Injunction to block Congress from getting paid during Sequestration

Injunction to block Congress from getting paid during Sequestration
By: Aaron M. Laxton, HIV-Infected Queer, Activist & Blogger

In 6 days across-the-board cuts will go into effect as a result of President Obama and Congress failing to reach a deal regarding the debt ceiling. With the fiscal crisis looming on the horizon Congress is on vacation. It must be nice to get an approximate $175,000 annual salary for what amounts to a part time job. 

The sequester was originally passed as part of the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA), also known as the debt ceiling compromise. It was intended to serve as incentive for the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, or the "Supercommittee" to come to a deal to cut $1.5 trillion over 10 years. If the committee had done so, and Congress had passed it by Dec. 23, 2011, then the sequester would have been averted. A deal was not reached and we are now staring sequestration directly in the face. 

What is going to be cut?

• Domestic $42.7 billion (7.9 percent)
• Defense Programs $28.7 billion (5.3 percent)
• Mandatory $4 billion (5.8 percent non defense/7.8 defense)
• Discretionary Spending 
• Medicare $9.9 billion (2 percent)

The effect of sequestration will reduce the scale and scope of existing programs. Below is a list of programs that will be impacted:

• Aircraft purchases by the Air Force and Navy will be cut by $3.5 billion
• Military operations across the services will be cut about $13.5 billion
• Military research will be cut by $6.3 billion
• The National Institute of Health will be cut by $1.6 billion
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be reduced by $323 million
• Border security reduced by about $581 million
• Immigration enforcement to be cut by $323 million
• Airport security reduced by $323 million
• Head Startcut by $406 million- kicking 70,000 kids out of program
• FEMA cut by $375 million
• Public housing support slashed by $1.94 billion 
• FDA to be automatically reduced by $206 million
• NASA cut by $970 million
• Special education will be gutted by $840 million
• Energy Dept. program to secure our nukes cut by $650 million
• National Science Foundation cut by $388 million
• FBI reduced by $480 million
• Federal Prison system to be cut by $355 million
• State Dept. diplomatic functions will be cut by $650 million
• Global health programs to be cut by $433 million
• Nuclear Regulatory Commission cut by $55 million

During the sequester military service members will also see their benefits reduced however they will still get paid. Additionally federal employees will not see their salaries cut since Congress wrote a clause in that states, "a sequester may not reduce or have the effect of reducing the rate of pay an employee is entitled to." 

That means that Congress will continue to get paid although no work has been done or is currently being done. It is my belief that an injunction needs to be issued through Federal Court blocking Congress from getting paid during the sequester. Why should the citizens of the United States burden the consequences of Congress inability to reach a deal to avert the debt crisis?  

I urge each of you in the very strongest way to contact your representative in Congress and place pressure on them to actually do their job and reach a deal to avoid sequestration. It is my opinion that the entire administration and congress should not adjourn until a deal is reached.

 

Use the links below to determine who your member of congress is and how to contact them today.

 

Contacting Congress

Congressional Directory

 

Tips On Telephoning Your Elected Representatives

To find your senators' and representative's phone numbers, you may use our searchable online congressional directory or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202)224-3121 and ask for your senators' and/or representative's office.

Remember that telephone calls are usually taken by a staff member, not the member of Congress. Ask to speak with the aide who handles the issue about which you wish to comment.
After identifying yourself, tell the aide you would like to leave a brief message, such as: "Please tell Senator/Representative (Name) that I support/oppose (S.___/H.R.___)."
You will also want to state reasons for your support or opposition to the bill. Ask for your senators' or representative's position on the bill. You may also request a written response to your telephone call.

Arrest all men, women and children with the flu!

Arrest all men, women and children with the flu!
By: Aaron M. Laxton, HIV-Infected Queer, Activist & Blogger

Criminalization of those living with HIV has seemingly set  a new precedence for how the CDC (Center for Disease Control) chooses to address public health issues. While the tactics of arresting those with HIV/AIDS are more in keeping with Hitler's Third Reich than a democratic society; arrest, prosecution and imprisonment is an ever-present fear for the approximately 1.2 million living with HIV/AIDS in the United States. If you are living with HIV/AIDS and you are not concerned about criminalization then you are clueless.

