The following is Jeff Berry's editor's note in the Positively Aware special AIDS @ 30 edition, now available.
Thirty years ago, in 1981, I moved to Chicago from Grand Rapids, Mich., to deejay at Dugan's Bistro, the largest gay nightclub of its day, the "Studio 54 of the Midwest."
I was on my own for the first time in my life, in a bustling major city with a thriving gay nightlife, around the same time that the first few cases of what would later become known as AIDS were being reported in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
It was a different time, but I have to admit that I took to my newfound freedom with a reckless abandon, and threw caution to the wind. It wasn't long afterwards that I remember coming down with a flu-like illness that lasted for several weeks, one that I just couldn't seem to shake. It was also during this time that I now believe I seroconverted; however, I would remain symptom free, and it wasn't until I took my first HIV test eight years later that I learned I was positive.
That same year, in 1981, a few months before I relocated to Chicago, Marc Antoni Castillo, who is pictured on the cover of this issue of Positively Aware, was born with HIV. Like me, he also resided in Chicago. Like me, he and his mother Marta Santiago didn't learn until years later that they were both HIV-positive. And, like me, they are both still here. Our stories are so very different, and yet, they are the same.
I have never met Marc or Marta, but I am so very honored that they have chosen to be part of this issue of Positively Aware and share their stories with us. There are so many stories out there that, tragically, ended much too soon, or even worse, will never be heard. And there are many more still waiting to be told.
For this issue I had the distinct privilege of speaking with Dr. Anthony Fauci, someone who has been around since the very beginning of HIV and AIDS. Dr. Fauci has made such a tremendous impact on the course of the epidemic both in the U.S. and globally, and is someone who, as you'll read, is committed, passionate, and articulate, while at the same time being very approachable and down to earth.
Also in this issue you will read the stories of Drs. David Blatt and David Moore, HIV-treating physicians who left their own unique and indelible mark on the lives of many individuals, as well as the entire Chicago community, and who both recently retired from medical practice, but continue to touch people's lives.
And then there are the countless researchers, doctors, nurses, case managers, care providers, community workers, activists, family members, friends, acquaintances, volunteers, and yes, even members of industry—many of whom have left their own legacies and have contributed in one way or another. A few of these individuals and their stories you will read in this issue, but again, most of them you will never hear about, and they will go unrecognized and unheralded.
But you will benefit from them.
You will benefit when you take your meds in the morning, the ones that keep you alive and healthy, or when you need help getting housing or financial assistance, or when you need a shoulder to cry on. You will be aware of them when you pick up a magazine that offers support and information for people with HIV, a magazine that was started by Chris Clason, a man who lived honorably, fought valiantly, and ultimately succumbed long ago to the very disease that we have subsequently learned to survive and even thrive with.
This issue of Positively Aware pays tribute to those individuals whose stories have become woven into the fabric of our lives, our very beings. We will never be separate from them, and they will not have lived or died in vain. It is our charge to pick up and go on with our lives, because in doing so, we honor them and their existence, their contributions, their achievements.
While there may have been times in our lives when we lived dangerously, we now choose to live responsibly, with a purpose, and a determination to carry on the work of those who came before us. Remember and honor someone you have loved and lost by making this the year of living safely, responsibly, carefully, compliantly—whichever word fits you best. Make it yours. Make it meaningful. Make it real.
This is your story, your life, and your year. You are creating it, and you are writing it, so make it a story that you will be proud to share with those who, 30 years from now, just may happen to pick up a magazine, and might even become inspired by your own, unique story.
Positively Aware is an internationally known and respected magazine devoted to HIV treatment and health, published bi-monthly by Test Positive Aware Network ( TPAN ) in Chicago. Founded in 1987, TPAN is Chicago's oldest peer-led AIDS service organization and specializes in treatment information, support services, and prevention. To order copies of the magazine, call ( 773 ) 989-9400 or e-mail distribution@tpan.com . For more information about TPAN and Positively Aware magazine visit www.tpan.com and www.positivelyaware.com .
