It's hard to clarify exactly what's what. To mark World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, the museum installed a mezuzah designed by Santa Monica artist Albert J. Winn. The mezuzah contained a vial of HIV-infected blood drawn from Winn's arm six months ago. The vial replaced the roll of parchment inscribed with two Deuteronomy passages that is traditionally found inside a mezuzah casing. Museum officials said the callers' complaints ranged from fears of a public health risk and anger over the alleged desecration of a ritual object to tirades against the morality of homosexuals and wild assertions that gays with money and power invented the AIDS epidemic to evoke sympathy.
Gays get what they deserve.
The tone of some of the negative responses startled museum director Seymour Fromer. Others, however, offered their support of Winn's artwork. After several days of negative remarks on the computer and on the telephone, Berman reached a conclusion. He was inspired by the Exodus story about the Angel of Death who passed over homes with lambs' blood swabbed on their doorposts. Despite the negative responses, which apparently came only from people who didn't personally view the installlation, museum officials said they didn't regret their decision to install the mezuzah.