Policy makers, politicians and law enforcement serve of the Gestapo enforcing fear through the use of imprisonment, forfeiture of civil rights and public-shaming should an HIV positive person even be accused of looking in the direction of a negative person. In many ways it is very reminiscent of the deep-south at a time when African American men would be strung up simply on the accusation of a white woman that he had done something inappropriate. In the United States you are not innocent until proven guilty... You are guilty until proven innocent. Proving your innocence is something that requires money, lots of money. Even if you ultimately are proven innocent (which doesn't happen that often), you will be financially ruined. Your reputation will forever be that of a person who "intentionally tried to infect someone with HIV" regardless of the circumstance.

Thirty -four states and two U.S. territories have criminal statutes that punish people for exposing or transmitting HIV to another individual. Punishments range from a fine to up to 30 years in prison, according to the Center for HIV Law and Policy. In some states, exposure or transmission is a felony, and convicted individuals are sometimes forced to register as sex offenders. In my home state of Missouri simply exposing another person to HIV (through ANY sexual contact) or by through saliva  is viewed by the law as a Class B punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Disclosure of your HIV status and the use of a condom is no defense. I repeat, the use of a condom is no defense according to Missouri law.


To date there has been no data that supports the idea that criminalizing HIV prevents exposure and infection. The contrary has actually been noted that criminalization practices impede getting people tested for HIV and ultimately treated. The reality is that criminal statutes that are out-dated and draconian only perpetuate fear and ignorance regarding HIV/AIDS.

Those infected with the flu should be arrested!

In 2006-2007 up to 49,000 people died in the United States as a result of complications related to influenza. If criminalizing HIV is seen as a prevention strategy then why not apply this same practice to address  influenza outbreaks? Arrest people who do not wash their hands, who cough without covering their mouth and those who place others at risk of infecting others with inluenza. Arrest children, women, the elderly... Arrest everyone since anyone can be a potential carrier of the influenza virus which could lead to death.

Obviously you can see the flaw in the previous suggestion however  criminalization is viewed as acceptable when applied to those living with HIV/AIDS?

Society has no problem quarantining marganlized populations however that must be seen as a slipper-slope that has greater implications for other groups. Today, it is criminalizing those living with HIV/AIDS but tomorrow it could be people living with Hepatitis. After that it could be criminalizing anyone who is a carrier of influenza. Ultimately where does it end? As long as we allow fear to dictate policy regarding public health, we will never acheive

You can either accept that criminalization of HIV/AIDS is the way it is, or you can fight against it. Contact you representative in Congress and urge them to sign on as a co-sponsor of the " REPEAL HIV Discrimination Act" introduced by Barabara Lee, (D) California.

Also you can learn more about efforts to end the criminalization of those with HIV by visiting The SERO Project at www.seroproject.org

Pope should be charged in International Court for HIV/AIDS policies

Pope should be charged in International Court for HIV/AIDS policies
By: Aaron M. Laxton, HIV-Infected Queer, Activist & Blogger

Child-sex abuse scandals have without doubt tarnished the Catholic church's reputation but are these cover-ups the only crimes that have been enabled by the Vatican? Recently the church's one billion faithful were shocked at the announcement of Pope Benedict XVI's abdication from power, the first in over 600 years. Although the immediate word from the Vatican was that the announcement came as a result of health issues of the Pontiff, stories after the fact paint a picture of a man, and a church, scrambling to protect against charges for crimes against humanity. It is my position however that enabling child molestors was only one of the major crimes that should be answered for. There is one other crime against humanity that has been perpetuated by the Vatican that deserves equal attention and a zeal to prosecute; the consistent misinformation regarding the use of condoms to protect against HIV/AIDS without doubt has led to countless exposures and subsequent infections not only today but during the previous thirty-two years.

