it is not only dangerous, but useless in reducing cervical cancer, the stated reason it would have been administered to young girls under an executive order from Gov. Perry.

Dr. Christian Fiala, who successfully fought the use of the drug in Austria, told WND this week "there is no proof of a causal relationship of HPV and cervical cancer (correlation is not necessarily causation) and there is no evidence that HPV vaccine reduces the overall number of cervical cancer (cases)."

Rethinking AIDS: When 99% of the world disagrees, we must be right

The AIDS Denialists are planning their World AIDS Day conference. If you are in Washington on December 1, you should drop by the Washington Court Hotel. In case you find it hard to believe that anyone in 2011 questions the existence of HIV, seeing these guys is believing.  Here is the latest announcement that Rethinking AIDS emailed to potential attendees.  Remember, this is not a joke, at least it is not meant to be a joke.


UPDATE: As discussed in comments below, the AIDS Deniers have cancelled their 2011 Rethinking AIDS conference. 
So sad. 
The reason is obvious -- 
     a clash of delusions. 
The AIDS denier camps are fighting, again. There is a battle between those who say HIV does not exist (Perthians) and those who say HIV exists but is harmless (Duesbergians).
I am not sure why they just don't have a denialist debate? What are they afraid of?  I would be happy to sponsor the debate and host it on this blog. 
Any takers?
Have a few minutes for some mindless entertainment? Visit the Rethinking AIDS page in Facebook. 
******************************************************************

An Open Letter to Clark Baker from Concerned Citizen

Dear Mr. Baker,

You recently wrote a letter to Dr. Kalichman requesting his expertise in HIV Criminalization Cases.  You made this request for the prosecution, even though you speciously claim to work for the defense.  Would you consider this to be an ethical request?  If you wish to be accepted as a serious, respected, criminal justice professional, a letter with such childish pandering does not bode well for your credibility.  It is not only unprofessional to taunt a man credentialed and well respected in his field, it also gives you the appearance of a bully.  It is also a waste of Dr. Kalichman’s precious time.

Strategy & Slander

First you mention the so called strategy of OMSJ.  Your stated strategy in the letter is to go over the medical and scientific evidence to be used by the prosecution and “render opinions as to whether they have sufficient evidence or not.”   That is the only truth I have ever seen you write.  You admit that what you are offering is opinion; speculation; conjecture.  How could you offer an educated opinion when you do not accept the current, accepted science of HIV?  Or when you do not have the necessary education or experience to render a valid opinion?  This obvious oversight on your part is not lost on logical, mentally stable people.

 However, the true strategy as stated at your OMSJ site is to perpetuate an agenda of “HIV Science as incoherent gibberish”.  You state that “HIV tests are worthless” and that “HIV tests are designed to do nothing more than market HIV as a disease.”   You accuse HIV Scientists, Researchers and Doctors as being “Pharma Sluts” and anyone else who disagrees with you as “meth trannies.”  How can you make these ridiculous, unsubstantiated and libelous accusations and expect to be taken seriously?

Vaccine Hysteria Takes Hold in the USA

Vaccines not safe, say one of four Americans in new poll
Posted on October 1, 2011 by Stone Hearth News

ANN ARBOR, Mich. and WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — More than one-quarter of Americans are concerned about the value and safety of vaccines and 21.4 percent believe vaccines can cause autism, according to the Thomson Reuters-NPR Health Poll.

Thomson Reuters and NPR conduct the monthly poll to gauge attitudes and opinions on a wide range of health issues.

In the latest survey in the series, 26.6 percent of respondents expressed concern over the safety of vaccines. Households with children under the age of 18 demonstrated the greatest level of concern (30.8%). The lowest level of concern (18.5%) was found in respondents 65 years old and up.

Worst Case Scenario: Michele Bachmann Launches into Total Vaccine Hysteria

On the national stage of presidential primary politics, Rep. Michele Bachmann is ranting that the HPV vaccine can cause permanent damage to children. The HPV vaccine is safe and over 99% effective in protecting against HPV - the cause of genital warts and linked to cervical cancer. Uptake of the vaccine is already low, with less than 1 in 3 US teenage girls being vaccinated. Coverage is worst among minorities and low income kids. 6 million people are diagnosed with HPV each year, and 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer. Her misinformed and irresponsible comments will likely do damage to public health, at least among those few who see her as credible.

