Today is a day of great importance. A day that for me, is a celebration of life and of hope. It is a day that we all too often forget and wish was not here.
Yes, it is my birthday, but no that is not what I am referring too.
Today is World AIDS Day, and now more than ever, we need to focus on this disease and the global crisis it has taken on the world. Currently, the statistics show that 40 million people are living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, with 5 million new cases and 3 million deaths reported last year (read here). Almost ½ of the new infections are amongst young people aged 15 to 24, and nearly 5 million people became infected in 2003.
I have spent almost two-thirds of my life living in a world that has been overshadowed by this disease and epidemic, and it has irrevocably changed my life, in so many ways. I wonder if it is too much to ask to see the day when there will be a cure, but I know that it will be one of the happiest days of my life.
I don’t want to see more friends get sick.
I don’t want to see more friends die,.
And I am tired of seeing friends live through the pain and shun of having this disease.
I want to see people come together and pay attention and realise that this battle is not over. With the advent of stronger HIV cocktails and AIDS Treatments, we are closer to an AIDS/HIV vaccine and other discoveries, but my fear is that people will believe that they can take greater risks because of it. There needs to be a greater awareness, not just for gay men, but for every man, woman and child of every ethnicity and sexual orientation. We still need to shed light on this global crisis.
So, tonight instead of partying up a storm, I will be clebrating my birthday by volunteering for CANFAR, at their annual fundraiser Bloor Street Entertains. It is the least I can do, to give back and support a community that desperately needs it.
HIV has not gone away, and it is something we all need to be concerned about. We all need to take action, whether it is through volunteering, funding or simply educating ourselves and those around us. It may be an unfortunate irony that I share my birthday with this day of action and memory, but it makes it that much more important and meaningful for me.
So please take some time out to educate yourselves.
That’s all I ask of you on my birthday.
For online support and information:
AIDS & Sexual Health Line Toronto http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/health/ai_index.htm
POZ Canadaian Forum www.pozcanadian.com
Aids Committee of Toronto http://www.actoronto.org/
Toronto PWA Foundation http://www.pwatoronto.org/
3 comments:
Happy Birthday! Props to you on your special day, for being so humble. Thats very admirable.
What an amazing way to spend your birthday. I wish more people were aware of HIV and would stop the stigma and discrimination that accompany it.
Anonymous - Thanks, but it wasn't all that altruistic. there was an open bar, and I had my fair share of champagne. :)
Snooze - Welcome! Thanks for the post. Been reading your posts and like how thought provoking they are. looking forward to reading more!
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