Today, Dec. 1, is World AIDS Day. Created in 1988, it is intended as a day for observance of those who have died and for focus on issues currently facing the HIV/AIDS community. HIV/AIDS is an important issue in Madison, which is home to the AIDS Network and AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin. In a interview with community activist John Steines, he shared both the triumphs and the struggles the HIV positive community faces in our city and the world.
Badger Herald: What recent legislation (within the past year or few years) has done the most to help HIV/AIDS prevention, awareness and education? And what legislation has done the most to harm it?
John Steines: It’s certainly important that people without resources, of whom there are a lot, are supported for their medication. That’s critical. And I know it’s run through the state and they’ve had to cut that back, and needed medications have been cut. But I think we’re starting to realize that that’s an important thing to continue. The most helpful thing that I’ve seen has been the efforts that are going on at the hands of both legislature and non-profit organizations of increased availability of drugs and compliance issues.
AIDS Network continues to play a big part for a lot of people. They provide people help. One of the things I think is that there’s still a group that meets periodically. It’s not just a discussion group, and people can go to that, and it’s usually on a Friday afternoon. They can just sit and talk about what’s happening with them, and for some of them, it’s really their major chance to socialize. I think for some others who are maybe doing a little better but still, at some times need to reconnect with that community, it helps them get perspective on what others are experiencing. I would say that group, especially, plays a pivotal role. I’m familiar with the Rodney Scheel House and what that has offered to the city, and it’s huge. But I do think the entity has maybe not had as much of an awareness of what that place can offer. I’m on the neighborhood council in that area, and I am interested in increasing neighborhood outreach to make them feel a little more included. I think that’s really important. I think we need to look at the community room at the Rodney Scheel House as a venue that the community should try to make use of for the benefit of the people that live there as well as the community as a whole
BH: It’s been 30 years since we found out about the infection – what is the most important thing for us to remember 30 years down the line?
JS: I just lost a very close friend, Adrian Pope, who was the founder of Madison AIDS network. He was part and I am part of a generation of those who died in their 20s and 30s and are not here today. There’s a big vacuum of all that talent and rich history that just disappeared from our lives, and I think it’s important to remember the toll it took on our community and how few of us survived. I just remember all those people who died so young and had such a short life and such a difficult time with so much hatred and shunning.
BH: What do you think is the most pressing need of the HIV/AIDS community today?
JS: There’s always continuing education. And there are so many different obstacles. I’m going to start with the worst case scenario: There are still people in Madison who, if they know you’re HIV positive, shy away from you. You’re somewhat shunned by some people. I don’t entirely know what it is, but it’s fear. It’s a combination of things. But it does still exist; we can’t ignore that. Another very troubling thing is there are still people out there who, really, are dismissive of safe sex practices and seem to want to become infected. Or there are people who seem to think it’s not an important enough thing to worry about and think they don’t need to be concerned about safe sex practices. That’s troubling. But that is out there, and I think there’s a belief among some people who are negative that think it’s only the responsibility of those who are positive to practice safe sex. That’s obviously not the case – both groups need to be responsible for themselves.
John Steines ([email protected]) is active in AIDS Network, Madison and Perfect Harmony Men’s Chorus.
Interview conducted by Editorial Page Content Editor Taylor Nye ([email protected]), a junior majoring in human evolutionary biology, archaeology and Latin American studies.
