Thank You, Neil Willenson
October 31, 2010
Camp Heartland (now One Heartland) founder Neil Willenson is a hero in the HIV/AIDS community because has helped thousands of children with HIV both forget about their status and learn how to accept it.
By starting a summer for HIV positive children back in 1993, Neil has helped create a safe haven that has undoubtedly changed so many young lives for the better. A few years ago, I had a teenage friend who went to Camp Heartland, and he came back with lots of new friends and the feeling that he wasn’t the only teenager dealing with HIV. Now, he’s in a loving relationship and is forging his life as an adult with HIV; I’m certain his visit to camp played a hand in guiding this journey to acceptance.
After 17 years with the camp, and one year shy of his 40th birthday, Neil is taking on new professional challenges as Vice President of Community Relations for Kapco, Inc., where his years of expertise with One Heartland will undoubtedly be put to good use. He’s keeping his beloved Heartland well within reach as well, continuing to fund raise and stay involved with One Heartland in his new role as Founder Ambassador. There’s a great article about his work in founding One Heartland, which you can read here. (Thanks to Bob Bowers for bringing this to my attention on twitter.) I just wanted to give a shout out to someone who saw how hard it was for kids with HIV to deal with discrimination, and changed his own life’s course to make a better pathway for those who needed the helping hand.
Thanks so much, Neil, and the best of luck in all of your future endeavors!
Positively Yours,
Shawn
Neil (left) sharing a fun moment with Bob BowersWatch, Friend and Follow me on:YouTube, Facebook and Twitter
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Vote, Vote, Vote on Tuesday
October 31, 2010
On Tuesday, vote for the candidate most likely to give a shit about you.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
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Aid For Aidan: A Halloween Story
October 28, 2010
This Halloween, a kid named Aidan is busy drawing up some scary monsters. Which makes him just like a lot of other kids around this time of year. But something that sets this 5-year old apart is that he is going through chemotherapy treatment for cancer… The good news? The treatment is working. The bad news is that he’s got a couple more years of tests, treatments, hospitals…
You know, the real-life scary stuff.
To help cover his medical bills, Aidan is selling his macabre drawings. I wanted to buythis killer clown, but someone beat me to the punch because I didn’t know out Etsy password and username… damn it. Sucks, because the clown matches our red bathroom perfectly, which already has a piece by positoid artiste extraordinaire, Barton Benes. That clown would have gone right beside a red squirt gun blasting out a little strip of Barton’s blood… Aidan, a lover of all things morbid, would probably think that was pretty damn cool. Which is nice, because I think what he and his family are doing is pretty damn cool, too.
Right now, his art store is constantly being updated do to the show of support for this family’s fun way of dealing with a serious problem. So, this Halloween, I’ll be thinking of him and all the other kids out there who are dealing with scary life issues at far too young of an age.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
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One Student, Sexual Assault Awareness Campaign
October 22, 2010
I referenced a speaking pal, Erin Weed, in my last post about the It Gets Better campaign. Well, this week on Wear Purple Wednesday, my good speaking buddies, Kelly and Becca, launched an ambitious campaign to provide resources for those affected by sexual assault.
When Kelly was sexually assaulted in college, she turned to her best friend, Becca. She didn’t have any idea where else to go at the time… I find it extremely admirable that the friends have educated so many students over the last several years, and have now created a one-stop resource for anyone who may find themselves in need of more information. It’s called One Student… but you don’t have to be a student to sign the pledge (Gwenn and I have) and get informed about sexual assault.
So cheers to my buddies for caring and being pro-active about an issue that affects way too many people.
(me, Kelly Addington and Becca Tieder)
Shawn
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Wear Purple Day
October 20, 2010
So this purple thing has caught fire- big time endorsements to wear purple have been coming in all day from notables such as Barney and the Incredible Hulk, who says, “I wear short purple pants every day in order to fight homophobia”. (Thanks to @BuddhistHulk on Twitter for that funny post.)
Click on my purple likeness to read USA Today’s article on why many are joining the Hulk today and standing up to homophobia.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
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It Gets Better, It Gets Worse
October 19, 2010
I blogged about the It Gets Better campaign last week in regard to the bullying of the teenage LGBT community and the recent, tragic suicides linked to institutionalized bullying. My friend, Erin Weed*, posted a great blog entry on how we all can do better than telling teenagers to “wait it out” and suffer.
You can read her thoughts on It Gets Better below:
“Telling kids “it gets better” is a kind and soothing thing to say. But it isn’t addressing the depth of despair these young people are faced with. From what I’ve seen in the schools, it’s almost insulting. Bullying, regardless of why the individual is being targeted, is a form of violence. Would we tell a person in a violent relationship that it gets better? Then send her home to her abuser with no intervention, education or proactive strategy to help her survive? Probably not.” -
Read the entire blog entry HERE
*Erin Weed is a women’s self defense instructor who could beat the shit out of any high school bully if she wanted to. (she probably wants to.)
