Befriending the Enemy

Recently, I was informed by Mr. Blackpool that someone from GMA wanted to get in touch with me. I swear, I cringed. Blackpool has become a friend, and he is completely aware that I’ve come to develop a history with that television network. But he assured me the person from GMA was a friend of his, and requested that I at least give it some consideration. It felt like I was gonna be sleeping with the enemy, argh. But, fine, I gave it some thought.

Initially, I was hesitant to give my mobile number to the guy, and didn’t even want to call him on his landline, from fear of being traced and stalked. So I asked that he tell me what he needed via e-mail. And he did. Simply enough, all he wanted was a meeting. But I think he drove his point when he said no commitment, no bullshitting. Fair enough. But I had my bitch ready.

So after a day’s worth of thinking, a quick chat via YM to warm things up between us, some attempts at flattery, and of course some badgering from Mr. BlackPool, I finally gave in. We were to meet that same evening. Discovering we lived nearby from each other, we agreed that a coffee shop at the local mall would be a convenient place.

I honestly was considering calling the meeting off at the last minute, only because I really wasn’t feeling well, hung over from the physically and emotionally draining weekend. But I just wanted to get it over with. I needed to know what it was all about.

Needless to say, it was another benefit-of-the-doubt thing, but I showed up nonetheless. After some small talk, he shifted from social to professional. He made clear that though they were from the same network, he could not officially comment on what happened to Baby Nathan because he was not witness to it. He assured me though that they were a completely different group from the Emergency thing, and just shared a bit of his personal and off-the-record insight on what he had heard about it. Fine. I was appeased.

He then went straight to the point. He was part of a team doing another documentary on HIV and AIDS. He wanted my input on how it could be treated, at the very least. I don’t know exactly what I can or can’t say about what we talked about, but let’s just say I used references to the previous documentaries done by Reporter’s Notebook and Emergency, both GMA shows as well, to point out what exactly was not properly done or shown. I was also able to share with him my thoughts and concerns on the treatment hubs and HIV advocacy groups, some of which he was able to visit already.

After a lot more talking, my drinking my ARVs in front of him signaled that the meeting begin wrapping up, before I started feeling the side effects. We finished the meeting and headed our separate ways, probably both left with much to think about. Personally, I think just having someone to pour out my thoughts to was therapeutic. I slept past my usual bedtime, and woke up an hour before I was actually supposed to, but I’m feeling much better than I have been for the past few days.

As much as he’d like to hear me say "I think he's really nice and really good looking, too", I’ve chosen to focus on the business side of things. So I’ve been giving it some thought, and I’ve come up with a wish list of points that I’d like the documentary to make. Here goes...

~ HIV is here. Now.
~ HIV has no mercy for age, gender, race or sexual preference.
~ HIV has no mercy for intelligence and social status, either.
~ HIV is not a homosexual disease.
~ HIV is not a disease of just the promiscuous.
~ Knowing one’s HIV status is important.
~ We must not fear getting tested.
~ Whether positive or negative, HIV tests are life-changing.
~ HIV can not be transmitted through casual contact.
~ Discriminate against ignorance, not HIV.
~ A risk is a risk, no matter how small. Just be ready to take responsibility.
~ It is everyone’s responsibility to keep him or herself safe.
~ HIV does not kill.
~ HIV is not a debilitating disease.
~ People living with HIV & AIDS can still be productive.
~ HIV is a big deal, but can be dealt with.

That’s just as far as I’ve been able to go. I might come up with more. Or you might have some ideas. Sound them out. That’s the least we can do to make sure this is done right this time.

Awareness, I believe, will be the key to stopping the spread of HIV. And whether I like it or not, the media will play a huge role in spreading information. And whether they like it or not, we, as viewers, have the power to steer the media onto the right path. Empower yourself. Now is as good a time as any.