Bachmann claims HPV vaccine might cause ‘mental retardation’
The Washington Post
Posted by Rachel Weiner at 11:02 AM ET, 09/13/2011 

After piling on Texas Gov. Rick Perry in last night’s presidential debate, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is continuing to attack the 2012 frontrunner for mandating that young girls get the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

A Decade Of Denial: 9/11 Truthers Alive and Well

The Facts Speak For Themselves
Jon Gold
September 11, 2011

Before I begin, I would like to say that theorizing about what happened on 9/11, when you’re not being given answers to your questions about that day by the people who SHOULD be able to do so, is PERFECTLY normal. As is suspecting that the reason these answers aren’t being given is “sinister” in nature. As Ray McGovern said, “for people to dismiss these questioners as “conspiratorial advocates”, or “conspiratorial theorists”… that’s completely out of line because the… The questions remain because the President who should be able to answer them, WILL NOT.” When you think about everything the previous Administration did in 8 years, the idea that they might not be giving us the answers we seek because of something “sinister” is not crazy. In fact, it’s the most logical conclusion one can come to at this point. After years of obfuscation, spin, lies, and cover-ups regarding the 9/11 attacks, it is unavoidable to think that criminal complicity is the reason why.

Clark Baker's Appeal

Clark Baker with the late Karri Stokely
(died of AIDS after refusing treatment)

AIDS Denialist Clark Baker sent me the following letter. I thought you might enjoy it as much as I did. Does California just hand out Private Detective licenses to anyone who applies?
      If you have experienced discrimination due to your HIV status, I recommend that you contact a legitimate legal aide group, such as the HIV/AIDS Law Project or a state organization such as AIDS Law Project Pennsylvania. To learn more about what Clark Baker is up to, particularly the 'cases' he mentions below, visit The HIV Innocence Project Truth.
***********************************
Professor Kalichman:

As you know, OMSJ (Office of Medical and Scientific Justice) has been involved in several dozen criminal HIV cases since October 2009. Our strategy is simple – we ask prosecutors to produce all of the medical and scientific evidence that they plan to use against the accused. We then examine the evidence and render opinions as to whether they have sufficient evidence or not.

Rethinking AIDS Convention 2011: Will the rooms be padded?

AIDS denialists will hold their 2011 convention in Washington, DC on December 1, World AIDS Day. The conference will focus on uncovering the US government's and pharmaceutical industry's global conspiracy to sell HIV tests and medications. The conference organizers say "The myth that blames a single retrovirus for a complex multi-factorial syndrome has left in its wake millions of people terrified of an 'HIV test', a pharmacopeia of toxic drugs prescribed without informed consent and an effort by the myth-makers to shut down intelligent public discussion. Thousands of scientists, epidemiologists, academics, physicians, journalists, and activists who oppose the use of toxic medications and inaccurate tests have been called 'denialists', an attempt to equate dissent with those who deny the Nazi Holocaust."

Peter Duesberg: Wrong on AIDS and Wrong on Cancer

Peter Duesberg continues to claim that HIV is a harmless passenger virus that cannot possibly cause AIDS. Although AIDS Denialists rely on Duesberg to spin their alternative universe, Duesberg himself has most recently been focused on cancer. He says that cancer, all cancer, is caused by environmental toxins/carcinogens, an idea dating back to Theordor Boveri in 1914 . Duesberg's assistant, David Rasnick, even claims that the HIV medication AZT causes cancer. Duesberg and Rasnick state that there are no genetic bases for cancer - none!

Peter Duesberg points to Aneuploidy - the abnormal number of chromosomes that are characteristic of cancer cells - as the cause, rather than an effect, of cancer. The article below published in The Scientist discusses important new discoveries that identify the genetic causes of Aneuploidy. 

If we know anything about Peter Duesberg it is that the genetic evidence will not change his mind. The bad news is that Duesberg's failed ideas on cancer may be just as destructive as his nutty stand on AIDS. David Rasnick, David Crowe and other Denialists claim that cancer screening is a scam and cancer chemotherapy does not work. They use Duesberg's fringe science to bolster their claims. The article in The Scientist, which does not mention Duesberg, helps to keep people informed. A follow-up article is needed to correct the misinformation spread by Duesberg and his Denialist followers. 

