On Dec. 1, people of every age, sexual orientation, color and creed participated in a Memphis-area World AIDS Day observance at Union Avenue Baptist Church.
It is estimated that 16,000 people worldwide are infected daily by the HIV virus, and over half are between 15-24 years old.
In remembrance of twenty years of AIDS, portions of the AIDS quilt were on display at Union Avenue Baptist Church and Mt. Vernon Baptist Church.
The World AIDS Day observance service, organized by various denominations, corporations and awareness groups, brought the quilt to Memphis after more than seven years.
Patches commemorating the lives lost due to the illness will be displayed until Thursday at Union Avenue Church and Mt. Vernon Baptist Church.
Service guest speaker Rev. Jimmy R. Allen, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, told the tragic story of his family: two grandsons, one daughter, and a son, all victims of the AIDS virus.
“The idea was to personalize the issue,” said L. Joseph Rosas III, Pastor of Union Avenue Baptist.
In the United States, 40,000 people are diagnosed with the virus every year, and at least half are under 21.
“The statistics are amazing, but it’s important to remember the names and faces behind them,” Rosas added.
Butch Valentine of Friends for Life, a Memphis AIDS resource center, said the main message was that AIDS could happen to anyone, and people should be more compassionate to victims. Valentine, who contracted AIDS through unprotected sex, was diagnosed in 1993.
He gave his personal story at the World AIDS Day remembrance ceremony at Union Avenue Church.
“We talked of hope, compassion, and courage,” said Valentine.
He added the general opinion of the church to those infected was in need of a positive change, something the event helped to bridge.
“Some people think that contracting AIDS is a punishment from God for a lifestyle. God doesn’t work that way, but a lot of people think He does,” Valentine said.
Darrin Devault, a Union Avenue Baptist parishioner who helped organize the event, said it really brought some issues home.
“It’s so important to show compassion to those who need help,” Devault said.
While Allen stressed the importance of understanding that AIDS is a universal problem, many involved stressed concern for U of M students and others in our age group.
According to Valentine, with the information available today about AIDS, there is no excuse for people to risk their safety.
“It’s like the message on the cigarette box,” Valentine said. “People know and don’t always listen.”
It’s also essential to set ground rules about sex and stand firm to them, he added.
“When you’re into it, you don’t want to talk about protection, but the 15 minutes of fun isn’t worth this type of life,” Valentine said. “When you’re in bed, you’re really in bed with a whole lot of people.”
Terry Orgel, World AIDS Day event coordinator, stresses the need for students to educate themselves.
“Come and see the quilt,” Orgel said. “AIDS is everyone. It’s the public issue of the time.”
