HIV STIGMA - THE WORLD'S IGNORANCE

As we approach World AIDS Day (12/1/08), I was disheartened to read an article that appeared in a several UK newspapers announcing that a top Catholic school in the UK, which taught former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's children, has cancelled its plans to raise money for a leading AIDS charity. The school's internationally famous choir (the London Oratory School Schola) is one of the country's leading choirs and is a highly sought-after commercial choir; they have performed on soundtracks for Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings.

The concert was planned by the school to raise money for World AIDS Day. The nominated charity to receive the proceeds was the Terrence Higgins Trust, which is Britain's foremost charity for people living with HIV. This was changed abruptly by the headmaster of the school after a group of the students' parents protested strongly, saying that they "disagreed with the proceeds of the charity benefit going to an organization whose aims and practices conflicted with the teachings and viewpoint of the Catholic church". The headmaster of the school announced that it would be inappropriate for the school to financially support a charity with proceeds from the concert because he did "not feel that the Terrence Higgins Trust was an organization whose philosophy, aims, and practices support Christian values".

A spokesperson for the Terrence Higgins Trust said that they were surprised and disappointed by the decision... I feel that this abrupt decision was very unfair to the Terrence Higgins Trust. This event was being planned for several months, and volunteers at the Terrence Higgins Trust had already spent countless hours working on and promoting the event after it had been designated by the school as the recipient for the proceeds. Raising money for HIV/AIDS is extremely challenging, and cancelling the event less than 1 month before World AIDS day was very inappropriate.

As for the school's opinions that a benefit to support those who are infected with and affected by HIV and AIDS does not support Christian values and teachings- I feel that this is the most "Un-Christian" decision that could have been made. Christian values are supposed to be about love and tolerance, and this is anything but that. I am angered, outraged, and disheartened that Christianity can so selectively determine who deserves to be helped. this decision is certainly not Christian; it is pure evil and full of hatred.

As World AIDS Day approaches, the headmaster of the London Oratory School, the parents of the students who protested the concert, and the so-called Christian leaders who made the decision should take a close look at the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The worldwide statistics are alarming. In the UK alone there are an estimated 88,267 people living with HIV/AIDS. The annual number of newly diagnosed infections in the UK is approximately 8,000, and that number is increasing rapidly, especially among heterosexuals.

HIV affects all of humanity: male, female, single, married, all races and social classes, heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, young, old, educated, professional, unemployed...

HIV and AIDS does not discriminate- so what right does the Catholic church have to discriminate? The leaders of the church should all be ashamed of themselves. This horrible disease can affect anyone. I wonder how the church officials or the parents of the school's children will feel when this disease enter their lives... and we can be sure that it will, eventually.