Timbits, HIV and a Cigarette

This is a story about a timbit, HIV and a cigarette that proves that on some level we are all connected.

A couple weeks back there was a bit of an uproar that took place over Tim Horton's offering to provide some coffee and timbits at this "family day" in Rhode Island....or something along those lines. I only half paid attention to the whole thing. For the most part I would have missed the whole thing were it not for a friend, Fred, sending out a mass email sharing that the group behind the "family day" did not support gay marriages. He encouraged us all to write and stop supporting Tim Hurton's. I love Fred and his believes. Not being a Tim Hurton's customer my impact would have been zero. But go gays....whatever floats your boat.

This issue did not float my boat but it did stir up some deep rooted feelings that I have. As I write this someone is probably bare backing. HIV is on the rise. What the fuck? What are we doing? HIV is not a good thing but we seem to be closing a blind eye to it. In fact more energy goes into making living with HIV a great experience than preventing the spread of the disease. This is not complicated. Keep it simple. Always put a condom on. Always. Otherwise they are really winning. Sure "family day" went on without their timbits. Big woo. We certainly didn't change their believes. But how could we? We lack so much creditability. We have become a group of society that spreads a disease amongst ourselves. No timbits for us either.

And finally how does a cigarette fit into all this. Well I once had a friend, who is positive, tell me that he wouldn't date me because I smoke. Again. What the fuck? We have made HIV that much of our friend that being a smoker ranks below being positive. I have stopped smoking. You can't stop being positive. So again....put a condom on it, put a condom on it, put a condom on it. If not for yourself for the other person.

We seem to be making the wrong enemies and the wrong friends. Stop HIV. Put a condom on it. HIV is worse then timbits. HIV is worse then "family day". HIV is worse than smoking. It is time to stop kidding ourselves. We look foolish.