This website just passed a milestone:  25000 unique visitors since April 2, 2009.

When we launched wisconsinhiv.com we saw it as a short term vehicle for disseminating information regarding the failures of AIDS Network.  Through this site we exposed the general public to the site visits that were conducted by DHS; site visits that resulted in many mandated corrective actions and conditional funding.

We also exposed the extreme disparity in directly provided HIV/AIDS services in southern Wisconsin when compared to other areas of the state and called attention to hypocrisy at play at AIDS Network through the agency’s labeling those who raise legitimate concerns as “embittered dissidents”.

In other words, we aired the agency’s “dirty laundry”.

In doing so we have effectively put ourselves in a position of being the enemies of AIDS Network.  Karen Dotson plays armchair psychiatrist and diagnosis us as “crazy”; as having mental health issues and psychological disorders for simply speaking truth to power.

We have exposed the agency’s hatred of ARCW; a fact evidenced by Karen’s refusal to consider ARCW’s offer of technical assistance or the possibility of a shared Madison location.

The issues are ongoing and AIDS Network continues their refusal to engage in respectful dialog.  The facade of services has been enhanced, but underneath it we find that the problems are still present and AIDS Network continues to demonize, stigmatize and shun the very community they are supposed to be serving.  The “survival at any cost” mentality has gripped AIDS Network so strongly that they are forgetting the HIV/AIDS community they are supposed to be serving.

Karen Dotson, Ellen Berz, Gerry Haney, Mary Vasquez, Tamim Sifri, Eldonna Hazen, Michael Bruno, Christina Ballard, Ken Marks, Astra Iheukumere and Tim Lapp:  It is your profound failure as the leaders of AIDS Network that has made this website an absolute necessity.

Sadly, it doesn’t appear that we will be shutting down anytime soon.