Just as a leader of a country would face charges of genocide for killing his own people, so too should the Pope face charges. The Vatican, which is the worlds richiest country per capita, enjoys unprecendented luxuries as a result of the power. Additionally the deeply-rooted beliefs of the believers create a situation in which church members are placed in a no-win situation that pits faith against practical health prevention practices that are known to greatly reduce the exposure and contraction of HIV. Believers can be swayed towards or away from any particular agenda that the Catholic Church. The church and it's leadership would never place people in harmful situations that are known to cause harm such as placing child-molestor priests into parishes with children... Oh wait, that is exactly what they did!

During the plague era rather than embracing the best science that was coming to light, the Catholic church embraced a policy of "no contraceptives". Those who would choose to use condoms were not simply breaking a rule, they were placing their souls in danger of eternal damnation since the Pope speaks with a Heavenly-authority.

With great ability comes great responsibity; it is not only appropriate but also ethically responsible that the world hold the Vatican accountable? If people were murdered as a result of doctrines perpetuated  by the church then without doubt the public would decry the church's failure to protect its congregants. By condemning the use of condoms and safer-sex practices the church is guilty of murder! As such, the church as led by the Pope should be brought to face charges for crimes against humanity as a result of the needless exposure and infection to HIV/AIDS through the teaching, support and furtherance of church law and policies. The abdication of Pope Benedict XVI does nothing to change the dangerous teachings of the catholic church regarding the use of condoms unless the church as a whole demands that the doctrine is changed.

My Letter to President Obama and Congress Regarding HIV/AIDS Funding Cuts

Dear President Obama & Members of Congress,

My name is Aaron Laxton and I am one of approximately 1.2 million Americans that are living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. I work full-time as a case manager helping homeless veterans reenter society. I pay all of my taxes, am a law abiding citizen and a veteran of the United States Army; I believe in the spirit of democracy however that spirit is breaking. It is breaking as a result of Washington politics that refuses to come together in any meaningful fashion in order to avoid sequestration. As a result of your inability and unwillingness to work together the citizens must deal with the subsequent consequences. Patients who are living with HIV/AIDS cannot and will not tolerate Washington agendas, personal egos and a general inability to work together, slowly kill us through balancing the budget on the backs of AIDS patients.

Up to 16,000 fewer patients, including me will have access to life saving HIV medications. It is these medications that we depend on to keep us alive. In my particular case, although I have insurance through my employer, HIV is considered a “Pre-existing Condition” and will not be covered until September 2013.

I was diagnosed with HIV on June 6, 2011 however if sequestration occurs approximately 650,000 fewer HIV tests could be conducted by Centers for Disease Control (CDC) State grantees, which could result of increased future HIV transmissions, deaths from HIV, and costs in health care. It is estimated that an additional 800 individuals will contract HIV due to reductions in the availability of HIV tests and prevention.  

Sequestration is tantamount to murder since withholding lifesaving medications and treatments will have reprehensible and catastrophic affects for those who are infected with HIV.  Additionally for all of the strides that we have made during the past 31 years, the potential exists that funding cuts will delay innovative treatments as well as a cure for HIV. The National Institute of Health will have to halt, crucial and life-saving research that will squander enormous scientific opportunities including the AIDS vaccine and other cure research.

Finally the FDA’s (Food and Drug Administration) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) would face delays in translating new science and technology into regulatory policy and decision-making, resulting in delays in new drug approvals. As a consequence of the automatic budget-cuts implemented, the FDA will also be forced to reduce operational support for meeting performance goals, such as the recently negotiated user fee goals on new innovative prescription drugs and medical devices.

My life is truly in your hands and without intervention the reality exists that I will soon be forced to make choices regarding how I will the medications that will keep me healthy and alive. I urge President Obama and the Congress to work together in order to avoid sequestration. If no compromise can be reached then the blood of Americans dying as a result of AIDS will be on your hands.

Aaron M. Laxton
HIV-Infected Queer, Activist and Blogger

Sequestration: Implications for the HIV/AIDS Community

Sequestration: Implications for the HIV/AIDS Community

By: Aaron M. Laxton, HIV-Infected Queer Activist and Blogger
aaronlaxton@gmail.com

Sensationalized terms such as “Fiscal Cliff”, “Sequestration” and “Debt Ceiling” have by now become a daily phrase for most Americans. Most citizens, and economists for that matter, will tell you that they have no clear understanding of precisely what it will mean. There is one clear thing that we know however, sequestration will cause instant reductions to the National HIV/AIDS budget by an estimated $659 million in the form of automatic budget cuts.