AIDS Denialist Henry Bauer Offers a Messy Cure for AIDS

Posted by Henry Bauer @ HIV/AIDS Sketicism

A simple, inexpensive, non-toxic cure for AIDS that has no negative side-effects has been described by Pacini and Ruggiero at the 6th International AIDS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (Rome, 17-20 July 2011).The basic mechanism involves stimulation of the immune system which increases CD4 counts and corrects CD4/CD8 balance, in “HIV-positive” people and also in HIV-negative people.
Recall that AIDS was discovered and defined in the early 1980s as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, the immune deficiency being specifically a loss of CD4 cells. Later the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defined AIDS as being “HIV-positive” with a CD4 count below 200. Therefore an increase of CD4 above that level constitutes reversion of AIDS to non-AIDS.

Rick Perry: Climate Scientists 'Manipulated Data'

The Huffington Post  August 18, 2011 

Texas Gov. Rick Perry took his skepticism about climate change one step further on Wednesday, telling a New Hampshire business crowd that scientists have cooked up the data on global warming for the cash.

In his stump speech, Perry referenced "a substantial number of scientists who have manipulated data so that they will have dollars rolling in to their projects."

"We're seeing weekly, or even daily, scientists who are coming forward and questioning the original idea that man-made global warming is what's causing the climate to change," Perry said. "Yes, our climates change. They've been changing ever since the earth was formed."

Magic Johnson says he should not have retired because of HIV

Magic Johnson wishes he hadn't retired so early 

Los Angeles Times

August 2, 2011 

The devastating news proved more painful than any injury. Yet, Magic Johnson vowed he'd survive.

Delivering the news could have put strain on his marriage, but, in his eyes, it strengthened it. 

The stigma could've hurt his legacy as a five-time NBA champion and, in the eyes of many, the greatest Laker of all time. But it actually enhanced it.

Goat Blood HIV Cure Said to Be $20M Scam

By DAN MCCUE 
August 3, 2011
Courthouse News Service


 The Securities and Exchange Commission claims the makers of a so-called HIV treatment made from goat's blood bilked investors of $20 million while concealing that the Food and Drug Administration had twice put human trials of the drug on hold.
     The SEC says Immunosyn Corp. called its drug SF-1019, and claimed it could treat a variety of diseases, including AIDS, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, diabetic neuropathy and diabetic ulcers.
     Immunosyn misinformed investors that its parent company, Argyll Equities, "planned to commence the regulatory approval process for human clinical trials in the U.S.," according to the complaint.

New Website Takes on AIDS Denialists in the Courts

HIV criminalization laws were borne out of fear and hysteria in the early days of HIV before much was known about the virus or modes of transmission.  Originally these laws were meant to make those who were HIV+ think about the consequences of intentionally exposing another person to the virus.  Unfortunately however, these laws have only furthered the stigma of HIV as well as stripped away the incentive for many people to be tested.  Many people think if they do not know their status, then they can not be prosecuted.  This too has proven to be false as many states (and other countries) have become increasingly aggressive in the pursuit of these charges.  These prosecutors hide behind the claim that tougher laws will reduce or eliminate intentional, malicious transmission of HIV.  

South Africa: AIDS conspiracy believers less likely to condomise

DURBAN, 22 June 2011 (PlusNews) - 

Thirty years after the discovery of AIDS, conspiracy theories that posit the virus as man-made continue to enjoy support among a segment of South African youth - and these beliefs may be putting them at greater risk of HIV infection. 

A representative survey of more than 3,000 South Africans between the ages of 20 and 29 years in the greater Cape Town area has found that black South Africans were eight times more likely to believe AIDS conspiracy theories, specifically that scientists engineered HIV. 

Among black respondents, 20 percent believed that HIV was man-made and created by scientists as an attack on people of African descent, according to a University of Cape Town (UCT) study. 

New research by Nicoli Nattrass, director of the AIDS and Society Research Unit at UCT, also found that AIDS conspiracy believers are 50 percent less likely to report having used a condom the last time they had sex than non-believers. Respondents with traditional values, and those who had lower socio-economic status but were not religious, were more likely to believe there was a conspiracy. 

The Nattrass research, co-authored with colleague, Eduard Grebe and presented at the 1st HIV Social Sciences and Humanities Conference in Durban, South Africa, also showed that people who had heard of the Treatment Action Campaign(TAC), a South African AIDS lobby group, were much less likely to believe a conspiracy existed and twice as likely to use condoms. 

