Join the Avengers of AIDS: THE POZ ARMY
May 11, 2012
I’ve seen The Avengers twice- rarely do I go to the movies these days, much less to see the same movie again. Why did I do it? Because The Avengers rocks! And why does it rock? Because the movie is about coming together to face a common threat to humanity. And it’s funny as hell, too.
The parallels to the newly formed Poz Army are easy to make. The Poz Army is about bringing people together to raise awareness about one of the greatest threats to our collective health- HIV. I know this enemy well, it’s a virus I’ve been living with for over 25 years now. One of my greatest tools in combating it has been humor, I can laugh at my own struggle but I never laugh at the threat this virus poses to other peoples’ health. It’s why I’m a sex educator.
I care about making life easier for people by giving them the information needed to prevent contracting HIV. I care about those already living with HIV because I know the discrimination, depression and isolation that comes with an HIV diagnosis.
Caring about this issue is why I joined The Poz Army. Read the mission statement about why a large group of advocates is needed in this day and age to keep things moving in the right direction. Which is, ultimately, towards a cure for HIV.
Here are a few reasons why you should care, too:
As people with HIV…
“We are harassed at our jobs.
We are kicked out of swimming pools.
We are told we can’t hold our grandchildren.
We can’t get life insurance.
We are sent to prison for having HIV.
We are discriminated against, stigmatized, beaten and sometimes killed merely for having a biological agent in our bodies.
The end of AIDS and all its related horrors must stop with us.” – The Poz Army
How to Enlist
(via the Poz Army)
Every successful soldier carries and uses the same basic equipment:
the right boots, a helmet, water and a weapon. Members of the POZ Army
will also use a few basics: a cell phone, Internet access and social
media.Go to pozarmy.com to get started:
1. Sign up for our POZ Army e-newsletter.
2. Become a fan on Facebook and watch our wall for action alerts from the POZ Army.
3. Follow us on Twitter, and watch our Twitter feed for action alerts from the POZ Army.
See you on the battlefield! Wait, we’re already there.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
Google Honors Keith Haring On His B-Day
May 4, 2012
I was happy to wake up today to find that Google decided to honor Keith Haring today. The HIV positive artist and activist would have turned 54 today. Keith passed to spirit in 1990 at the of 31. The Poz Staff posted a wonderful blog entry about Keith today, check it out here.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
Eating Out AIDS 2012
April 26, 2012
Yes- I meant to post that as the title of this blog post. I’ve decided that Dining Out For Life needs an image overall after one of my friends at dinner said that “Dining Out For Life” makes it sound like a pro-life rally. Which, it is: a pro-life rally for people living with HIV/AIDS.
So, to erase any confusion, I’ve decided to call it “Eating Out AIDS”. I don’t think this will catch on, and maybe fewer restaurants would sign up for something called this. But I like it- it has a ring to it. Here’s a picture of me and friends Eating Out AIDS tonight at Blue Moon Diner. Thanks again to The Nook, Sticks and Escafe for also participating in this delicious fundraiser for AIDS Services Group!
Positively Yours,
Shawn
Thursday (4-26) Dining Out For Life HIV/AIDS Fundraiser
April 25, 2012
Dining Out For Life is an annual fundraiser, in which restaurants from across the country donate a portion of their proceeds to local HIV/AIDS charities and organizations. For you locals, this means that tomorrow night (Thursday), you have the opportunity to help out the incredible AIDS Services Group by eating at Sticks, Blue Moon Diner, The Nook and Escafe.
Yes, eat at all of them!
Not in my neck of the woods? Then check out Dining Out For Life to see if there are any restaurants in your area that are participating. Be sure to thank them for supporting the local HIV/AIDS community so that they sign on again next year and that their generosity has not gone unnoticed. And if you don’t see your region represented? Ask one of the proprietors of a restaurant you frequent if it’s something they’d be interested in doing next year. The more people that get involved the better, because good food and good intentions should never go to waste.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
Today is World Hemophilia Day
April 17, 2012
Today is World Hemophilia Day, so hug a thinblood. And find out more about bleeding disorders by visiting The National Hemophilia Foundation and the Hemophilia Federation of America.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
Oh oh, I—I, I’m Still Alive
April 16, 2012
It wasn’t my intention to take a one-month plus vacation from this blog. So, if you read this you might be wondering what I’ve been up to?