The federal government hit the debt ceiling back in August 2011. A number of lawmakers said they would not vote to raise the debt ceiling, and instead argued that the ethical thing to do was to make deep cuts in federal spending. Failing to raise the debt ceiling, however, would have prevented the Treasury from making interest payments on the government’s accumulated debt, and thus would have forced the U.S. Treasury to default on its loans.  Lawmakers ultimately did agree to raise the debt ceiling, and that agreement came in the form of the Budget Control Act of 2011. The Budget Control Act mandated $917 billion in cuts to military and non-military discretionary spending over 10 years, and formed a 12-member committee made up of lawmakers from both parties drawn from both the House and Senate. That group of lawmakers, nicknamed the super committee, was tasked with devising a plan for at least $1.2 trillion in additional deficit reduction over the coming decade.

But the super committee did not come up with a plan for $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction. According to the Budget Control Act, its failure to do so triggers $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts – sequestration. Those cuts were originally scheduled to begin in January 2013, though they’ve been delayed until March. Under the current agreement, sequestration is now delayed until March 1 when the automatic spending cuts will occur if no further agreement is reached. This deadline will also approximately coincide with Treasury Department estimates of when the U.S. will hit the debt ceiling and slightly precede the March 27 expiration of the Continuing Resolution (CR). Below is a snap-shot of what those living with HIV/AIDS can anticipate if no deal is reached to thwart sequestration.

Treatment and Prevention

·        AIDS and HIV treatment and prevention – Cuts to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program could result in 7,400 fewer patients having access to life saving HIV medications. And approximately 424,000 fewer HIV tests could be conducted by Centers for Disease Control (CDC) State grantees, which could result in increased future HIV transmissions, deaths from HIV, and costs in health care.

·        Approximately 800 additional individuals would contract HIV due to reduction in the

availability of HIV tests and prevention. This would cost the United States $250      million,since every HIV infection costs more than $300,000 in health care costs.

 

·        More than 650,000 people would not be tested for HIV and more than 12,000 people would lose access to life-saving AIDS drugs;

 

·        Should sequestration go into effect on January 2, 2013, federally funded sex education programs would face significant challenges in addressing the critical HIV, sexually transmitted disease (STD), and pregnancy prevention needs of our nation’s youth—thus impacting the future health and wellbeing of our country.

 

·        15,708 People will lose access to crucial life-saving drugs.

 

·        $65.2 million in HIV prevention services will be cut.

 

 

Research and Innovation

“Sequestration will undermine everything we’ve done to accomplish the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) goals of reducing HIV incidence and death,” according to Chris Collins, Vice President and Director of Public Policy at amfAR. “Budget cuts through sequestration would bring crucial life-saving research at the National Institute of Health to a halt, squandering enormous scientific opportunities including AIDS vaccine and cure research.

•         NIH research – The National Institutes of Health (NIH) would be forced to delay or halt vital scientific projects and make hundreds of fewer research awards. Since each research award supports up to seven research positions, several thousand personnel could lose their jobs. Many projects would be difficult to pursue at reduced levels and would need to be cancelled, putting prior year investments at risk. These cuts would delay progress on the prevention of debilitating chronic conditions that are costly to society and delay development of more effective treatments for common and rare diseases affecting millions of Americans.

•         460 AIDS Research grants will be eliminated

•         NSF research – The National Science Foundation (NSF) would issue nearly 1,000 fewer research grants and awards, impacting an estimated 12,000 scientists and students and curtailing critical scientific research.

•         New drug approvals – The FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) would face delays in translating new science and technology into regulatory policy and decision-making, resulting in delays in new drug approvals. The FDA would likely also need to reduce operational support for meeting review performance goals, such as the recently negotiated user fee goals on new innovative prescription drugs and medical devices.

Housing

·        5,000 households will lose housing support.