AIDS Denialism in Action: Clark Baker and the HIV Innocence Project Part II

Clark Baker and the late Karri Stokley

I received this email the other day. The writer's identity is concealed, although he did not ask me to do so. He nearly fell for Clark Baker's Innocence Project. Fortunately he had enough sense to recognize Baker was a sham. Baker's suggestion to stop taking his medications was a dead giveaway that he was dealing with a mad man. Good news is that this guy searched Clark Baker and found my blog. Mission accomplished! Below are the correspondences he gave me permission to post.

Dear Seth,


I just found out that the HIV innocence project is a fake! I was wrongly convicted for being HIV positive and spent two years in jail. I read about the Office of Medical and Scientific Justice (OSMJ) and thought I had finally found some help. But all I'm getting from Clark Baker is double talk. He won't take my case! I wonder if his project exists at all. Why won't he put me in touch with lawyers?


Worst of all, is this man trying to kill me? He wants me to go off medicines. I'm not a fool- I need legal help. But I want to stay healthy. Why would any detective tell me to go off meds? I'm reading on the internet about Karri Stokely. Is this what happened to her? Is this legal? Why is Baker harming his clients?

Denialist Henry Bauer's Logic and AIDS

What Constitutes Common Knowledge?

Guest Post by Concerned Citizen 

Very recently I attempted to engage Henry Bauer in dialogue at his HIV Skeptic site.  From the start of my argument it was obvious that I was not a dissident, but to his credit, Bauer went along with the dialogue.  Unfortunately, the dialogue ground to a halt after my third post.  I attempted a discussion on the reliability of HIV Testing based on the specificity of antibodies.  As proof of the highly specific nature of antibodies, I gave an example of vaccinations.  Vaccines are incredibly successful against the organism being inoculated against because of the specificity of the antibody elicited.  I also conceded that the dialogue was doomed to failure since Henry claims HIV has never been isolated and therefore, by that logic, the specificity of the antibodies to HIV could not be confirmed. 

AIDS Denialism in Action: Clark Baker and the HIV Innocence Project

AIDS Denialist Clark Baker with the late Karri Stokely

WICHITA, Kansas, KSN.com – Effort is being made to get a new trial for a McConnell airman convicted of hiding his HIV status from sex partners in Wichita. KSN has learned the Innocence Project has its sights set on Wichita. It plans to help Tech Sgt. David Gutierrez get a new trial after he was convicted in a military courtroom in January.

It was a case that aired Wichita’s dirty laundry from Coast to Coast: an airman sentenced to eight years behind bars for hiding his HIV positive states at swinger parties.

Robert was one of the victims.

“As many people as he tried to infect, and I'm sorry, kill, in my book, I think he should get the death sentence,” he said.

But not everyone agrees. The HIV Innocence Project has joined Gutierrez in a push for a new trial. The non-profit group helps defendants accused of HIV-related crimes. It took on 20 criminal cases last year, saying in almost every case the charges were dropped. The group’s leader, Clark Baker, calls the Gutierrez case disturbing.

Welcome to My World Mr. President

President Obama spoke at the White House yesterday to deal with the conspiracy theory regarding his birthplace. His frustration was all too familiar to anyone who follows AIDS Denialism.  Here is a sample...

"As many of you have been briefed, we provided additional information today about the site of my birth. Now, this issue has been going on for two, two and a half years now.  I think it started during the campaign.  And I have to say that over the last two and a half years I have watched with bemusement, I've been puzzled at the degree to which this thing just kept on going.  We've had every official in Hawaii, Democrat and Republican, every news outlet that has investigated this, confirm that, yes, in fact, I was born in Hawaii, August 4, 1961, in Kapiolani Hospital.

We've posted the certification that is given by the state of Hawaii on the Internet for everybody to see.  People have provided affidavits that they, in fact, have seen this birth certificate.  And yet this thing just keeps on going. 

We’re not going to be able to do it if we just make stuff up and pretend that facts are not facts.  We’re not going to be able to solve our problems if we get distracted by sideshows and carnival barkers.

I know that there’s going to be a segment of people for which, no matter what we put out, this issue will not be put to rest. "

It has been a couple years since the rumor started that our President is not an American.  

How AIDS Denialism Can Kill You Part VIII: Karri Stokely is Receiving Hospice Care

Karri Stokely, prominent AIDS Denialist, is dying. Below is an excerpt from the blog of Karri Stokely's cousin. I was aware that she had a relative who was outraged by her AIDS Denialism, but I had not seen his blog before today. I heard that he was concerned about her and tried to talk her back to reality. She obviously did not listen. His frustration is apparent. 

