When I first heard about Wednesday evening’s candlelight memorial to help remember World AIDS Day (USA), I thought I couldn’t make it. And then I thought I could. And then, yesterday, I thought, oh dear – I probably cannot make it.
And, ultimately, thanks to two meetings at work today, I didn’t get home from the gym until 6:45 – too late to make it in time to see the sea of candles flowing into Wittenburgplatz. Admittedly I could have gone, but since I had a ton of things tonight, in preparation for my trip Thursday morning – I’m off to the UK– I couldn’t go.
But I do want to pause for a second to reflect upon World AIDS Day.
HIV and AIDS hits home for me – and not just because I am gay. I know people who are HIV positive. I know people who have died from AIDS related illnesses.
It amazes me that thirty years into the (known) era of HIV that there are still people who have unprotected sexual intercourse outside of a committed relationship. It amazes me that teachers and parents are not willing to educate their children that fucking without a properly used condom could lead to infection.
There seems to be a fantasy out there that because drugs can minimize the effects of being infected that it’s OK to be positive. There are even “conversion” parties where idiots seek to intentionally become positive.
Another bizarre aspect of this story is that a lot of heterosexuals seem to think that HIV is a gay only disease. It’s not – and too many straight kids and adults are getting infected simply because they believe that they are invincible.
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