I have been writing even though I haven’t posted much to read. At the beginning of the year I started putting in a lot of hours on the screenplay for my humorous HIV/AIDS memoir, My Pet Virus. It’s been the most intensive writing sessions since, well, writing My Pet Virus. Oh, and the vampire book I never finished. Setting aside the time and working has been intensive, but the creative process of transferring a story from how it reads to how it will be seen is pretty fascinating. I have a great partner in crime in Mitch Larson, and I have high hopes that someday you’ll see the fruits of our writing labors.
Over the last month or so Gwenn and I have had a couple of speaking engagements. I still love doing it even if I hate the flying. It’s just that my ankle really craps out after being crammed up in those airplane seats. Also, the walks through the airports can be pretty epic. Gwenn is great at getting me to take a ride in an unoccupied wheelchair. Most airports have an ample amount of them sitting around. Thank you Americans With Disabilities Act and people who understand that not everyone born into the world comes into with perfect health.
I’m also keeping busy with music, finishing up songs for an October Synthetic Division release. Numb to the Numbers is the name of the album. As always, my medical resume plays heavy in the songs, and that album title was chosen in part because of the last 25 years of HIV diagnosis, and the constant tracking of numbers (t-cells, viral load, etc). The last year of so is the first time that I can’t tell you off the top of my head what my last t-cell count was. But I can tell you that Bob Geise is the reigning Shawn’s T-Cells Champion and you’ll get a chance to take that title from him next month.
And possibly win a copy of My Pet Virus!
Ok, I won’t be a stranger. I’ll try to keep y’all updated more than once a month. If I do disappear again please know that I’m happy, healthy and enjoying life. Hope you’re having a great day and enjoying your life as well.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
Greg Louganis in a Hot Tub
March 4, 2012
Remember what an uproar that caused when Louganis revealed his HIV status? I’m not quite sure that if someone accidentally bled into a swimming pool today that the reaction from the general public would be any different. People just don’t understand how the virus is transmitted. Just last week, I spoke to a high school English class. I was trying to get across how hard it would be to transmit my virus if I suddenly bled on the podium. I explained that the virus dies within a few seconds once it is exposed to the air. I said that someone would have to rush up, throw me out of the way and snort up the blood as it dripped down the podium… and even then, they probably wouldn’t contract the virus.
Science has taught us a lot about this virus in the two-plus decades since Greg Louganis botched a dive and baptized an Olympic swimming pool with positoid blood. As an educator, it would have nice to see Greg’s status revealed on Portlandia for laughs and educational value. I can see Fred Armisen now, looking nervous. “You’re not going to get out of the hot tub and do any of those flippy dives into here, are you?” “Oh- you’re worried about me cracking my head open and bleeding all over the hot tub? Well, no, I’m not going to do a triple back flip, double tuck swan dive into this hot tub, but if I did you wouldn’t have to worry. The only person I’d be hurting would be myself.”
I know I’m in the AIDS bubble. But it would have been funny to see something along those lines. More people need the facts, and delivering them with a punchline is sometimes the best way. That said, it was really nice to see Greg delivering some laughs on the show. It’s so comforting to see long-term survivors on the boob tube.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
Happy 40th, Pedro Zamora
February 29, 2012
Pedro Zamora left us all too soon in November of 1994. I got to know him through my television, and boy did he open himself up, appearing on the then socially relevant reality show The Real World. I’d just graduated high school, and had no idea what laid ahead for me in terms of life goals and how I’d feel however much time I’d be given.
Pedro was a huge influence and help in getting me to get comfortable in my own skin with HIV- I hung on every word when he appeared on the show. He was only three years older than me, but at that time he may as well have been the President in terms of how I looked up to him. On the show, he fell in love with fellow positoid Sean Sasser. They normalized love with HIV in the mix. After his passing, his Real World roommate, Judd Winick, wrote the incredible graphic novel Pedro & Me. For anyone who wants to learn more about him, I highly recommend this book. MTV also aired a biopic called Pedro a couple of years ago, which is definitely worth a view.
Born in a leap year, today would have been Pedro’s 40th birthday. I would be remiss if I didn’t pay homage to one of my biggest influences. Happy birthday, Pedro, and thank you from the bottom of my positoid heart.
Positively Yours,
Shawn
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.
Check out Shawn's music and buy his book, My Pet Virus, which is now available on Kindle!
It will be the funniest book you've ever read about someone having AIDS... guaranteed!