From The Ashes ...

That’s Mr. Celebrity Asshole, to you.

“So as a community, we need to come out and say that if you are HIV negative we need you to stay HIV negative, for our future. Our HIV negative people must stay healthy. And that, in a way, is the most controversial part of it. Because then they say “you’re saying there’s something wrong with me because I have HIV.” And I say “Yes, there is something wrong with you. You’re sick. You have a terminal disease. And I don’t want it. And I’m sorry you have it and I will do everything I can to take care of you. But I don’t want another generation lost.”

---- Harvey Fierstein in Next magazine

An open letter to Harvey,

Dear Mr. Fierstein,

Who the fuck do you think you are? As an HIV positive gay man I find your views defeatist, inflammatory, ill informed and downright offensive. You have apparently decided for me that because I’ve been exposed to a virus I’m now sick. That’s funny, I don’t feel sick. I see a doctor on a regular basis. You’d think, since I’m apparently sick, he would have put me on some sort of medication. I’ll have to ask about that. Being sick, I guess it was a mistake to renew my gym membership for another year. You’ve decided I’m sick. What was I thinking working out four times a week? I guess I ought to cut back on those 50 hour work weeks as well.

Wait, it gets worse. Now I’m terminal? Beyond the dying just a little bit every day variety? And me with my affairs all not in order. And here I thought that my family’s rich tradition of heart disease was going to be what ultimately did me in. Turns out it was just some half-witted celebrity pronouncing me terminal. I mean you do know that with treatment (assuming it becomes necessary) I’m just as likely to be hit by a falling piano as to be killed by HIV. It’s not the monster you seem to believe it is. It’s a virus, Harvey. A bug. It may kill me…….someday. But maybe not. And in the meantime I will continue to hold down a job and clean my apartment and order Broadway show tickets a year in advance (although I can think of one I don't want to see anymore) and make financial investments and have dinner and many bottles of wine with good friends. I’m sorry if that sounds all hopeful and forward thinking on my part. It seems you just want me to get the hell out of the way so you can somehow “save” the next generation.

And while we’re on that subject, was there a vote I missed where I became part of a lost generation? I must say, had I been asked I would have reported I don’t feel lost. Indeed, these days, I feel more centered and powerful than I have in years. Centered enough to see an insult wrapped up in a pretty package. I have no doubt your intent is to spare young gay people needless suffering or the discrimination (you claim we HIV positive people don’t suffer) we endure from well meaning HIV negative activists, but I’ll be damned if I let you or anyone else decide to sweep me into some “lost generation” category you’ve dreamed up for me. I’m not finished yet, Harvey. I’m still creating art. I’m still working for charity. I’m still going to re-learn French. I’m still writing angry letters to big mouth activists. I won’t be stopping anytime soon, either. Even if you do decide that I’m sick, dying and lost.