·        Campaign for Housing and Community Development Funding (August 2012)

·        CHCDF estimates that sequestration would negatively affect more than 440,000 households and an additional 1.1 million people by decreasing affordable housing opportunities and community development services. These households and individuals are low and moderate income renters and homeowners in urban, suburban, rural and tribal communities, including the elderly, people with disabilities and people experiencing homelessness. The need for affordable housing and community development services far exceeds what current funding levels can provide and sequestration would accelerate the growth in the number of households in need.

 

President Obama and the Congress are playing a game of “chicken” and it is going to be those that need services that pay the high-price.

 

I urge each of you in the very strongest way to contact your representative in Congress and place pressure on them to actually do their job and reach a deal to avoid sequestration. As of the morning of 2/18/13 members of Congress had adjourned for vacation and the President traveled to Florida to play golf. It is my opinion that the entire administration and congress should not adjourn until a deal is reached.

 

Use the links below to determine who your member of congress is and how to contact them today.

 

Contacting Congress

Congressional Directory

 

Tips On Telephoning Your Elected Representatives

To find your senators' and representative's phone numbers, you may use our searchable online congressional directory or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202)224-3121 and ask for your senators' and/or representative's office.

Remember that telephone calls are usually taken by a staff member, not the member of Congress. Ask to speak with the aide who handles the issue about which you wish to comment.
After identifying yourself, tell the aide you would like to leave a brief message, such as: "Please tell Senator/Representative (Name) that I support/oppose (S.___/H.R.___)."
You will also want to state reasons for your support or opposition to the bill. Ask for your senators' or representative's position on the bill. You may also request a written response to your telephone call.

One HIV-Infected Queer’s Response to the State of the Union

One HIV-Infected Queer’s Response to the State of the Union

By: Aaron Laxton, HIV-Infected Queer Activist and Blogger

Recently the news of a school massacre with twenty children killed galvanized media outlets around the world. In the days and weeks after, politicians from both sides of the aisle dug in for what would without doubt be a long fight regarding gun reform. As a person that is living with HIV I am left to question, where is this same passion and fervor regarding a CURE for HIV/AIDS?

With an aging group of activist and an ever changing-political environment comes a change in priorities and the government’s ability to put issues that we hold as valuable as a lower-priority. It is true that therapies and treatments for HIV/AIDS have vastly improved; the fight is far from over. The rates of new HIV infections within the African-American and Latino populations are staggering and barriers regarding access to care still abound.

During President Obama’s State of the Union address those of us living with HIV waited for a renewed sense of vigor and determination, marking a move towards a CURE for HIV/AIDS. Sadly, in the end, it was a vague phrase that seemed like an ingenuous attempt to court voters rather than an actual plan to get to an AIDS free generation. By the numbers, those living with HIV/AIDS have seen catastrophic cuts to programs and funding under the Obama Administration that only serve to prove that lip service is alive and well in the White House and Washington, DC.

Twenty white-children are killed in a school shooting; subsequently the instantaneous response from the White House is a stark-contrast to the determination and attention given to HIV/AIDS, an epidemic which has killed millions of people including at least 290,000 gay men. I suppose it makes sense since dead votes do not count on Election Day!

Just as it was in the early days of the epidemic, it was not until white children began to become infected did the public develop a bad taste in their mouth. What will it take now for the public, for those living with HIV/AIDS to rise up and demand a CURE to an epidemic that has been raging more than 32 years, with more casualties than all the wars put together?

I am simply on queer living with HIV who is using his voice but if we are to succeed it will demand that once again we get angry over a lack of governmental response, funding cuts to HIV/AIDS Programs, cost containment measures affecting ADAP recipients and the list goes on. Who is this generation’s Larry Kramer to rally the troops and boldly proclaim that without action we are dead?

Aaron Laxton: My HIV Journey, HIV Meds And False Positives On Drug Test

Fantastic Journey

Fantastic Journey

Aaron Laxton: My HIV Journey: AIDS, Grief And Loss, Pain of being alive.

My HIV Journey: Where Am I Now With Treatment, Day 586

My HIV Journey: Day 571- Nausea... Need I say more

Aaron Laxton: Happy Holidays to All of You!

Aaron Laxton: I have HIV and current laws say I am a criminal.

