World AIDS Day: 'A Day to Paint a Picture of the Truth' (Page 1 of 2)

This year, the Knoxville community will observe World AIDS Day Dec. 1 in the Sunsphere. Events will begin at noon and include the Outstanding Person Award, a performance by community members titled “Positive” and a candlelight vigil honoring the friends and loved ones lost to HIV/ AIDS. I have volunteered to serve as the emcee this year, and in my research planning my remarks, I found a ton of interesting information. I looked through books, plays and poetry; I looked up Web sites for various AIDS organizations like UNAIDS, AMFAR and World AIDS Day Commission, and I turned to the community to lift up their voices.

I would like to use this commentary to share community voices, but before I do that, I will share with you one positive idea that I found in my research, one negative idea and one very cynical quote.

The international theme for World AIDS Day 2007 is “Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise,” with a focus on promoting leadership and building on the 2006 theme of continuing to hold national and international leaders accountable for decisions that affect the health and well-being of us all. The individualism and capitalist approach of many Americans could be used for good when directed at solving the global AIDS crisis.

However, capitalism is at the root of the negative idea that I found in my research. A few years ago, I remember hearing a criticism of President George W. Bush and his launch of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Critics thought that the $15 billion in the plan should have been shared with the UNAIDS program rather than starting a separate initiative that kept power in the hands of the American government. Whether that is the case, I was surprised to see the PEPFAR theme this year is “The Power of Partnerships.” Being an optimist, I hope this theme shows the “turning of a new leaf,” with Bush agreeing to join global forces in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Finally, I found this cynical quote from author Barbara Ehrenreich regarding the role of pharmaceutical companies in the fight against HIV/AIDS: “From the point of view of the pharmaceutical industry, the AIDS problem has already been solved. After all, we already have a drug which can be sold at the incredible price of $8,000 an annual dose, and which has the added virtue of not diminishing the market by actually curing anyone.”

These ideas, plans, policy dilemmas and medical shortcomings demonstrate that as we observe the 19th anniversary of World AIDS Day, communities around the globe face different challenges and struggles in overcoming the disease. The following are three responses from Knoxville community members to the question: “What does World AIDS Day mean to you?”

“World AIDS Day is a time to reflect on how far we have come — in the ’old days’ we hoped for the day that it would be a ’manageable’ thing, similar to diabetes — well, here we are. Though the meds are terribly poisonous to the body and have awful side effects, people are living much longer. I am grateful for all the work that has been done over the years to improve the lives of persons with AIDS/HIV.

“World AIDS Day is a time to recall the names and lives of those who have died and their contribution to the movement. It is a time to gather, celebrate those who are survivors, support those who are recently diagnosed, energize our efforts of education and prevention. We must keep the word out there that this is a preventable disease and not to let down our defenses.

In the 1980s, the LGBTQ community rallied around those who were sick. We were the ones that took care of our people; we lobbied for more funds for assistance and research. We persisted until it happened. The first Knoxville benefit for AIDS was initiated and brought to fruition by the drag queens. It’s just a good time to appreciate, remember and be encouraged to keep on keepin’ on!” — Rick Sawyer, former AIDS worker and current therapist at the Helen Ross McNabb center.

“In my eyes, this is a day of celebration and a day to remember the people that have lost their battle to AIDS. It is a day to celebrate because 26 years later, people like me are living longer and, to some degree, healthier. It is a day to reflect for a moment in time and think of the people that once spoke up about AIDS and made some major accomplishments in doing so. It is a day to remember the many people 26 years ago that did not have a voice or means to speak about a virus that has not changed that much. [It’s also] a day to remember the people that once marched on the streets and demanded that humans get the life-saving treatments they needed but could not afford. Good job to those that fought that battle to make my life somewhat easier. Thanks.