Dec 1, 2007 World Aids Day. What Are You gonna do?

[Peter Staley]

Iggy -- what a great story!  Jeromy certainly has balls.  Yes, we've all seen his balls, but you know what I mean.  I loved what he did -- reminds of the ACT UP days when our various t-shirts were always a little risky and bold, especially the "Read My Lips"  and "AIDSgate" t-shirts.

Peter

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[RapidRod]

Those were a little risky, back then. Hell they'd be risky now.

[gemini20]

I did nothing apart from light a candle and send a prayer out to all those I've lost to HIV/AIDS on 1st December itself.

BUT in the run up ie. the previous week I did a total of 8 talks in six different schools in 4 days. I estimate I spoke to between 700-800 young people (15-18 year olds) last week about safer sex, HIV and AIDS and gave them some insight into the realities of living day to day with HIV. Hopefully my talk has broken down some of the stereotypes and myths that some teenagers still carry with them today when it comes to this disease.

By the end of the year I will have given a total of 94 of my talks in 75 different schools across the UK - so at least I know that many people are thinking about this issue across the year rather than just on World AIDS Day.

And here's just a couple of recent quotes from students who have listened to me at their schools to give you some idea of the impact hearing an HIV positive speaker can have:

"Thank you so much for the inspirational talk which you gave last week at my school. I heard nothing but positive feedback from everyone else. I think the way you are educating and inspiring others is very admirable. Thank you ever so much. I can't say how educating it was to listen to you and would like to thank you as i was particularly ignorant and stereotypical about my view of aids and those who contracted it, however, i realise how wrong i was."

"I just think it was amazingly brave of you to come and talk to us all about it, and also tell us so much personal stuff about yourself. To be honest, i walked into that talk thinking i would know it all, because my father is a doctor and we've always been open in our family about these sort of things and also we've done all the stuff in class, but i was amazed about how much I didn't know."

It's always so satisfying to get feedback from students and always a good source of encouragement whenever I have my 'off-days'.

Emma

[joemutt]

I went to the World Aids Day "Celebration" in Bangkok.
It was organised by the Thai Red Cross under the protection of Princess Somsawali,
wife of the Crown Prince. First all donors to the aids projects of the red Cross here received a small golden token of recognition, very funny , you had to bow, walk three steps, kneel, stretch out your hand and the
royal hand deposited the amulet in your hand. By this time I was crying, because I never had been with so many HIV collaegues in one place (over a hundred).
then the Princess, who is a formidable woman and who has been in charge of esp. mother to child infection for a decade held an open mike, all the people with aids and hiv pased the mike and asked her help or made comments.
And then to good Thai tradition and there was a show with the most-known Thai singers and actors, a buddhist monk who is also big in aids prevention did a stand-up comic routine.
And then we all lit a candle from the light of a huge candle, sang the royal anthem and that was that.

[Ann]

Emma,

I want you to know that you've been an inspiration to me for years now, ever since I saw you in that BBC documentary, long before I knew you here. Your courage and efforts have helped to give me the courage to make my own efforts (yes, all your fault! ) and I cannot thank you enough.

Hugs,
Ann
xxx