Aaron Laxton, My HIV Journey Day 520: A Strategy for the Holiday Season

I am Gay. I am a US Army Veteran. I am HIV Positive... I am voting for P...

HIV Is Not a Crime, 2011 Film by Sean Strub, Edit by Leo Herrera/HomoChic

Busting down the Closet.

A closet is a horrible place to live. The fear and feelings associated with the closet are some of the scariest that a person will ever know. Will people reject you? Will your family stop loving you? Am I basically going to be cut off from my family? These are some of the questions that are associated with thoughts about disclosing something very important.

For a gay male who is HIV positive there are two times in which they come out of the closet. First is the disclosure that you are gay. Coming from a religious family I knew what this meant for me. The simple belief that you somehow chose this lifestyle is a belief that is widely held not just by my family but by a portion of society. I have often wondered why someone would choose, willingly, to have this type of rejection and persecution for a life. Even though it was difficult to come out to my family there have been family members who refused to allow hate and bigotry to dictate their own relationships. For that I am truly thankful!

The second discosure is coming out of the HIV closet. For some this disclosure is seemingly easy, while for others it is nearly impossible. The same feelings that I mentioned previously are associated with disclosing your HIV status. Are people going to reject me? Will my friends and family stop talking to me? Are people only going to see me as a diagnosis?

For both of these disclosures, we look at history and that creates a baseline that we use as a point of reference. I think that for me it was easier for my family to learn that I was HIV positive than for them to accept the fact that I am gay. I mean, at least HIV has medications and treatments but gay, well... there certainly are no medications to fix that.

For me when I learned that I was HIV positive I initially did not want anyone to know. That did not last long and before I knew it I had decided to take my story to Youtube at "My HIV Journey" . I made my decision and there was no looking back. The reality is such that when you tell one person that ultimately many others will know, even if they say that they are not going to tell.

So I controlled the disclosure of my HIV status and I did it on my terms. I did not have any expectations of how people would react or respond to it but I was shocked when it was mostly supportive. Even my family reacted in a nurturing manner with love and concern.

Each person has to decide why they are wanting to disclose their status. For me, I knew that I wanted to leave my mark on society and on my community. That meant that I was going to put myself out there 100 percent. Once I did that then people couldn't talk. I had taken all the ammo away from them. What were they going to say, that I was positive? Big deal, I had already told everyone.

Another aspect I find interesting is when people wonder how their closest friends will respond or react. I would say that if you have to question that then it really says a lot about the friendship since HIV shouldn't even factor into the friendship. They should be there for you no matter, right?

Make a statement...

Recently we have seen celebrities such as my friend Jamar Rogers or Olympic Athlete Ji Wallace disclose their HIV status and that is amazing. You can do the same thing and have a huge impact as well. You never know who is watching you and what they are going through. Simply knowing that there is someone aound them that is brave enough to stand up against misconceptions and social injustice could very well save their life. Ultimately thought disclosing your HIV status has to be something that you do for yourself. Remember once you do it there is no going back. Not everyone wants to change the world or be there for other people and that is ok. Being an activist and advocating for social change is not easy and it is not for everyone. I truly believe that it is a calling since it does take dedication and devotion.

Things to do change without people standing up and advocacting for that change. We have seen this proven time and time again throughout history. Change however doesn't not come without sacrifice. I advocate for people to disclose their HIV status in order for society to have the ability to put a face to HIV. We are friends, family members, church members and so on... HIV does not change who we are it simply is an aspect of who we are.

There is a great quote that says "I would rather die on my feet than to live on my knees." That is how I try to live my life. Additionally I would never ask someone else to do what I myself wouldn't or haven't done. I live my life out loud and I hope that others will do the same. My name is Aaron Laxton and I am HIV Positive. Will you stand with me? If so make your statement at the " I AM HIV+" facebook page.

Aaron M. Laxton
314-610-0999
aaronlaxton@gmail.com
AaronLaxton on Twitter
Aaron Laxton on Facebook
My HIV Journey on Youtube
My HIV Journey on Facebook
"I AM HIV+" Facebook

People living with HIV/AID need to let the world know that we are here.

