World AIDS Day

Monday was World AIDS Day. It was the 20th Anniversary of World AIDS Day. World AIDS Day/Houston decided to make it a week long observance. One of the events was a candlelight vigil that was held on Monday evening in Tranquility Park in downtown Houston.

The City of Houston Health Department coordinated the event in conjunction with Montrose Counseling Center. Mayor Bill White and other city officials spoke at the event. The Gay Mens Chorus of Houston sang. Two of the speakers were the face of AIDS. One person was a female who was infected by her husband. Through the years she has had some issues to reconcile. The thing that struck me most about her was her attitude. She said that she doesn't live with HIV; HIV lives with her.

Another speaker was a male who by all counts should be dead. Because of the intervention of someone, he is alive today. It was through the care of the staff at Legacy that he is able to stand in front of people and tell his story.

It was a chilly evening in Houston and Monday night events are always difficult to draw a crowd. It was a good turnout but I wish there had been more people.

The week ended last night at Zilkha Hall/Hobby Center. Illuminations Project was an evening of performers using their talents to bring awareness to AIDS. The line up was as diverse as Houston.

Planet Funk, Hope Stone, The Houston Ballet, Sara Sjolander, ShyAnne, Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, Flyboys of Flag Troupe Houston were just a few of the performers.

The Gill Family did a montage of songs from You're A Good Man Charlie Brown. It took me a moment to figure out what was going on and then I realized that they were all playing a character from the show. However, the person who have played Snoopy had passed away and they were doing the songs in his honor.

That performance brought tears to my eyes. You see...

When I was a senior in high school, our Spring musical was You're A Good Man Charlie Brown. It is a very small cast and because of all of the rehearsals we became very close. I haven't kept up with the other cast members but I could relate to the emptiness that the performers were relaying in their production.

ShyAnne did a song that I will never be able to listen to again without thinking of last night. ShyAnne performed Hurt by Christina Aguilera (click here to view Hurt). There were two male dancers from The Houston Metropolitan Dance Company who performed while she sang. One of them was wearing a shirt that a very big red ribbon on it. That dance number changed the whole context of the song for me and now when I listen to it I will always think of last night.

It reminds me of something that happened back in 1992.

There was a dedication of panels for The AIDS Memorial Quilt. The dedication took place on the lawn of Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth. Someone sang The Dance by Garth Brooks and it forever changed the meaning of the song for me. I remember someone was in the crowd and start to cry out loud and sob. That was sixteen years ago and in my mind it is almost like it happened yesterday.



So today I've sort of been in one of those moods of missing people.

On a brighter note, Legacy received Illuminations Project Award for its service and commitment to fighting AIDS. Congratulations to the staff for the recognition.