WORLD AIDS DAY

How many people realize that today is World AIDS day?

How many people even remember what a crisis HIV/AIDS was 10-15-20 years ago?

How many people even realize that AIDS is STILL one of the most devastating crises facing the world today?

How many people remember when nobody talked about AIDS because it didn't affect "people like them?"

How many people remember coming of age in a time where, in addition to facing stigma for his/her sexual orientation, they had to worry if their physical expression of love (or a mutual celebration of sexual attraction) came with the threat of life threatening illness and discrimination?

How many people remember when finding out that a person had HIV meant that s/he would probably be dead in 18 months? A time before toxic drug cocktails starting keeping our friends alive longer at cost of devastating their bodies in other ways?

I say NOT NEARLY ENOUGH!!! And as importantly, that those times are not just memories. They are RIGHT NOW! It's not over!

But nobody talks about HIV/AIDS anymore. Teenagers -- people in general-- no longer have a sense of urgency about protecting themselves.


Many people in this country have the opportunity to take advantage of effective treatments, but most of the people in the world who are affected by HIV/AIDS do not have this luxury.

It's a huge problem, and there is no simple answer. We can't rely on big business or the government to solve these problems (many argue that it's not their job to), so please support foundations such as the William J. Clinton Foundation, which is just one of many groups doing great work to make a difference.

I stopped working in HIV/AIDS 6 years ago because I had a terrible experience at an AIDS Service organization-- I won't name them, because they have threatened to sue anyone that bad-mouths them publicly, but I WILL say that they are located about 40ish miles outside NYC in a suburb very hard hit by the HIV/AIDS crisis. Hell, I'll say they are EAST of NYC and NOT in Connecticut, so pull out a map and figure it out. They SUCKED, and senior management there should be ashamed of themselves for being so self-serving and such an embarrassment to a field that I was, up to that point, proud to work in.

This particular organization was on the far end of the spectrum from The Boulder County AIDS Project (BCAP) , where I first started volunteering in the early 1990s, and was hired on staff a few years later. It is the job that I have continued to compare all others to, and I can't say enough about how well-respected they are in the Boulder community, and among AIDS service organizations around the country. They "get it," and they make a difference.

I only stopped working in the field because I couldn't find the "right" job after leaving LIA--- oops, I almost said their name-- after leaving my last job. I landed here at the National Marfan Foundation, and felt like I have a chance to do good here, so here I am, and I am happy here. But I still support HIV/AIDS related organizations when I can. One of my favorite organizations is Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS because it links my love of theatre to my passion for HIV/AIDS education.


You can get some basic stats from Until There's a Cure-- this link is to their "vital statistics" page. You might know this organization as the group that sells silver cuff-style bracelets with a raised AIDS ribbon on the side-- you can get them in The Body Shop and other retailers. More information on the bracelets can be found here. I used to have one of the silver bracelets, but I gave it to my friend Stella several years ago. Her son Jerry was my first friend (that I knew of, of course) who contracted HIV, and his death a few years later devastated me. I credit him for my becoming interested in non-profit work, so in a way, I owe my career to him. Here's his picture, and his AIDS Memorial Quilt (from the Names Project Foundation) panel is the bottom right one in the image at the top of this post (incidentally, the one next to his, Don Holloway, was a colleague I did HIV/AIDS volunteer work with in 1989 as well). I miss Jerry every day!


So today, World AIDS Day, 2006, please take a moment to remember. Remember people who we have lost before their full potential could be revealed. Remember those who are living with HIV/AIDS every day, fighting on to keep living, showing the power of hope and determination. And remember those who still need to be educated about HIV/AIDS to protect themselves and slow the horrendous course of this pandemic. Please... PLEASE REMEMBER!

If you wish, you can go here to light a "virtual candle" commemorating the day.