Former Maryland Gov. William Donald Schaeffer (D) made headlines last week when he called for a public state registry for people who tested positive for HIV, according to The Washington Post.
Schaeffer, 82, asked the state's HIV administrator why there isn't a list of those infected with the virus that causes AIDS during a public meeting last week.
Early in the 1990s, Schaeffer tried to make a public registry policy in his administration. It was voted against three times. State health officials worried that a list would discourage people from being tested or seeking care.
Schaeffer continued to fight for the controversial registry, calling people with AIDS "a danger to spread AIDS."
"They don't get it by sitting on the toilet seat ... a person who gives AIDS, who spreads AIDS, they're bad people. Everybody wants to be on the good side of everything. Well, I'm taking a stand," he told The Washington Post.
His remarks shocked activists opposed to the registry issue.
"That someone who holds his position could make such insensitive remarks and advocate such draconian policies and show such a complete level of ignorance, and yet feel that he is equipped to speak on the issue - I'm just dumbfounded," said Dan Furmasky, executive director of Equality Maryland, which advocates for gay, bisexual and transgender residents, according to The Post.
Currently, like other states, Maryland keeps a record of patients with AIDS, but keeps it coded and unavailable to the public.
