“Hey, I’m One in a Million…”

“Hey, I’m One in a Million…”

Actually, 1.2 million to be more precise. That’s the number of Americans living with AIDS/HIV today. It ain’t a cakewalk, but it’s a hell of a lot better than it was when the disease first arose in the early 80’s. Reagan and his administration didn’t even acknowledge the disease until four years and 12,000 deaths into the pandemic.

This was a hostile world for people trying to come to terms with an unthinkable disease—stigmatized, mysterious, deadly.

A world where it was acceptable for a beloved American entertainer to joke, yes, JOKE, at the unveiling of the new Statue of Liberty in 1986.

“I just heard the Statue of Liberty had AIDS. Nobody knows if she got it from the mouth of the Hudson or the Staten Island Fairy.”

1986. 24,842 dead, 42,609 cases diagnosed. Fucking hilarious, Bob Hope. How about this, Bob?

Heard the one “Your wife Dolores has uterine cancer and she’s dying.”



It ain’t funny, Bob.

Flash forward to 1996. Sitting at my desk at Virgin, I get a call to “Come right back” to the Goodman Clinic, that counselors were waiting for me.

“I can’t go—gotta book Madonna advertising.”

“We need you to come back. Now.”

Greeted by grim faced people they delight me with not only the fact that I’m HIV positive, but that I have full blown AIDS—T-cells around 80.

Well, being true to me, I cut to the chase and avoided the heady 10 year period of wondering if my infection would progress. I won the big one! In the pre-protease world, it was maybe a couple of months more, then, “Howdy, Mommy!! What’s new, Daddy??”

“Ha-cha-cha. Good night Mrs, Calabash, where ever you are…”(Wow I think I just channeled Jimmy Durante).

I remember clearly the first two people I told. One did a spit take and started laughing out of nerves (maybe Dragstrip 66 wasn’t the best venue…), the other said, “Thank God your parents are dead.” So very comforting. It did make me laugh though.

Flash forward to today. There are signs of encouragement. People are living longer. At what price? My meds average about 12,000 a year, a scary prospect as I face unemployment. Without the advocacy and client services of organizations like the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, my only option would be to tough it out medication free. No free medication.
And signs of enormous concern. In 1995, Americans regarded HIV as the nation’s top health concern. Today only 17 percent do. (Newsweek, May 15th). Ignorance is rampant—37% still think AIDS is transmissible through kissing. 2006, where are you?

So where does that leave us?

Twenty-five years later and we still need to ride bikes to raise awareness and funds for AIDS/HIV services.

This is where I ask you to help me prove the naysayers wrong. We show the world that people are still concerned, willing to donate time, energy, passion toward ending a disease that over 40 million people have.

Please forward this appeal to your friends. Consider giving up a concert, a movie, a record, a pair of jeans, a round of drinks, so that together me can make a significant impact in the pandemic.

I am the first dual city fundraiser in the history of the event. There is no north, no south, just one. All are one.

To support the HIV/AIDS services of the LA & Gay & Lesbian Center where I learned about how I had been called to lead the charge in living the HIV experience, click www.aidslifecycle.org/6684

To support the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, my former coworkers and friends leading the fight on a local, national and global level, people who integrated me into the city at a time I didn’t have health insurance, click www.aidslifecycle.org/2274

We cannot afford complacency. Many of you have already joined me in the fight. I am so honored. Thank you. We are the leaders, those of heart and integrity.

Please join me in doing all that we can in this fight. Please consider forwarding This appeal to your family and friends. Time is ticking. We will prove the naysayers wrong. We do care.

We can’t afford not to.

Peace.