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I became an activist in the 1990s out of anger and example. I'm an Irish kid from Philadelphia, fighting is in our nature. I couldn't pound HIV with a fist so I did it with my voice and my actions. No way was something so evil confronting me without a negative reaction towards that evil. So far as I'm concerned I beat it's brains out. Example, shown to me and by me. Others showed me how to fight. I in turn showed my children about fighting back when evil comes knocking. It worked.
This article is very well thought out and written. As an LTS I can relate to many parts of this article and how LONG TERM ADVOCACY takes a toll mentally and physically. Fewer are people are willing to do this type of work. If we all don’t pass on our experiences and knowledge so others can take the baton, I’m afraid we will be back at square one. History is vital to continued success. It was early HIV advocates that changed the landscape of health care and medications, and not just for HIV+ ppl
Having lived with HIV since the pre-AZT days I get frustated by 'All the old activists are dead'. Well no there's a lot of us still going, many of us who were having complex health issues slipped in and out of activism as health or caring issues allowed us to. If you can't leave your apartment you can't go to a meeting, but it didn't stop us writing letters or phoning elected representatives. we do what we can, when we can.
Thanks, Mark King, for initiating a very important discussion. Self-care has to be at the top of our strategy, especially for long-term survivors who are tending to aging bodies on the frontiers of HIV treatment. Wise, targetteed intervention is the way to go!
Great article, thank you! I've met most of the people in this article in person, and as a 24-year survivor and advocate myself, can very much relate. I do what I do because I'm good with words, won't keep quiet, and until this year, had support from my family, and some scholarship help. Also, as a Long-Term Survivor, there aren't that many of us to speak out, the miracle drugs of today were first tested in our bodies, and there's still some fundamental, unmet needs in the LTS community.
UrbanArtist
Fine article. Worthy comments. Maybe this is what some of us used to label "Social Worker Syndrome", rather than activism in general? Even POZ may feel "I never do enough". This 62 y.o. POZ doesn't feel that way, protesting this or that, since 11 years of age, organizing in controversial LGBT (and labor) causes since 1978. After diagnosis 29 years ago, my first thought was to gather open POZ and go to the gym. Fighting for our lives! Active in Indivisible, today. Each of us matters!
November 10, 2019 • Chicago