I have two trains of thought here, one more cynical than the other:
First, what a tragedy, and I do mean, tragedy, to ALL, gay, straight, adult and child, who have been impacted by this disease, and all of those that love them. What a complete and utter tragedy if indeed, this virus is so complex and so adept at changing itself that it is hard to catch up to and combat. How sad for all of us. AIDS hits home in a very personal way, for many of us here, I am sure. I feel defeated.
My other thought, however, is if indeed, more progress could have or would have been made if this disease had been seen as worthwhile to fight from the very beginning, if indeed those afflicted had been seen as "worthy" to fight for. Why do I feel like I am right in this regard? We have been dispensable in the gay community, as have the african american community when in comes to disease and violence on the streets. They are killing each other and themselves, was/is the view.