I know what I am about to propose is radical and for that I will not apologize. Today, we find ourselves as people living with HIV/AIDS in a fight. This is a fight that has been raging for over thirty years however in recent years the battle cries have calmed as the cause lost leadership due to aging as well as from death as a result of complications of AIDS. We are in a fight even now as politicians cut funding and programs; we are in a fight as we strive to fight stigma. This is not just might fight and not simply the fight of those that are activist or considered radicals. This is the fight of every person that must hide their HIV status due to the fear of being discriminated against. This is the fight of every person who hides the fact that they are HIV positive from their family and friends due to the fear of rejection. This fight my friend is yours whether or not you ant to accept it not.

As I stood in front of the Washington Monument and the White House during the International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC I figured something out. People want to share their status and we need to. I need to stop hiding as if we have something to be fearful or shamed of because of a positive HIV status.

In thirty years we have seen many changes in our society. We have seen improvements in medications and increased life expectancy and quality of life and for that I am so thankful. That being said, does not mean that we can give up or stop fighting. We have to continue pushing forward in this battle that we are in. We have to ensure that funding continues to stream into programs that are working on innovative cure research as well as decreasing the costs of desperately needed medications to those who simply have a hard time surviving on a daily basis.

Yes, disclosing your HIV status is not easy and it is a very personal thing to do however we must all fight together. For some the sacrifice might be civil disobedience while for others it might be writing a strongly worded letter to a Senator or Congressman. The point if that we have to stand up and let the world know that we are here. HIV/AIDS is here and this is what it looks like. It looks like a friend, a family member or a coworker. We have never been as close as we are together to a cure and we must continue to push policy makers, corporations and big pharma to increase contributions to this technology.

I know what I am asking people to do and I would not ask anyone to do it if I had not done it myself. On an individual basis we can face negative consequences to disclosing our status however together, if we stand together we can change the world. This is bigger than any one individual person. I am asking that all people disclose their HIV status to their friends, family, coworkers and anyone else that you have not already told. It is only when we let people know that we are here will we fully reengage the conversation about HIV/AIDS. One thing that everyone can do is to simply take a photo with a sign that reads, "I AM HIV+" and post it online at "I AM HIV+" Photo Campaign Facebook.

I would ask you to consider this, is it better to live a life that is honest where you never have to hide who you are and are accepted for who you truly are or to live a lie? I would say that for me I chose a long time ago to never hide who I am. Although this might mean at times that I am discriminated against, beat down or yes even arrested; I choose to stand rather than to live on my knees.

ACT UP, FIGHT BACK, FIGHT AIDS! That is the chant that was being heard throughout the streets of Washington, DC and people had no choice but to hear us. We have improved medications to treat HIV/AIDS because of the sacrifice of activists, protesters and ordinary citizens that refused to simply live in silence. Yes this is a line in the sand and I am asking people to choose where they stand. Some might even say, if you are not with us then you are against us.

ACT UP, FIGHT BACK, FIGHT AIDS!

Aaron M. Laxton- AIDS Activist
Aaron's Email
My HIV Journey on Youtube
My HIV Journey on Facebook
Twitter

Whats the take away the International AIDS Conference?

Activists, Advocates and people from around the world converged on Washington, DC for the International AIDS conference. For those of us living with HIV it was a time to simply feel normal. Taking medication on a schedule, regular conversations regarding struggles with HIV were had and for all of us it was a time to refocus our efforts towards a cure.

With only a few days left of the conference we  all must ask ourselves what is the take away from this conference. Is the conference simply a time for us to travel or is it a time to reaffirm ourselves to fighting to reduce stigma and raise awareness surrounding HIV/AIDS? I would hope that the latter is the take away from this conference and for me it is!

I will forever hold this experience in a special place in my heart and the memories that I have made. Whether it be protesting and marching in front of the White House, special moments with Timothy Brown aka the "Berlin Patient" or living closely with a team of activists from around the world, this has been amazing. Many times this week I have compared this trip to that of civil rights activists who boarded buess and migrated to Washington, DC all in efforts to bring about social change.

