The Reveal of Me as “LemonAIDS”
October 5, 2009
This past weekend in DC was incredible. I had the privilege to do a My Pet Virus reading at the Committee of Ten Thousand’s 20 Year Survivors on Friday evening, then got to walk with Team Supersnack in the AIDS Walk in DC, raising over $34,000 with our group.
And I got to do the latter looking like this!
Positively Yours,
Shawn
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Our Dear/Deer Friends at Berry College
October 5, 2009
Gwenn and I ended September with a long overdue trip to Berry College last Wednesday. It all started a couple of years ago, when a peer educator named Michelle saw us speak at a conference. Since then, she has been working to have us at her campus.
It’s always an honor to have someone remember your message. And want to help share it with more people. So, on Wednesday morning at 7 am, Gwenn and I got in the car, drove to the airport and hopped a plane from Richmond to Atlanta. No delays, nice weather and a good chunk of time to sleep in the hotel before driving to Rome, GA, where two frolicking teenaged deer greeted us as we drove into the very scenic campus.
When I was told by the educators that the campus was 70% female and that there was a newspaper article on campus that suggested that the males should change their behavior of staying in their rooms all evening, I went all Stephen King on them. I posed the thought that the “dark secret” of Berry might be that male students transform into deer at night.
Raised some eyebrows!
Besides my imagination running as wild as those deer, what’s funny about this particular talk was that I’d posted on Twitter about speaking that evening at Berry, and got a response on Facebook from a Bella Morte fan/Berry College alum, Raven, who was at Dragon*Con… she made the 2-hour drive all the way from Atlanta to hear us speak. Too cool!
Gwenn and I spoke in a church on campus, and a few times either I said something, or a student said something that had surely never been uttered in that building before. Also, it was the first time that we’d spoken together since an HIV/AIDS retreat in June, and I can’t get across how much I love educating with Gwenn. And also speaking to peer educators who will be spreading the message of sexual health on campus long after we are gone.
Here’s Gwenn with the crew from Berry, who were so kind as to take us out to the Olive Garden after the talk. We had a great time there; lots of love to the peer educators, students and Bella Morte fans who turned out to hear us speak. If any of you are reading this, please, if you remember one thing that I said, it is this:
The deer are watching.
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An Evening Without Politics
October 1, 2009
I’ve been a little political as of late; if you call thinking that health care reform and health care in general shouldn’t be motivated solely by profit margins. So it was quite refreshing when I was invited to last Friday’s “An Evening Without Politics”, which was hosted by the National Minority AIDS Council.
Now, I wasn’t quite sure how I got invited. But I took my responsibilities as a roving reporter and member of the media very seriously.
So what did this ace reporter find? And what was the point of the event? Well, I found a roomful of about 800-1000 who cared about the issue of HIV, who were there to raise money and awareness about how it is disproportionately affecting African Americans in the United States. There was also a call to create initiates at HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges & Universities) to encourage peer-to-peer HIV education.
Because not just HIV spreads- but HIV prevention spreads too. The word just has to get out there.
Roving about as I were, I spoke with a member of Congress from CT, Jim Himes, who said that federal money is much better spent on prevention then dealing with the consequences of what happens when someone tests positive. Here here. I tweeted the words of Rep. Maxine Waters, who implored the audience that “we can conquer HIV/AIDS- it can be done!”
I love Maxine, and wanted to rush the stage to give her a big hug. But, at this point, I didn’t want to test the elasticity of that Media badge, fearing it didn’t allow for as much give as my friend the condom. (YouTube link from another roving reporter type guy.)
At the event I was reminded that Sunday, September 27, was to be the second ever National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, and I thought about how HIV is once again spreading rampantly in the gay community… should there be a separate day? I think so. Hell, there can never be too many AIDS Days in my opinion! But in regard to AIDS and the gay community, who were hit hard and led the way for safe sex education, today a renewed focus on awareness is especially important. A new generation of gay men are coming of age in a world where 1) HIV is treatable and 2) they haven’t seen a good portion of their friends die from it.
For many people its not until they are infected that the realities of life with HIV- medically and socially- set in.
Newly published positoid author and Poz-itoid Regan Hofmann was in DC at the Evening Without Politics, too. She blogged about the Gay Men’s AIDS Day on Sunday (more timely than I!), and also introduced me to the AIDS Czar, Jeff Crowley. Now, czars in general have getting a bad rep lately, but my only previous exposure to a czar was in 1997- the last time I was invited to a political function by then-AIDS Czar Sandra Thurman. Funny, Bush’s abstinence-only AIDS Czar never called on me to serve the country… though he did end up in the DC Madam’s black book of clients.
But this is a blog entry without politics. And it looks like there is hope that the Ryan White Care Act will be renewed, with bi-partisan support. Times are changing, and I feel they are changing for the better. And after an Evening Without Politics, I am inspired to do what I can to be a part of the process.
Will be blogging more about DC, where I am headed once again tomorrow. I am honored to be on hand to help celebrate the 20th year anniversary of the formation of the Committee of Ten Thousand, the hemophilia activist group formed to deal with the HIV crisis that affected the community. And then on Saturday, Team Supersnack kicks AIDS in the balls at the AIDS Walk DC!
Now, it’s off to make sure my lemon-AIDS outfit fits right.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
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LIFE IN PHOTOS
Face Time fun with my Goddaughter. She was digging our phone chat- even though we were about three feet away from one another.
Making the enemy quit out with @squirrel_munky and @vaineos :)
Closing out the Joe with @gwennbarringer this afternoon.
Caught in full Mocha Mode...
Speaking About Sexual Health
Since 2000, Shawn and Gwenn have been speaking about sexual health together, sharing their personal story and empowering others to be safe. If you are interested in having them speak at your event, fill out the Contact Us form.
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