What's Up

       The John Carey Memorial AIDS Walk will take place on Sunday, September 28 at 1pm at Edgewater Park in Cleveland. The annual event is a pledge walk which benefits 11 area service organizations.

       But, why walk? Recent advancements in AIDS treatments has seemed to give the gay community a collective sigh of relief. It's nice that our friends seem to be doing well and that we don't seem to be as afraid all the time that someone we know is going to be quite ill soon. I hope I speak for everyone when I say that its great that the future of AIDS treatment seems very positive and exciting.

       We must, however, take this excitement cautiously. We shouldn't confuse apathy with hope. Comfort breeds apathy and we really shouldn't feel that comfortable, yet. Remember that new treatments and medications don't work for everyone. The 3 funerals of friends I attended this year is proof of that. By walking in AIDS Walk you can assure that people who don't react well to new medications aren't forgotten. The agencies benefiting from the event provide services and alternatives to these people.

       In addition, we hear a lot of talk about how the face of AIDS is changing. I'm not really sure what that means, but whatever the face of AIDS is it still contains a pretty huge line from the gay male community. Something like 60% of AIDS cases in Northeast Ohio are gay males. That's a disturbing statistic which proves that we still have work to do. If that's not enough to motivate you, consider that overwhelmingly new HIV diagnosis are often poor people, women, minorities, and children; historically groups who have great difficulty accessing necessary services. With your participation agencies who help all of these groups continue to help.

       It's true that all of the agencies that benefit from the walk are Cuyahoga County agencies. But that's not really what AIDS Walk is about. When it comes down to it, the reason you should walk is because the event is as much about community and visibility as it is about money. People still have to tell their partners and families that they have tested positive for HIV. No matter what services are provided or how the face of AIDS changes, that's still a difficult situation. By walking, you are ensuring that a message is sent that Northeast Ohio is a place where those people will feel support and compassion.