March 4 PRESS CONFERENCE SPEECH
You can't imagine what a thrill this honor is. I'm grateful to be here. No---I'm really grateful to be here. But that also means there are 450,000 other US citizens who are not alive to see this moment. The battle still rages. My battle began here many years ago. In fact since then, more Americans have been lost in this battle than in Desert Storm, Viet Nam, Korea, and WWI. Every year 5,000 Floridians become newly infected with HIV, the majority of them under the age of 25. Our state is #3 in the nation for total cases of AIDS, #2 for pediatric cases of AIDS and #1 for total reported cases of HIV. Between 400,000 and 500,000 infected people in the US today are either untested, untreated or both. Our work is nowhere near complete. There are literally millions of children and adults who must understand that HIV and AIDS still threatens their lives.
You and I must not believe those who for whatever reason, lie to themselves and others when they deny HIV and AIDS. Our task remains a strong loyalty toward education ...the only weapon we have to stop those we love from suffering. This disease is PREVENTABLE with education and awareness.
My message to you today is one of COMPASSION and TOLERANCE. We must continue to fight value judgments of groups of people as much as the disease itself. We must fight homophobia and gender bias in the disease. And, then we must fight for our children, my children Garrett and Lyndsy know this disease personally. It has a face. And, we need to know that AIDS is for everybody. It does not discriminate.
We can't forget the children who have been and will be orphaned. 'They need love, understanding and that same compassion. I certainly want you to give that to my children.
From here I want to continue my quest. I want to speak to YOUR group in YOUR hometown. Your children, your brothers and sisters, your husbands and wives and your friends need to know. Our message is one that must be heard by everyone.
“Only Men, Women and Children Get AIDS”
I am truly honored and this moment makes my work more valuable. Please accept my heartfelt thanks for being here today. This public service campaign would not, could not have happened if not for the commitment of the Fourth District American Advertising Federation, their members, clubs and there Governor, Bill Gregory. Without their commitment this project would have remained a dream.