USCA Commentary - Stopping AIDS is about Remembrance

Michael Emanuel Rajner

National Secretary - Campaign To End AIDS

Telephone: (305) 677-3506

The commentary written by Eric Miller of Palm Beach County captures the proud contribution made by Campaign to End AIDS at the United States Conference on AIDS. The youth demonstration came under heavy attack by a Broward County member of the USCA Host Committee who hastily jumped from her seat and unsuccessfully attempted to stop the peaceful demonstration while in progress. Paul Kawata, Executive Director of NMAC and others were reported to have applauded the effort of these courageous youth while others did state they found the action a waste of time and effort. These youth were accused of “preaching to the choir”. Perhaps the choir they were preaching to is either tone deaf or among the resistance we find to make true progress in the fight to end AIDS.

The youth that participated in the peaceful demonstration entered the luncheon while holding up End AIDS posters and singing chants that they creatively came up with on their own and then found a table to sit and enjoy lunch. At no time did these courageous youthful community members evidence any sign of disrespect to the conference organizers or attendees of the United States Conference on AIDS. In actuality, it was the youth of the world living with HIV/AIDS that were disrespected by a member of the USCA Host Committee who would have otherwise preferred the voice of these youth to be silenced in manner more acceptable to their conservative standards. Never before has the phrase “Silence equals Death” meant more to me.

Censorship is surely alive and exercised in Broward County as the USCA Host Committee Member continues to refuse to meet and discuss this incident and arrive at some form of closure and guarantee the ability to work together in the future. Perhaps an action of civil disobedience was warranted and should have been considered. It is my hope this individual will recognize that we all have something valuable to contribute to the fight to End AIDS. No one person or organization has the right to silence the voice of others. We must recognize that we all have something important and unique to contribute in the fight to End AIDS.

These courageous youth found their voice that Saturday afternoon at the conference and were not “preaching to the choir”. With stigma being among the leading cause for people failing to obtain or remain in primary medical care, these adolescents loudly told conference attendees they were proud to be the people they are.

The Campaign to End AIDS encourages all youth to find and harness all the resources available for them to empower themselves and become the strongest advocate possible. As adults, it is our responsibly to be certain that ALL resources are afforded to the generation that follows. After 25 years in the fight to End AIDS the HIV/AIDS community needs to end the divisiveness and regain a sense of unity. We continually witness some of the largest AIDS Service Organizations transform into the biggest funding whores and exercise their unconscionable conflict of interest in a mafia-like effort to monopolize as much funding as possible. During reauthorization, we have seen some of these organizations defame and mutate the courage a young man and attempt to damage the legacy of the Ryan White CARE Act and lobby for the elimination of support services afforded to people living with HIV/AIDS. How dare these organizations belittle the necessity for food, housing, transportation and other support services that are essential to the care and dignity of a person living with HIV/AIDS.

Select Members of Congress should be ashamed of themselves for having used the reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act as a political tool for re-election. If the leadership in Congress truly cared about the HIV/AIDS community they would have never allowed the CARE Act to expire last year and would have declared a War to End AIDS! To this day, America continues to have no plan to End AIDS.

COMMENTARY

STOPPING AIDS IS ABOUT REMEMBRANCE

By Eric Miller

The face of AIDS changes year after year. We have all grown accustomed to this as we all try to fight the leading cause of death throughout the world. However, are we losing track of our goal? Are we forgetting about the loved ones that we promised to live for after they were gone?

On September 21 - 25, 2006, I saw just that. At the United States Conference on AIDS, held in Hollywood, Florida this year, a group of youth of color passionately chanted the words “Stop AIDS Now,” making a statement for other conference attendees to remember.

The demonstration, organized by Campaign 2 End AIDS, made me proud to see the infancy of a new generation stand up and fight for what they believed in. Yet, onlookers did not feel the same. Conference attendees acknowledged their vocal presence as disruptive and aggravating as they consumed their fine meal sponsored by a pharmaceutical company.

At this year’s conference, many events to honor those who have passed due to AIDS, such as “No More Names,” had very low attendance. Instead, attendees chose to spend their time focused on the live entertainment, such as Jennifer Holiday.

The conference, which is sponsored by the National AIDS Minority Council, returned after being canceled last year due to Hurricane Rita hitting Houston, where it was scheduled to take place. Previously it was held in Philadelphia, where the group ACT UP Philadelphia was denied access to the hotel by the host committee because they wanted to demonstrate at the conference.

Censorship never made us smarter. In addition, diverting our attention from educational opportunities such as the AIDS Memorial Quilt will only hurt us. Why have the leaders associated with this pandemic shied away from these motivational and significant demonstrations?

The Quilt, one of the most powerful tools in preventing new HIV infections, was conceived by gay rights activist Cleve Jones 20 years ago this November. In 1978, Jones began helping organize an annual candlelight march honoring gay San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone, who were assassinated.

According to the Names Project Foundation, “while planning the 1985 march, he learned that more than 1,000 San Franciscans had been lost to AIDS. He asked each of his fellow marchers to write on placards the names of friends and loved ones who had died of AIDS.” After the march was over, the placards were taped to the walls of the San Francisco Federal Building, making the wall look like a patchwork quilt.

Stopping AIDS cannot happen once a year at an annual conference, but at least we can take that opportunity to educate as many people as possible. We must focus on new treatments, technologies and research. And most importantly, we must not forget of the effects of the disease.

World AIDS Day is coming up on December 1^st at 7 pm Compass and the Names Project South Florida Chapter will sponsor its 3^rd annual Candle Light Vigil and Panel induction ceremony to memorized those that we have lost. Please come out and remember what we are fighting for, and not to become complacent.