Perhaps he should direct his anger at those who facilitated her Denialism, rather than the victim herself. But Karri, like Christine Maggiore before her, is a victim with blood on her hands.

If you are not familiar with Karri Stokely, look back over some of my older posts. You can also visit numerous AIDS Denialism websites, where she is a common feature. Rethinking AIDS shamelessly exploited this woman and her family.  Our goal should be to make it impossible for them to replace her with a new poster-person.

UPDATE: Karri Stokely passed away yesterday. Her health deteriorated and she developed opportunistic infections. Reader comments regarding her death are posted near the end of this thread.  

If it looks like a Nut and smells like a Nut, it's probably a Nut

Why do so many Tea Party people sound like AIDS Denialists? I previously posted on libertarian/Tea Party US Senator Rand Paul's membership in The American Association of Physicians and Surgeons, an ultraconservative group that endorses pseudoscience and AIDS denialism. In addition, Celia Farber,  a vocal AIDS Denier, is aligned with the Tea Party movement. Several AIDS Deniers have posted their nutty views on the libertarian Lew Rockwell website. So it should not be surprising that leaders in the Tea Party can look a lot like AIDS Denialists. 


Case in point: The Huffington Post has collected "The craziest things Michele Bachmann has ever said".  Congresswoman (and potential Presidential Candiate) Bachmann has weighed in on intelligent design, germ conspiracies, vaccine hazards, and homophobic paranoia. It is just a matter of time before she claims that HIV does not cause AIDS. Here are some favorite Bachmann quotes from the Huffington Post article. If you have a couple minutes, visit the article and watch some of her videos. 


"And what a bizarre time we're in, when a judge will say to little children that you can't say the pledge of allegiance, but you must learn that homosexuality is normal and you should try it."

Denying AIDS is Turning Japanese

Denying AIDS has been published in Japanese. This translation was in the works for more than two years. 
AIDS Denialism has a foothold in every region of the world. There are AIDS Denialism websites throughout Asia. The Japanese have a strong interest in Denying AIDS. Sadly, it is hard to see the book finally finished at this dark hour. 
The horror of Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami has gripped the world's attention. To receive my copies of the Japanese translation at this moment leaves me speechless. My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Japan.

Seeing is believing: Oxford University Students Learn about AIDS Denialism

Seeing is believing

by Abu Abioye | 11:26 GMT, Tue 01 March 2011

Cherwell.org - Student news and reviews at Oxford University

It seems almost absurd to me that “sensible” people are able to deny evidence that AIDS is caused by HIV. Without trying to sound flippant, I would invite these people to voluntarily infect themselves with HIV and see how they fare. From the holocaust to smoking causing cancer, denialism appears to be rife – posing as skepticism. One might argue that we cannot deny freedom of expression. Indeed, revolutionaries such as Copernicus and Galileo held ideas that contradicted the scientific dogma of their time, and some doctrines that were once accepted by the scientific community have turned out to be false. However, it is important that we stick to the scientific method and provide valid proof for whatever theory or claim we may have, be it in line with or against the scientific consensus.

How AIDS Denialism Can Kill You Part VII: Nadezhda

David Crowe AIDS Denialist

A Russian woman has posted her story at David Crowe's Alberta Reappraising AIDS website. It illustrates how the AIDS Denialism movement attracts people who are unable to cope with their HIV diagnosis. Her T-cells are dropping and she believes it is nothing to worry about. Nothing to with AIDS. Rather than correcting her misinformed beliefs, Crowe is happy to confirm them. He is a primary vector for the spread medical misinformation. If you have read the tragic story of Emery Taylor below, Nadezhda's post will sound very familiar. Here are some excerpts. I encourage you to visit Crowe's website, if you can stomach it. 

My name is Nadezhda. I am 31 years old. I tested HIV-positive 2 years ago, I am asymptomatic and healthy and never have been sick since my “diagnosis”. I didn’t ask for this testing, it was mandatory testing for official purposes.

Prior to my test I already had seen sites online saying that “HIV=AIDS” is a myth. One of them is run by a doctor who writes about healthy lifestyle and natural ways of healings. He also writes against HIV=AIDS and vaccinations and other medical dogmas and since he was a doctor himself I trusted his opinion. When I read that HIV doesn’t cause AIDS, I just knew that he was right deep in my heart. But I didn’t know any details.

