I believe I attended my first AIDSWatch in 2013. To many of
the HIV advocates there, I was totally unknown, so my excitement, anticipation
and desire to rush around meeting people that I'd been conversing with via social
media was uncharted waters. Looking back on it, I think they were uncertain of
me because, despite being in my 50s, I was a new kid on the block!
Fast forward to the months and weeks ahead of AIDSWatch 2020
and again I was uncertain — not because I was going to be the unknown entity at
this year's conference or because of troubled political waters, but because of
the appearance of a different type of virus. As it got closer to conference
time, a new and even uglier beast — one that was taking the lives of people in
other countries — finally arrived in the United States. It was the beast we all
now know as coronavirus or COVID-19.
AIDS United and the partners that host AIDSWatch each year
had a decision to make: They could cancel the conference entirely or they find
a way make it happen without endangering any lives. This advocate was immensely
grateful when I got email stating AIDSWatch was to be a virtual event! After
hearing the news, I immediately emailed AIDS United staffers and asked if I
could register. They told me, "Yes, you can!" So I did.
A few days after I registered, it was brought to my attention
that AIDS United had made an unprecedented decision: This Virtual AIDSWatch was
to be free for anyone who wanted to cyber-attend! I was so excited I shared via
Twitter and Facebook ... everyday!
Many people may not realize that I am no longer physically
able to rip and run like my fellow advocates remember being normal for me.
Extreme asthma with a side of aging with HIV has caused me to acknowledge my
limitations.
Trust me, that's not an easy thing to do.
I shared with all my social media and with my AIDS United
family how phenomenally "next gen" thinking it was to have virtual
AIDSWatch. I know that I'm far from the only person who wanted to attend
AIDSWatch and who can benefit from the education that AIDSWatch affords
attendees, but is unable to be there physically.
It is my hope that this virtual AIDSWatch is a new beginning;
a different way of determining what it means to attend AIDSWatch and who gets
to participate. Many of us are physically unable to do all that walking from the
Senate offices to the House offices, which can seem like they’re miles apart
when you have trouble getting around. But, those of us with mobility issues want
to be able to access the trainings and the breakout sessions. We deserve to
have the opportunity to be at the networking breakfast and lunch and the awards
event where folks get to meet Elizabeth Taylor's family who carry on her
mission.
All those are things that motivate true advocates. We want
to be a part of them and we’re grateful that the virtual AIDSWatch was
able to do that. Some of us advocates can't rip and run like we used to, but
our fingers sure can use all 280 of those Twitter characters and share Facebook
and Instagram posts like crazy.
Posted By: Guest Blogger -- Wanda Brendle-Moss - Friday, April 03, 2020
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