I was invited to Speak on a Panel called, “HIV in the News”
by Philadelphia FIGHT Community Health Centers for their End AIDS: The HIV
Prevention and Outreach Summit during AIDS Education Month. I found that it was very informative because
there were different prospectives on the panel.
Cherri Gregg who is a reporter for KYW Newsradio and Christopher “Flood
The Drummer” Norris CEO of Techbook Online were also on the panel. and from Philadelphia FIGHT the moderator was good friend and colleague, Chip Lewis. There were several questions that were fired
at the panel. Sensationalism played a
big part of the conversation between the panelist. I came from the place of making sure we as
people who put news out on HIV put it out for the right reasons. The opinion was very mixed. Also, the story of Charlie Sheen came up and
I said it was both good and bad. With
Charlie coming out (forcibly) of the HIV closet there was a spike in HIV
testing. But then as he became more vocal
it became a shit storm, especially with him and his crazy doctor. All in all, I loved the panel and we may have
had different opinions on some issues we all respected each other because we
know what an important role we play in the HIV realm.
I wanted to not only focus on the panel, but also check on
other things that the summit had to offer.
I walked about a looked at the portion of the AIDS Quilt that they
had. It seems to not matter what part,
where or when I see a portion of the quilt it touches me and sometimes I
cry. It sometimes puts my own mortality
in prospective. Sometimes it makes me
wonder if I will have a panel someday. Of
course, what I would like is that there is a cure for HIV and I live long
enough to not only see it but take it. A
lot of us that work in the world of HIV wouldn’t know what to do next if there
a cure but until we get to 0 infections we still have a lot of work ahead of
us. Another highlight was meeting Ryan
White’s mother, Jeanne White-Ginder. I
had never formally met her but I had always wanted to. I have heard her speak on some occasions. Every time she speaks at an event she played
a video and it always touches me. It a
video of her son Ryan White and the late Michael Jackson's song, Gone to Soon.
Ryan White was the poster child for AIDS when he challenged his
local school when they ban him from going to school after his diagnosis was
widely known. Important dates on White’s
activism and legal battles are on June 30 Superintendent James O. Smith denies
White admittance to school. Aug. 26th
First day of school. White is allowed to listen to his classes via
telephone. Oct. 2School principal upholds
decision to prohibit White. Nov. 25 Indiana Department of Education rules that
White must be admitted. Dec. 17 The
school board votes 7–0 to appeal the ruling.
Feb. 6 Indiana DOE again rules White can attend school, after inspection
by Howard County health officers. Feb.
13 Howard County health officer determines White is fit for school. Feb. 19 Howard County judge refuses to issue an
injunction against White. Feb. 21 White returns to school. A different judge
grants a restraining order that afternoon to again bar him. Mar. 2 White's
opponents hold an auction in the school gymnasium to raise money to keep White
out. April 9 White's case is presented in Circuit Court. April 10 Circuit Court
Judge Jack R. O'Neill dissolves restraining order. White returns to
school. July 18 Indiana Court of Appeals
declines to hear any further appeals.
