Scientology Accused of Singling out HIV+ Protesters

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Scientology Accused of Singling out HIV+ Protesters
Wednesday Jan 14, 2009

Protesters against the Church of Scientology are alleging that Scientology lawyers have obtained medical information regarding two protesters, and are using their HIV positive status in an attempt to prevent them from picketing at the location.

The protesters sent out a release denouncing what they call "a shocking new tactic attempting to ban peaceful protesters." The protesters are picketing a Scientology compound known as "Gold Base" near Hemet, Calif.

Worldwide pickets against Scientology have surged in the last year, and Scientology has been fighting to stop them, especially near the Hemet compound. According to the protesters, Scientology has used tactics ranging from physical attacks, false reports to police, and the emission of a loud organ note from loudspeakers in an attempt to drown out the protesters’ chants.

Attorney Graham Berry and activists who call themselves "Angry Gay Pope" (AGP) and "Happy Smurf" (a former Scientologist) are openly gay. Scientology, which policy states that homosexuals are "low on the tone scale" and should be "disposed of quietly and without sorrow," has obtained AGP and Happy Smurf’s private records and discovered that they are HIV positive.

Scientology is lobbying for the passage of a county-wide ordinance in Riverside County that would result in restricting protesting at "Gold Base." Scientology lawyers are advocating that the presence of the two HIV-positive men presents a threat to the well-being of the alleged 500 workers at the Base, and is seeking to restrict protests.

At the 2008 Toronto Gay Pride Parade, Scientologists claimed to be able to cure homosexuality. The Church of Scientology of California to "Yes on 8," to secure the passage of the anti-gay marriage referendum.

COMMENTS

"Scientology Accused of Singling out HIV+ Protesters"

Anonymous, 2009-01-14 11:27:20

Wow, this is awful! The police has to protect the Scientologists from being harassed by three (happen to be gay) "protesters" yelling in front of their bedroom window??? America should have better laws to protest its people...

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Anonymous, 2009-01-14 11:53:02

"protect its people"...not protest, though it seems to be that way.

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Anonymous, 2009-01-14 12:31:41

Five carloads of cops showed up and demanded to know the HIV status of the protesters. Problem was the protesters had an LA Times reporter and photographer with them. oopsie...

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Anonymous, 2009-01-14 12:38:25

Scientology isn’t going after these guys because they’re HIV positive, but they’re using whatever they can to try to harm them, even if that would involve breaking privacy rules.My understanding of the situation (I’ve only read the reports) is that the sheriff deputies were demading identifications, but they weren’t demanding HIV info - they were saying that the Scientologists had told them that the protesters had HIV, and passed this on to the protesters. If the cops had kept it to themselves, the protesters wouldn’t have found out about this information leak, so perhaps telling them was decently done by the cops? Depends on how they did it. "Hey shithead do you have HIV!" versus "You won’t believe this, but those morons from Scientology said we should ask you if you had HIV".

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Anonymous, 2009-01-14 13:33:58

Scientologists have been picketing the homes of their critics for years. They flyer whole neighborhoods with nasty details about their critics that their P.I.’s dig up. If they can’t find any dirt on somebody they make it up.So how come picketing scientology is a problem that needs a new law?

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Anonymous, 2009-01-14 14:16:33

Wow, this is awful! Five carloads of police officers have to protect the Scientologists from being harassed by three (happen to be gay) protesters standing with picket signs in front of their compound with security cameras, armed guards, and razor wire??? America should have better laws to protest its people...P.S.: Go to Wikipedia to learn about Scientology. It is as fair and unbiased a site as you can find in the entire world about this subject.

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Anonymous, 2009-01-14 14:59:58

Way to go Scientology!Enjoy your $25,000 fine for violating California’s Health & Safety code by maliciously releasing someone’s HIV status.Also enjoy your massive federal fines for violating HIPAA.Lastly, enjoy getting reamed big time in civil court by the people you illegally released medical information about."The most ethical people on the planet (tm)" are about to get an expensive lesson in real ethics.

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Anonymous, 2009-01-14 16:04:34

How did they get private medical records? That is illegal. Where is the investigation into Scientology getting private medical records? These criminals must be prosecuted.

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Anonymous, 2009-01-14 19:21:56

May I say a term that $cumology is very well known for litigation......$camology is going down and is taking all those stars with them...TomKats career is in the toilet, and many will be next.....we all know what $cientology crimes are now.....Time for David McCabbagehead (leader of the cult) to see the inside of a jail cell.....

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Anonymous, 2009-01-15 00:44:57

"How did they get private medical records?" They didn’t, that’s just a claim of Donald Myers and Gary Scarff (the two HIV+ "protesters"). But in truth Garff alleges since 1997 that he has AIDS and Myers tries to get sympathy with this claim since months. Not really hard to find out then. "That is illegal." Not only that but also libel and false testimony is. I predict backfire...

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Anonymous, 2009-01-15 14:26:47

Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard on his deathbed told his son "You know how to get rich... start a religion." admitting that Scientology is nothing but a fictionally created story. Scientology is nothing but a corporation that thrives off the ignorance of it’s followers by selling them and whoever else books, and courses on how to "improve" themselves spiritually. One of their expensive scams is that they will sell you for extremely large amounts of money a series of books that in the end are supposed to teach you how to walk through walls.... and after spending long hours of self deceptive meditation, a lot of money, and reading you become brainwashed to believe that you can actually walk through walls and when you try to and end up bumping your nose against the wall you are told that you couldn’t do it because you’re not ready yet however there are more books and courses available that will someday make it possible for you to do so for larger amounts of money butt not really. Scientology = manipulative corporate scam brainwashing moneybaggers club Scientologist = manipulated misguided foolI know someone who got sucked into that Scientology I didn’t know he was a Scientologist until one day, about 4 years ago, he said "Rob here’s a book you should read." He passed me Dianetics by L. Ron Hubbard. I laughed and said "L. Con Flubbfart ha forget it." For the first time in the years since I’ve known the guy he displayed anger and I’m talking very angry!!! Verbally with an agressive face.After that display he went on to talk about the ability to walk through walls, he hasn’t reached that level but he plans on getting there etc...

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Anonymous, 2009-01-15 16:21:14

Now you know why so many people over the years have left the Church of Scientology to practice as Independent Practionars in the Freezone. The SUBJECT of Scientology is great, but the way the Church manages is just unbelieveably bad. Banning someone because they have AIDS is cruel and unusual punishment.A former Church member

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Anonymous, 2009-01-15 16:52:23

Wrong the subject of Scientology is a useless waste of time for everyone involved except for the heartless people at the top who only care about profiteering off the suckers who joined their club.

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Anonymous, 2009-01-17 00:00:25

Wow, Scientology really did it this time...

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Anonymous, 2009-01-17 02:59:27

Does it bother edge at all that there is not a shred of proof for this rumor? See http://anotherlookatscientology2.blogspot.com/2009/01/hiv-rumor-only-rumor.html

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