Denial Desperation

Guest Posting by Concerned Observant Citizen

The death of Emery Taylor has set off a disturbing action in the “dissident” (denialist) community.  They have taken this death as a Publicity Opportunity to “Circle the Wagons”.  Mr. Taylor’s death has become a call to arms to batten down the hatches and decide if you are a true “dissident” or a “denialist”.  This has started because Mr. Taylor’s death was a “classic AIDS Death” according to Gos, an AIDS dissident blogger, who is also afraid this fact “will prove to be a massive crisis of faith for many who currently call themselves ‘AIDS dissidents’”.  Gos goes on to conjecture that the truth of Mr. Taylor’s death “will make or break us.”

How AIDS Denialism Can Kill You Part VI: Emery Taylor Dies at age 28

The Rethinking AIDS Website predominantly displays Emery Taylor as one of many people  living just fine without HIV medications. The Home Page at Rethinking AIDS says…

.

“HIV+ for over 10 years, no meds, healthy”

Emery Taylor was interviewed at the RA2009 Conference:"According to the numbers I have AIDS, but when you look at me you see a healthy 28-year old ... I don't spell AIDS at all ... I work 70 hours a week ... It's just not consistent with what my doctor said would happen eleven years ago when I tested positive."

Emery Taylor has died. The following Facebook page announces his memorial service.

"It's with heartfelt sympathy that Rehoboth Temple communicates the passing of one of its members, Emery Taylor. 
Our condolences and prayers are with his family, friends and the many whose lives were touched by him.


See past stories on How AIDS Denialism Can Kill You
Part V: Karri Stokely 
Part IV: One Too Many Coincidences 
Part III: Lambros Papantoniou
Kim Bannon
Part II: Henry Bauer
Part I: AIDS Myths Exposed

Goodbye to another reckless source of AIDS Denialism

Mothering Magazine Ceases Publication

 BY SIERRA ON FEBRUARY 15TH, 2011 @  http://blogs.babble.com

After over 30 years of publication, Mothering Magazine is leaving the shelves. Mothering will continue as a web-only organization, but the magazine has printed its last issue.

Mothering has long catered to hippie mamas, featuring stories on attachment parenting, cosleeping, natural foods and creative play. The magazine, and more recently the message boards, have been a home base for parents with an alternative viewpoint for generations.

The magazine announced the change on Facebook today, surprising their thousands of readers, many of whom hold subscriptions to the print magazine.

The January/February and March/April issues of Mothering will still be published, but in web-only form. After that the magazine will cease publication altogether, though Mothering will continue its message boards and other online activities.

Montreal Gets a Crash Course in AIDS Denialism

HIV denialism has taken too many lives  

Beware the medical myth that HIV is harmless or doesn't even exist  

By KEN WITWER AND SETH KALICHMAN, Montreal Gazette February 11, 2011

What if most everything you think you know about HIV and AIDS is wrong?" This, according to Terry Michael in his opinion piece "Junk science and AIDS" (Gazette, Feb. 5) is the question that HIV-positive boxer Tommy Morrison is asking Canadian officials in his plea to fight in Quebec on Feb. 25. Morrison has repeatedly tested positive for HIV and refuses to take an HIV test that is mandatory if he is to take part in the fight. The authorities require the test because, fairly or not, they do not want to risk Morrison's infecting his opponent or anyone else who comes into contact with his blood.

Rather than encourage Morrison to take the simple, routine HIV test, ending the speculation about his HIV status and clearing his way into the ring, Michael astonishingly states that HIV tests are not accurate and that HIV, the cause of AIDS, does not even exist.

The science is indisputable. HIV tests are among the most accurate tests for any medical condition. HIV/AIDS has caused tens of millions of deaths: men and women, old and young, gay and straight.

UPDATE: The Kansas City Star has printed a very sad account of Tommy Morrison's life in AIDS denial. Click here for that story.

HIV denial is fatal

The most convincing argument that the virus causes AIDS is that anti-retroviral medications are prolonging the lives of millions

Montreal Gazette Feb 10, 2011

How I wish that the opinion article "Junk science and AIDS" by Terry Michael (Gazette, Feb. 5) had begun: "Once upon a time there was a wicked journalist preying on sick and dying people ..." Instead, the article brought us a seemingly reputable journalist publishing a vitriolic and prejudiced rant exhorting Canadians to know that "there is not now and there never was a human immunodeficiency virus.".

