World AIDS Day,
Sunday 1 December 2003

- a call to students
My esteemed colleague Mr Nunn has written elegantly and passionately on this site about World Aids Day (read his article). Like me, he is right. Even our own friends seem not to have been particularly aware or concerned, let alone as impassioned, as he is. As a gay community, this is a matter that affects us all deeply. Or it should. And we two should have done or said something too. This is quite out of character.

And, whilst we think about it, what about all those young men and women at the University and St Martin's? They were happy enough to demonstrate against discrimination by the Blood Transfusion Service against gays - and quite right too. But on World AIDS Day, neither the Editor nor I has heard anything from their representative gay or Student Union bodies. Did they mark the occasion in any way? We hope so. If not, they need a good talking to.

We have not heard from them about anything else. Please, will you simply just talk to us? We will gladly meet you over aperitifs, absinthe or apple tisane (some of them are even teetotallers I hear) to discuss co-operation for the common cultural 'queer' cause, as the petulant Mr Tatchell calls it.

All of us at this virtuous and virtual organ will be pleased to commune and co-operate with them and show some fraternal or even sororial solidarity. That, in this ancient City, is sometimes not as evident as it might be.

But responding to Mr Nunn, Bosie's first idea to promulgate the message about HIV/AIDS was a party (he's not always tactful). He then thought that an information stand or display in the public Libraries in Morecambe and Lancaster might be a good idea.

Bosie felt that the County Palatine's touring libraries should carry something similar too, as he believed we must take the message out into the country too. It's not just for summer picnics; they who live outside this steamy metropolis have feelings and desires too. Just as we two do. His other second thought (Bosie is prone to those) was for an 'awareness stall' (he has an odd grasp of English) in the Market Square, just like those nice peace campaigners do.

For once, Bosie and I must admit to having missed an opportunity to preview this occasion of moment. But so has everyone else, if Mr Nunn is to be believed.

Copyright © 1 December 2003 Oscar O'Lune and Bosie O'Bare