Author: Gary Pargeter

World Aids Day (WAD) approaches and the lives of people with HIV have possibly a greater focus within our community.

WAD gives us a valuable opportunity to reflect on where we’ve come from, what the struggles have been, loss, the inequalities, our achievements and our hopes for the future.

Often I’m grateful to use this space to remind people, especially those who are fortunate to not have experienced the fearful, highly stigmatised and often seemingly hopeless days of HIV, of how hard our community was hit, and how it changed things forever. But this year has been an exceptional one, with our service seeing more people than ever who tell us of social and financial struggles, living below the poverty line, difficulty accessing statutory support services, inequalities, and fears for the future that surpass anything we’ve heard for years.

We’ve seen vivid examples of people living in real poverty, both those working and not, unable to afford to eat regularly or meet their bills and rent. We’ve seen others coming to our City, sleeping rough and struggling to find safe shelter.

There have been others whose self-esteem has been destroyed through rejection from people close as a result of disclosing their status. And, when talking to people in our community and wider, we’ve heard: “but everything’s alright now with HIV – what’s the problem?”

For those that are interested in listening, learning about the realities and helping – thank you!

For those who do not – individualism, lack of empathy and belief in community are several things missing, I’d say. For those that doubt there remains a need for support there sometimes seems an insidious belief that many of us with HIV are doing little to help ourselves, but my experience is completely different. I see people reaching out, offering support to each other and deeply caring about their lives and those of others.

This all helps us cope, improve our own situation and build community, but there still remain the root causes of so much social and health inequality. We need to tell people who make the big decisions in our City that affect our lives what the important issues are, and how they affect us.

Whatever our political persuasion, or none, I’ve come to believe that unless we start doing this now, the boat will have sailed, our voices lost and that the important considerations and decisions that affect our futures will have been made without us. Don’t let inevitable good news stories or momentary sense of improved security cloud what will still very likely be an uncertain future.

For those of us that remember the early days of HIV and fought to have our voices heard, equality and rights upheld, let’s do this again, even if the issues have probably changed.

For those who are fortunate not to have experienced those days, join in now, improving the future for yourself and all of us depends on it.

In the early part of next year, Lunch Positive will be hosting some informal visits from the City Fairness Commission to talk to people with HIV. We’ll make it a space where you feel comfortable and confident to say what you think is important.

The Commission has been set up by the City’s Labour administration to hear views and ideas in residents own words on the challenges and inequalities you experience living in the City.

You will be able to talk anonymously and safely. The commission will use what they hear to recommend practical ways of making Brighton & Hove a fairer and more equal place to live. The Commission reports its findings in the summer. Be part of it, before it’s too late…

Gary Pargeter, is the Volunteer Project Manager at Lunch Positive; and is the LGBT Small Groups Representative at Community Works.

For more information about Lunch Positive, click here: www.lunchpositive.org

For more information about The Fairness Commission, (Brighton & Hove City Council), click here: