A Retrospective Journey through AIDS..."
A Memoir - Michael Wallace Connett
YES! I Am…
Michael W. Connett
Greetings!
This October, in the 30th year of this grotesque calamity, marks the 20th year of my personal Journey through AIDS. More
than 20 years and 20 million deaths since the first AIDS diagnosis in
1981, almost 38 million people (range 34.6 – 42.3 million) are living
with HIV. AIDS is an extraordinary kind of crisis; it is both an emergency and a
long-term development issue. Despite increased funding, political
commitment and progress in expanding access to HIV treatment, the AIDS
epidemic continues to outpace our response. No segment of humanity has
been spared. The epidemic remains extremely dynamic, growing and
changing character as the virus exploits new opportunities for
transmission. This
last year was our worst year ever, with 5 Million New HIV Infections
(Prevention failures) and 3 Million Deaths (Treatment failures). As
AIDS Quilt founder Cleve Jones said in 2001; “Our hearts may be filled,
but there are only two emotions worth expressing at this perilous time:
GRIEF and RAGE. Grief for the millions who have died and are
dying. Rage at the indifference, greed, and stupidity that permit
this grotesque calamity to continue.”
Indifference,
greed and stupidity are also the three major ingredients in the
American recipe for what has come to be known as AIDS Complacency. A
Cultural phenomena against which every major player in the fight
against it has warned us continually for as long as I can remember. Indifference which is rooted in the arrogance that it can’t happen to us, only “the right people”; mainly gays. Greed fueled by the profits, jobs and paychecks from the new industry and
bureaucracy it spawned. Stupidity
that feeds the intolerance, discrimination, stigmatization and
demonization that prevents us from using every means available to
prevent future infections as well as diagnose, treat and care for those
who already have been.
“We need leaders everywhere to demonstrate that speaking up about AIDS is a point of pride,
There must be no more sticking heads in the sand, no more embarrassment, no more hiding behind a veil of apathy. Leadership means respecting and upholding the human rights of all who are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS…”
"I
used to be afraid of dying, I'm not anymore. I'm more afraid of what
happens to the people who live..."
from "And The Band Played On"
Greetings Y'ALL! It's JUNE!National LGBT PRIDE Month, The 30th Anniversary of HIV-AIDS, GoettaFest, ItalianFest...
