It's here

Pride in Ft Lauderdale/Wilton Manors is today and I'm going despite "sever thunderstorm warnings"

There's a street festival 'till 6 then the parade at 7pm. Why 7?  Due to the summer heat, organizers moved it back two years ago I was told.


As in my previous post, Pride to ME is more about overt satisfaction of being alive, living in a country where for the most part, being queer isn't a big issue.

It's how I'll show respect for those who fought with tears, blood & jail for us to be able to be open

It's knowing I can eventually meet one man and call it a recognized relationship in a few states and in my county

When I was outted at one job where I thought I had to keep private life private I realized I'd never keep my queerness locked up again

I'm out/proud/queer and Positive

Pride?

Late June is Gay Pride!!  A time to remember the drag queens who fought back in New York; A time to celebrate our uniqueness: A time to think about the strides taken over the years in 'These Puritanical United States"

We in the LGBTQi community mark Pride with parades, street festivals, bbq's and such.


With rainbow flags on each street pole, the City of San Fransisco was ready for Pride in May.

People  will gather or have already come together in cities from Houston to Key West. Seattle to Chicago and all  points  between.

Being a Florida guy, I'll be in Ft Lauderdale's  "Stonewall  Festival"

Proud to live openly queer, proud to live in a county with a decent 'civil rights' ordinance,

Proud to have the President speaking about my/our rights

I'm not proud of the divisions that politics and so called religious people who's ignorance feeds fear.

I'm not proud of a country that has more people locked  up for what's being called "HIV criminalization"

I'm not proud of Hersey  PA's school pulling a "Ryan White" on a student.

And though the article inside is well written, who is proud of this cover page?

This is about getting tested and the high prevalence of HIV in South East Florida,








Let's be proud together, to enjoy the communities that support us, shop at stores where I know my hard earned money goes.  And wear glitter, LOTS OF GLITTER!!!

 

UB2

While checking out a couple of dating sites and even Grindr (r) I see 'ddf and UB2"  or "clean"and some times the date of the persons last HIV test.  First, I am not a disease, just a man with one living in me.

HIV does not make me or anyone else with it "DIRTY" 

Hey I shower regularly, brush my teeth and wear deodorant and cologne when appropriate.




Back to living with a stigma can lead, for me at least, shame if I'm not in a "up" mood.

Today, thanks to a friend of a friend I came across the Stigma Project and thought WOW, how can I get involved and do I want to

Then a co worker pointed out the cover of South Florida Gay News and spread across the front page like a  National Enquirer headline is "Kill AIDS before it KILLS You"   Needless to say and before we read the article, it was in 100% bad taste & judgement. 

 We're living longer now, this is NOT the 80's & early 90's 

HAART saves, good judgement saves, condoms save

The article is pretty good INSIDE but this "Shock & Awe" cover is so wrong

We Did It: All 5k

As I got to the beach & found my team, the Pride Center; I knew this would be so much more differant from the AIDS Walks I've done before.  1st, being in sand & not a grassy, muddy park was 'unusual' but then again I live in South East Florida. 

By 8:30 am there were already hundreds of people on the beach looking for their own teams & friends.

People of all ages kept coming in too.

One guy had this little bear, DAB the AIDS Bear & I got my photo taken with DAB as did so many others.

After walking on this hot Sunday morning, pretty awesome music followed all from one small stage on the beach ending with the B52s!!

Who new raising funds and awareness & making new friends could  be so much fun?

Sunday May 20

One way I have of "giving back" to those who help me and others who are HIV enhanced is to be active, give time and money: this Sunday I'll be walking in the Florida AIDS Walk. Keeping my anonymity I ask to give to one of the agencies I had experience with: The Pride Center in Equality Park

http://tinyurl.com/pridecenterteam

Will I see you on the walk Sunday morning? If so (and you recognize me) say HEY

Best bud & Disclosure

My best buddy ever lives (or at least where he has a room, address & such) in a small town in the midwest.

He's pretty open about his HIV status and a fair number of his friends in this small town (think Hooterville) know him from high school.  While I & he lived in a big city being HIV positive wasn't THAT much of a big deal.  At least odds are enough people know someone who's positive too.

Well, recently my best buddy ever complained that in the course of a week, half a dozen or more of his high school friends defriended him on Facebook because "You have AIDS"  Now he and they have been out of high school for 20 or so years so it shouldn't be a big deal but to my best buddy ever, it is

Learning when to disclose isn't easy or to whom or even why.  He had NO plans to have sex with these people (currently the only  reason one has to disclose) but the small town thinking "just ain't right"

Last week I wore my {HIV POSITIVE} t shirt. I did get a few comments on it but not me (Thank you Wilton Manors) but its not every day wear.    I wonder if my best buddy ever would wear this in his small town though it may be his own Red Badge of Courage or Scarlett Letter.

How much longer until we all can live free from bias and not just health matters but in all things.
Race, age, location, etc all make up "These United States"  or as President Obama said "There's no red states or blue states but  a United States"   


Ron Romafosky wrote a song "Living with AIDS"
He's big and he's proud
He's abrasive and loud
He can roar like a lion or be meek as a lamb
God knows he's courageous
And sometimes outrageous
He inspires me to be all that I can
But I'll never forget
The last time we met
How my heart stopped at the story he told
He said "Life can be hard
When it deals you a card
That you never expected to hold."
But then he said "It's not the end
I rely on my friends
For all the affection and love they provide
And maybe with hugs
And without booze and drugs
There is still a good chance that I may survive."
And maybe he will
'Cause he's active still
He goes to the marches and all the parades
He's not giving in
He's determined to win
He's a person who's living with AIDS 

San Fransisco Here I come

There's a big bicycle ride in California next month called AIDS Lifecycle & I'm going not to ride but see how it works. I found this organization called Positive Pedlers & I hope to meet these Knights on carbon molly steeds.

I like their motto "Eliminating stigma through our positive public example."

How bold & daring even though I'm pretty out about my status.  I may even buy one of their kick ass jerseys and wear it to the gym or the riding my bike to the beach.  

 I have my air booked and a guest house reserved. I even have one interview of some one how said he'd be willing to share his story here so  I'll finally get a point of view other than my own here