A True Champion
by Phil Matthews
(TPAN Executive Director, 1996-98)
Before I reflect on
the past 10 years of Positively Aware, I would like
to first congratulate Charles Clifton on being named the next
editor of this terrific HIV treatment publication. I worked
with Charles when I served as the executive director of TPAN
from 1996-98. I have always been impressed with his intelligence,
work ethic and his knowledge of the issues that affect people
living with HIV. More importantly, Charles has compassion
and commitment to making a difference in the HIV community.
He is an ideal choice to guide Positively Aware as
it enters the next millennium. Congratulations, Charles!
When Charles invited me to
submit an article commemorating the 10th anniversary of this
outstanding journal I agreed without hesitation. After all,
experience has given me a unique voice regarding this issue.
My personal journey of 18 years as a gay man living with HIV
closely parallels the growth of Positively Aware. My
experiences as executive director of the agency, and finally,
my personal relationship with Steve Whitson, the late editor
of Positively Aware (and my lover of three years) gave
me a direct view of the intelligence, energy and commitment
necessary to produce a quality publication issue after issue.
I know when I became infected
with the HIV virus and I even know the man from whom I contracted
the disease. It was the spring of 1982 and I was a junior
in college. I had not yet ventured far beyond the safe confines
of my childhood home, a small town of 35,000 people. I was
young and beginning to fully explore my sexuality. Of course,
no one had yet started to stress the behaviors of “safe
sex”...no one knew it would become our sexual reality
for years to come. I would not test for the virus until 1987,
by which time I was living in New York City. At that time,
organizations like Test Positive Aware Network and NYC’s
Gay Men’s Health Crisis were just beginning to become
a necessary part of the HIV landscape and there were no HIV
treatment publications to read. We were flying blind and grasping
for answers that did not exist.
As HIV and AIDS threatened
the community, activists began to organize and people living
with HIV started sharing their stories, experiences and knowledge.
The self-empowerment movement was born and community-based
organizations started distributing pamphlets and newsletters,
providing the foundation from which publications like Positively
Aware would be created.
Positively Aware
has seen amazing growth and development. Each editor has brought
a special talent to his job and each person’s contribution
is essential to elevate the magazine to where the magazine
stands today—one of the most widely read and highly respected
HIV treatment publications available. Steve Whitson began
working on the publication in 1997. As editor of Positively
Aware, he was the happiest he had been in his life. At
the time Steve was a tenured professor at DePaul University.
He was first and foremost a teacher, and he used those skills
to guide one of the most respected HIV journals in the country.
He gladly accepted the challenge of educating people about
HIV, and was dedicated to providing the most up-to-date treatment
information, ultimately, giving people the tools to make knowledgeable
choices about their healthcare.
Steve explored the personal
side of HIV by reporting on issues that affect a rich and
diverse community regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation.
He was fiercely loyal to, and protective of, the HIV community.
His size and stature intimidated people, but he was truly
a kind and gentle soul. He was blessed with a rare gift to
be equally comfortable speaking with researchers and physicians
as he was at taking time to talk with a complete stranger
about the problems they may be having with their current medications.
Steve’s wisdom and compassion
touched many lives. Many of you reading this magazine are
healthier today because of his commitment to making the complex
world of HIV a little easier to understand...and hopefully,
not quite so overwhelming and frightening. I miss him a great
deal and the community lost a true champion of its cause.
Positively Aware
has maintained a vital voice in the HIV community by being
the voice of all people living with the disease. Congratulations
on the last 10 years helping everyone affected by HIV live
healthier lives. Keep up the important work!
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