I agree with Erin that the time for turning a blind eye on bullying simply based on someone’s sexual (or perceived, in many cases) orientation has passed. It’s that mentality that allows legislators to pass discriminatory laws in adulthood. If we allow these bigots free passage in their youth, then what’s to stop them from continuing their hateful actions beyond junior high and high school?
I thought of a funny idea to post an “It Gets Worse” message to the youth who are bullying, but the guy below beat me to the punch. Sadly, his hilarious video was pulled from YouTube, as it was wrongly considered “hate speech” when it is obviously satire with a message that falls right in line with the It Gets Better campaign… So, this one goes out to all you bullies. This is a glimpse into your future. Either cut out the mean-spirited bullshit, or come to terms with the fact that your pitiful lives of entitlement and the mirage of moral high ground is going to catch up to you someday.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
PS… on Wednesday- tomorrow -, people are encouraged to wear purple in remembrance of those lost to suicide as a result of being bullied.
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Blog Action Day, The Need For Clean Water
October 15, 2010
I’m not sure how I found out about this, but somehow the internet and it’s vast tentacles led me to Blog Action Day, an initiative that brings together bloggers and raises awareness about various topics. When I saw that today’s Blog Action Day is about the need for clean drinking water, I immediately signed up.
Not having access to clean drinking water makes it so much more difficult for people who are living with HIV to combat the effects of the virus. It also makes adherence to medication more difficult, due to the increased risk of diarrhea. So if you could join me in signing this petition- a small act- I’m sure my positoid brothers and sisters who don’t have it as good as I do would be very thankful.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
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I’m An Old Man
October 14, 2010
When I turned 35 this summer, I posted a blog stating that I am officially middle-aged. I got quite a few messages about how extended life expectancies have shifted that number, and how I’m not “officially” middle-aged yet.
I do believe that measuring age in numbers really doesn’t have anything to do with the youth of one’s spirit. The real challenge in life is to hold onto that youthful spirit while allowing the wisdom of each year tucked under your belt to inform your decisions and make it less likely to repeat the same mistakes twice… like posting that 35 is middle-aged when you live in Virginia.
It’s cool to think that, even for a viral pinata such as myself, that 25 is not middle-aged. I can see an Old Man Decker roaming the earth in four decades and, even though my body may be rejecting the thought of once a day iced mochas by then, I’m sure the world will have plenty of delightful things to fill that void. Either way, over the weekend, I got a glimpse into that future in the form of a bronze statue.
These old folks welcome visitors at the foot of Waynesboro’s Serenity Garden, which is located right behind my old stomping grounds, Westwood Elementary School. The Serenity Garden is a place where survivors of cancer, as well as the families who those who have been lost to cancer, can go to reflect on the medical struggles and fond memories of fallen friends. I received an email a month ago informing me that an anonymous donor dedicated a stone in my honor, and I was asked if I’d say a few words a the dedication ceremony.
So, of course, I was surprised to see the enormity of the statue!
I spoke very briefly about the commonality of facing medical adversity, whether it’s hemophilia, HIV, cancer- anything that disrupts one’s life and forces someone to either draw on the reserves of the human spirit or attempt to run like hell in the other direction. None of it is easy, but I did speak to the fact that those of us who are misfortunate enough to find ourselves in that spot, while also having the incredible luck to have a support system of people who give a damn… well, it is incredibly special to see that side of humanity.
It’s why I’m opposed to the phrase “lost their battle with cancer”, “lost their battle with AIDS”. These things can kill us, sure, but anytime someone holds their head high with dignity and stares down the challenges, I don’t think that is cause to raise the hand of the illness and declare them the winner.
On a personal note, it was kind of cool to be so close to Westwood Elementary School, a place where I literally grew up. It was the school where I showed up, excited to find out that my classmates lived on the same street of the house I’d just moved into a few short blocks away from the school. It was where I pelted the principal’s car with snowballs during a winter storm… it was also that I got kicked out of after testing positive for HIV.
What made it all hit the spot was realizing that, when I tested positive, no one’s crystal ball could have imagined that I’d be back there, halfway between the boy who ran and played on the jungle gym sets and the wise, bronzed man sitting on the bench. I may not be officially middle-aged, but I’m sure damn close to it.
And I couldn’t be any more grateful for that.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
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LIFE IN PHOTOS
Shit got whack at da coffee shop today.
One of my #Halo friends is a vicious monster who will attack the moment you turn your back to him. Every Team Slayer match is basically 3 on 5 with him involved. The game should have trials for war crimes as a game mode.
Yesterday the neighbor's cat paid us a visit. His name is Hobbes, and it was our first meeting. He is very friendly.
I know what you all want, and it isn't pasty European Heavyweight champions... it's me drinking iced mochas. Behold.
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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