World AIDS Day

Do you know how many people in your acquaintance are HIV+?

Do you know how many people you have known have died from AIDS related illnesses?

I wonder how many of you have stopped to think and count the numbers? Those of a certain generation may have given up counting out of weariness rather than lack of caring. Those of the younger generation may have never given it a passing thought.

I consider myself lucky that the numbers are low for me. I have only 2 people who have died from AIDS related causes. I guess that there are others that I have known and lost contact with who may have also died, but these two are the only ones I KNOW about.

At the moment I am also only aware of 3 people that I know to be HIV+, and all have been for at least 6 years and are, on the whole, very healthy still. There are also almost certainly people who have not yet confided in me, and those who may not even know themselves that they are HIV+, obviously though, I can only quantify the ones that I know about.

I was in senior school when the AIDS epidemic first made itself known to the world. Back then, even though I knew I was gay, I had yet to discover sex and so it had little impact on my psyche. I left school in 1988, and that December 1st was the first ever World AIDS Day. Again I was blissfully unaware of this at the time.

I think that the first time I really paid attention to World AIDS Day was when I moved to Torquay in the mid 90's. Being in a smaller community I was more aware of the minutiae of gay life. I got chatting to a local charity worker and arrange to get a quantity of red ribbons to sell at my place of work. I didn't raise massive amounts but I did raise awareness and so hope that I made a difference that way.

That year, I am embarrassed to say, was the only ever time that I have ever gone out of my way to raise money for charity. I support certain charity events, like World AIDS Day and the Poppy Appeal for Armistice Day, but rarely go the whole hog to raise money from others myself. Maybe I should, though I am put off by the possibility of being forced into political, theological or moralistic "discussions."

World AIDS Day is, to me, one of those rare times when we can congregate as a community to mourn our losses, share our knowledge and experience, and raise awareness within and without the community boundaries. A speciality of our community is commemorating this serious and decidedly dreadful thing in a humorous, energetic and memorable way. I personally am looking forward to the party in Comptons tonight when the players from the Kings Cross Steelers will be up for auction! I expect to see plenty of flesh being flashed. I've raided my penny jar in preparation already!!