World AIDS Day
Resilience and Impact
As we continue to face the uncertainties associated with this current pandemic and the rising death toll thanks to the Trump administration’s complete ineptitude, it’s wild to think about a similar one that ravaged the LGBTQ community nearly 40 years ago which forever changed the American queer experience.
Although I was born in 1988, I feel like my queer journey has always taken cues from those who lived through the unthinkable before and after my birth. In fact, I’m haunted by a former coworker’s words, in which he told me during a discussion about the AIDS crisis that I’ll never know what it’s like to bury a different friend each week. And he’s right – I won’t. And while that fact is entirely out of my control due to my age, it’s still a sobering one to reflect on, particularly on yet another World AIDS Day where we honor those we’ve lost and continue to uplift those still living with the challenges of the disease.
I’ve spent a good portion of my professional career (which has relied heavily on centering queer narratives) talking to folks impacted by the HIV/AIDS crisis because I feel like it’s my duty to ensure that they’re both seen and heard by my generation. I also feel compelled to constantly remind myself that my ability to live as a healthy out individual came at an unimaginable cost. Thousands were deprived of the opportunities I now enjoy because of an unrecognizable disease and the federal government’s subsequent refusal to do something about it at that time—shame on those who stood by and did nothing.
And let’s make no mistake about it — we’re still dealing with the effects of the AIDS pandemic; we still see disproportionately high HIV infection rates among gay men and trans women of color despite medical advances and an abundance of resources. Our increased chances of survival don’t negate the realities of transmission. And that truth can’t be lost on us because of the arrival of new medications and a desire for invincibility.
While we may not be invincible (just yet), we’re certainly a resilient people. And I ask that we keep that in mind today as we commemorate a day of love and awareness.
XO and Team HeyXorje
