I Used to Have a Best Friend (But Then He Gave Me an STD)

This is how angry I get when I think about that particular time of my life (well, not really at all, I have never been able to blame that asshole).

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I wish your wish

I wish for a cure for HIV.

"HIV saved my life"

Image via WikipediaHappy World Aids Day.

I am liking this MTV programme about two young HIV positive people, a girl in the US and a guy in Zambia, both discussing their life, love and dreams with HIV. Their experiences echo mine and they are wonderfully articulate, vulnerable and inspiring at the same time.

Video - Me, Myself And HIV | Part 1 - Me Myself And H.I.V | Me Myself And H.I.V

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• MTV launches "Me, Myself and HIV" film on AIDS day (reuters.com)
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HivenMan+ A Hero Like You and Me, on AZT

 Dublin's artist Will St Leger produces a quarterly queerzine called Butcher Queers whose first issue I was lucky enough to grab a copy of (there are only 1000 numbered issues). Will's a nice guy with good work behind him. His zine is beautifully designed and produced.

In Issue 1, we meet HivenMan+, the boy next door with a secret.  His story resonated with me, perhaps with you too. I copy the first picture from this short story and encourage you to download the zine following the links below.

• To read the rest of the story, download Issue 1 of Butcher Queers
  
• Keep up with the Butcher Queers blog
  
• Catch up with past issues, available from the Queer Zine Archive Project 

Annie Lennox HIV Positive t-shirt on American Idol

American Idol may not be the most politically engaged TV show but with gorgeous diva and songstress Annie Lennox wearing THAT HIV Positive t-shirt, it may become worth watching after all.

How strange that her performance prompted many to ask not 'how can I help?' or 'how does hiv/aids affect the planet?' but to ask instead, disturbingly - if there is such a word - 'Is Annie Lennox HIV Positive?'

You may be able to view the YouTube video below - but if the video has been removed try this link instead.

Picture from the Socialite.com website.

Aids + Denial + Internet = Death

Echoing the 80s IGNORANCE = DEATH message, this attractive little poster gleaned on Flickr (Denialist = Death) sums it up for denialism. The very talented B S E has many, many other eye-catching, engaging and engaged pictures on Flickr. Go view them all now!

Check out the Hall of Shame of denialists also.

Before using or redistributing this image, see terms of licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/

View more HIV ART in my blog

Virtually no escaping HIV

Image via Wikipedia

HIV exists also in virtual world Second Life, if the presence of a HIV Prevention and Care center is anything to go by. And lauded thatshould be too. While you and I may be playing Second Life for free, it's big bucks being spent on education and outreach. The project runs from 1st Octiober 2008 to 31st March 2010.

The Alliance Library System (ALS) is pleased to announce that the National Library of Medicine has awarded ALS a $60,000 grant for a project entitled "AIDS Information and Outreach in the Virtual World of Second Life." The project includes the creation of a new island with a community AIDS/HIV library/resource center. The resource center will provide information support and outreach to the Second Life community and beyond about AIDS/HIV and its prevention. The new island will also be home to a garden space where narratives about the AIDS/HIV experience can be shared through art, audio, video, poetry, essays, and more. The project runs from October 1, 2008 – March 31, 2010.

Resources

• http://healthinfoisland.blogspot.com/ 
• http://healthinfoisland.blogspot.com/2008/03/aids-and-hiv-center.html
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/7914892@N05/2462631597
• Second Life 
  

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HIV Glamourous with Good Girl Gone Even Better Rihanna

H&M HIV Team-Up Brings Out Rihanna's Emotions

What other medical condition has as many glamorous supporters -oops! I mean opponents- as hiv/aids? Welcome Rihanna to the list of beautiful people who make the fight against HIV and AIDS that much more interesting and us somewhat lucky after all!

Poz Humor: Hiv people have a sense of humor too.

Can we laugh at HIV? Some will, some won't. Over at the Poz.com forums, I found the funniest collection of fun pictures in a while - and they have nothing to do with HIV other than that they have been posted on the Poz forums. Before you click through to Loosen Your Anus: The Picture Thread!! you should be warned that some of the content deserves a crude, adult-rated, explicit warning!

You've been warned!

Is Hiv a laughing matter?

In Topical Humor and the Media, Joseph P. Goodwin analyses the evolution of jokes about hiv and aids. Some jokes are questionable and you may find them offensive, but they are necessary to understand the evolution of our psyche.

Example of an early AIDS joke cited in the article:

Did you hear about the Rock Hudson Memorial Hospital? It doesn't have any doctors or nurses, just aides.

Is hiv a laughing matter? Surely, it helps to make fun of it if you are 'infected'in my humble opinion. It's only a virus.

Aids is not funny

From The Office (US)

Guys you know what? no! no! AIDS is not funny! believe me i have tried...

Senior citizens are the now biggest carriers of AIDS

From Jokeemail.com

A recent study has revealed alarming statistics that suggest senior citizens are the now biggest carriers of AIDS...

Hearing AIDS
Seeing AIDS
Chewing AIDS
Band AIDS
RolAIDS
Walking AIDS
MedicAIDS
Government AIDS

Condoms protect from AIDS

From netfunny.com

Two junkies are sitting by the side of the road, happily shooting up whatever it is that happy junkies shoot up with, and generally having a good time. A socially conscious individual walks up and notices that they are sharing a needle. He lectures them about AIDS and the danger that comes from sharing dirty needles. One of the junkies looks up and says, ``It's ok, we're wearing condoms.''

Note how most jokes confuse AIDS with HIV... Still some education to do there, I guess. Anyway, I think we could come up with much funner and at the same time less offensive jokes than that...

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Matthias Herrmann "Looking at Aids" (Warning Adults only)

Hiv and aids as an art form and a source of inspiration?

Matthias Herrmann:

I was infected on June 10, 1999, and diagnosed in September 1999. [...] Why do you need to keep something like an HIV-positive status secret when the world talks about everything else very openly?

Resources

• Book: Matthias Herrmann 8x10" by Matthias Herrmann
• Interview: Matthias Herrmann Interview on Queerty
• More interviews and personal texts on: Matthias Herrmann's website