Michael is wrong - as are the arguments he uses to deny that the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can cause the fatal destruction of the immune system that we call AIDS. Were his article to have been government-sponsored, people would in all likelihood be crying propaganda! It is incongruous and inexplicable that the executive director of what is claimed to be a prestigious and responsible U.S. journalism foundation could write such a misleading and harmful article.

I will not address the prejudiced, pejorative nomenclature Michael uses -such as "lucrative profits," "incestuous urban gay enclaves," "victims of a multi-billion dollar HIV-AIDS industry." Nor will I address his distorted presentation of the science and history of HIV/ AIDS with which he justifies his denial that HIV can cause fatal illness. Science establishes its truths through reproducible and peer-reviewed evidence, not by what politicians, journalists, or even individual scientists might "declare." The quality of science that explains the cause and disease mechanisms of HIV infection that lead to AIDS, and that underlies the development of highly effective anti-HIV treatments, resulted in a 2008 Nobel Prize being awarded to the two scientists who discovered HIV.

Peter Duesberg and the Other Top 9 Most Controversial Professors in America

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Peter Duesberg. This professor was much admired and respected at his University of California-Berkeley campus, and has completed some incredibly respectable work. But a recent article in Discovermagazine brought to light some of Duesberg’s more controversial, perhaps even unsavory, beliefs to light. Since 1986, Duesberg has been an adamant AIDS denier, believing that the illness is caused by drug use rather than by the HIV virus. Despite a lack of evidence backing up his claims, as well as some concerns about ethics in regard to his published articles, Duesberg’s views have affected international AIDS policy, especially in South Africa. It is thought that the government’s refusal to provide anti-viral medications to AIDS patients, believing with Duesberg that their condition was not caused by a virus, led to hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths.

Is Boxer Tommy Morrison's Cut-Man the Dumbest Guy on the Planet?

Boxer Tommy Morrison tested HIV positive in 1996. Sadly, he had to stop boxing and gave up a three fight deal worth over $38 Million.

When Earvin 'Magic' Johnson faced the same tragedy, I remember feeling great sadness for him, his sport, and his fans. I was living in Chicago in 1991 and in case you do not remember, in 1991 Chicago was focused on Michael Jordon and NBA Basketball.  Magic Johnson's announcement that he was retiring from the LA Lakers after testing HIV positive stunned the world. Perhaps outside of LA, no place could have been more devastated than Chicago.

Those of us working in AIDS research at the time knew everything in our city had changed. I remember thinking how basketball must be a pretty low-risk sport when it comes to HIV transmission. No question, B-ball is a high contact rough sport. But aside from President Obama's recent lip injury, I am not sure when the last time was that I saw a player bleed on the court much less on a fellow player.

The Anti-Science of AIDS Denialism: New Must Read Blog Post

AIDS Denialism: Deadly Ignorance Part I@ In Vivo Blog http://cwgk.blogspot.com/
Those of us in the skeptical community are no strangers to whacko medical theories. It seems every week there is another quack promoting a new "naturalistic" diet or treatment. By far, though, the brunt of a skeptic's time is dealing with denialism – groups of individuals denying that contemporary medical practices don't work or are even dangerous. In the last few years, the anti-vax denialists have been in the media spotlight due to their elaborate campaigns and the outspoken celebrities like Jenny McCarthy who have taken up the anti-vax fight. But there is another camp of deniers festering away in the underbelly of alternative medicine. These people are the AIDS deniers; people who claim that AIDS is not caused by the HIV virus, but rather that it is actually caused by drug use. Some even go so far as to claim that HIV does not exist! Given the horrifying prevalence of AIDS in third world nations and even its alarming proliferation in developed nations, increasing support for AIDS denialism is not simply worrying but outright dangerous.

AIDS denialism has been known to me for some time, having learned about it from reading about Nobel Prize winner Kary Mullis, who is one of AIDS denialism's best known proponents. Though, given Mullis' colorful personality I figured he was just a lone crank. It was not until this past week when a good friend of mine, SofiaRune, began to get comments on a Youtube video she produced about debunking the link between HIV infection rates and male circumcision. A user by the name of "mykoolaidtastesfunny" made a variety of claims about how AIDS and HIV are not linked, and how HIV has not been shown to exist. He also posted a video by a variety of AIDS "skeptics" repeating his points. Immediately we began to investigate these claims. In the following series of posts, I'll address the claims of the AIDS "skeptics". In Part I, I will focus on the video that started it all…
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