I have marched this week; I have walked shoulder-to-shoulder with others who are as passionate about HIV/AIDS as I am and it was exactly what I needed. "ACT UP, FIGHT BACK, FIGHT AIDS" was the chant that could be heard by over thirteen thousand activists and I am proud to say that I was one of them. As I packed my car and made arrangements to come to DC the days prior to the conference I knew that this trip was going to be life changing however I could never have anticipated the utter importance of this trip. I knew that it was something that I had to do at all costs and though there were sacrifices, what I personally am taking away can never adequately be put into words.

Life long friendships were made and had that been the only thing that I achieved it would have been a success. The time that I got to spend with Timothy Brown has been priceless and I am so thankful for that. As I stood in a conference room awaiting the announcement of the Timothy Ray Brown Foundation that will focus on funding research for a cure, I knew that I was witnessing history. As I walked behind Tim as he walked into the conference room behind the line of sight of the media corp and in those moments we had a conversation and shared a hug. It was this interaction that a photographer from Reuters captured and would ultimately be spread across the Associated Press globally.

It was the shared moments that I had during this past week with activists who have fought the fight that I am now engaged in but when the HIV/AIDS movement was in its infancy. We are now thirty years and thirty-million dead globally into the movement now the demands from activists has evolved from treatment to a cure.

What was simply my desire to be who I am would also forever be documented by photographers and television stations around the world. The sign simply read "I am HIV+" and I stood in front of the Washington monuement and the White House with one desire... to let others know that I am here. Additionally I wanted to let others that are living with HIV/AIDS know that they do not have to hide who they are and that there is nothing to be ashamed of.

Protesting the Mayor of DC with Robert was another memory that was very spontaneous but ultimately is the shere definition of who we are. At the core of who we are we are wanting to change the world and the split minute decision to join our brother and sister activists was the right decision.

What can I say? The memories will forever remain in my heart and my mind as some of the best times of my life. It is not by chance that almost every photo of me taken during the conference show a huge grin on my face. Activism for me in not a romantic notion or simply something I do because I am bored, but rather because I know that I can be part of real change, not only within the United States but globally.

Aaron Laxton
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My Journey to the International AIDS Conference 2012

Even as I write this I have so many emotions that are running through my body. Words cannot capture how I am feeling however I must try. As I pack my Jetta with luggage and electronic gear there is a sense that where I am headed is truly historic. I have said it many times this past week but I truly feel as if this is what activist and advocate must have felt like during the civil rights movement when they would board buses and make the intensive trip to Washington, DC.

Yes, I will be in a car for almost fifteen hours but at the very core of who I am I know that it is where I belong. I will be meeting up with Cyber-Activist and peers within the HIV/AIDS community that up to now were merely voices and email addresses. As with everything else in my journey with HIV I am going to document this because I know that it is historic and something that I will tell my children, "I was there."

My voice as an activist and advocate might only be heard by a few however in DC it will be united with tens of thousands of other people and together the world will see us. Whether it is marching on the capital or meeting with people in the Global Village there is one commonality, HIV/AIDS. I have made a sign that I am proudly going to carry. It is an AIDS ribbon on one side and on the other side it reads, "I am HIV +".

I friendships that I am going to make over the next week will most likely be like no other friendships. Myself and rest of the HashtagHIV team are going to be tweeting and doing various shows each day. WOW who would have thought that over two decades ago that the access of knowledge at one conference would so easily be able to navigate to the furthest points of the globe.

My hope is that through this conference attention will once again be directed to HIV/AIDS and those that are living with HIV/AIDS. I hope that the world will see that there is still stigma that surrounds HIV/AIDS however we refuse to be silenced and we will be heard! As I make this trip to Washington and I see things such as the AIDS Quilt I do so knowing that the names on the Quilt symbolize a life that was lost to a virus that I have in my body. As I make this trip to the International AIDS Conference I remember that fact that many of my brothers and sisters in the HIV/AIDS community who fought the hardest are no longer with us and it is now my fight!

I am excited. I am excited to share information with activist and dvocate from around the world. Without doubt I am forever going to be changed from this journey that I am on.

Aaron Laxton
www.youtube.com/laxtona
aaronlaxton@gmail.com
www.aaronlaxton.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/myhivjourney