Rally brings attention to AIDS day

Participants gathered to heighten awareness of the deadly epidemic. Though breakthrough drugs are now keeping AIDS patients alive and healthier for a longer period of time, members of the Penn community yesterday stressed that the disease is still deadly and incurable. In honor of World AIDS day, Penn's Interdisciplinary Dialogues on AIDS, a student group, organized "Rally on the Green" yesterday in front of Van Pelt Library, to remind Penn students to avoid the risks that lead to infection and to evaluate current policies towards fighting AIDS. The rally addressed the theme of this year's World AIDS Day, "Children & Young People: Listen, Learn, Live," by promoting the Penn community's awareness of the still-growing epidemic and the issues surrounding potential cures of the disease. Owing perhaps to the cold weather, a small number of Penn students and staff, along with members of the greater Philadelphia community, stood outside Van Pelt passing out red ribbons and holding up signs that read, "There are NO guilty victims" and "AIDS is an equal opportunity disease." The rally began with fifth-year Medical Anthropology doctoral student Tonya Taylor -- PIDA's founder -- sharing facts about the growth of the AIDS epidemic worldwide. Taylor pointed out that 33 million people around the world have been infected with HIV and that among those, 70 percent are from Africa, where 23.3 million people -- 10 percent of the continent's population -- suffer from the virus. "It's your problem," Taylor shouted in front of Van Pelt. "[One day] it will affect you in some shape or form." "This is the single greatest political, social and health crisis facing the world [today]," said Gary Bell, director of Blacks Educating Blacks About Sexual Health Issues. The focus of Bell's speech was that while AIDS is a reality, many people go on with their lives without giving the disease much thought. "I'm asking you to think about [the AIDS epidemic]," Bell said. "Don't think for one minute that you can't be affected by it." Besides promoting awareness and conveying the reality of the AIDS epidemic, some speakers criticized the steps the government and pharmaceutical companies are, and are not, taking to alleviate the AIDS crises. Among those skeptics was Chris Kimmenez, a member of "Act Up Philadelphia," a volunteer organization devoted to bringing justice to victims of HIV and AIDS. Kimmenez, who is HIV positive, expressed his disgust with the government's refusal to pressure pharmaceutical companies to lower the price of AIDS medication. "Pills cost pennies and greed costs lives," Kimmenez said, adding that all AIDS patients -- rich or poor -- should have access to potential cures. "Everyone should have the right [to decide] whether they want to live or die." Kimmenez also noted the U.S. government's efforts to control the market of AIDS products abroad, including government threats to impose trade embargoes on countries that sell AIDS medication on the market at a lower price than American companies. South Africa, Zimbabwe, Vietnam, Thailand and Brazil are among the countries that have faced this threat. Speakers from Civic House and Facilitated Learning about Sexual Health were also present at the rally encouraging students to get involved in promoting AIDS awareness. "It's a shame that we only have one [day like this]," Bell said. "Every day should be World AIDS Day."