I didn't lose anyone in the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and early 1990s but met a few people who did. Gay men were dropping like flies to the this then little known disease.
What was appalling was the treatment these people received from their families and society as a whole. Their bodies were not claimed upon their deaths. Churches and preachers didn't give them funerals and burials. There was much self righteous vilification of these men, who needed their families the most at a critical time.
Whenever I visit a memorial honoring those lost to AIDS, I reflect on the many talents, gifts, and humanity that will never be fulfilled. There could have been someone who possibly could have found a cure fir AIDS. The many family members, friends and mates left behind opens a void that may never be filled.
As I reflect on this World Aids Day, the battle still rages on. It's not in the news much anymore but there is a new generation who may not know the devastation the AIDS epidemic created. It's important to do things to improve the quality of life through education and personal changes needed to end this dreaded disease.
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