Happy? World AIDS day, belatedly

Happy World AIDS Day.

RantWoman specifically raises up:

3 (4) people at least she knows are living with HIV

3 people she knows have died of HIV and two more RantWoman considers likely to have had HIV

The mother RantWoman met on atrain in Spain 30 years ago who opened up a little about her son

A high school classmate who hit the epidemic just as she was looking for a specialty in medical school and who is now a researcher and clinician.

RantWoman also raises up the cantankerous opinion of one of the people counted above: he died on July 4 a few hours after he was to ride with the mayor of Bloomington as Volunteer of the Year for talking to lots of high school and college students about sex and responsible choices and blunt admission that he himself did not always make responsible choices.

Cantankerous friend hated the AIDS quilt and said so many times. By the time of his death, it was already large enough at least to cover a football field. After his death, RantWoman happened to be the person who fielded a call from a local reporter.

"Can I print what he thought of the AIDS quilt?"

"I am not the one to ask. Use your judgment. I told him the quilt is for the living."