Due to the fact that AIDS activist Larry Kramer is considered too "old school" for a good many my fellow Hiv/AIDS activists that are out there these days I'm confident that some of my readers will most likely skip over this particular blog entry of mine and that's fine because even though I do write to every member of my reading audience in mind, this piece in regards to all the critics of Larry Kramer, specifically those who have been ripping him apart since the publication of his most recent article "AIDS is a plague allowed to happen" as well as his volatile critique of Anderson Cooper's 360 program on CNN, "Hope Survives: 30 Years of AIDS" which aired this past Friday evening, January 14th, 2011. Unfortunately, I did not get the opportunity to view the program due to the fact that I failed to program the recorder before I left for work that morning; however, I do assume that CNN will rebroadcast it at some point in time so I do hope to view it in the near future. But I did happen to read Larry Kramer's article - several times as a matter of fact - and I found it extremely strong and powerful, shooting directly from the hip as Mr. Kramer has always done without fail for the past 30 years. Oh I know, alotta people complained about how negative, depressing and dismal the article was but I think it totally depends on what perspective you're viewing it from - from a realistic standpoint or from the ostrich-head-stuck-in-the-sand standpoint. Personally, I choose to view it from the former.
But before I go any further with my impression of Mr. Kramer's article, I just wanna state upfront right away that even though I have not viewed Mr. Cooper's AIDS special on CNN, I do not doubt for one second that Mr. Kramer tore his way in-above-and-around it with the fine-toothed, razor-edged thoroughness that he is so well-known for. It really pains me to say this but it still blows my mind that so many of the generations that came after his still do not grasp the power of his deep-seated anger and vehement diatribes, they still do not grasp the concept that it was these very same battle tactics taken by Mr. Kramer that not only set the world on fire, but literally changed the Hiv/AIDS world for the better. Not all anger is negative. It may start out that way but whenever something positive, something good for the sake of all others is born from it, then that is truly something wonderful to behold.
Am I gonna go ahead and lecture everyone about how much the Hiv/AIDS world owes a great deal of respect and reverence for the extraordinary contributions Mr. Kramer has made to it? The painstaking hours, weeks, months, and years of his life that he has sacrificed fighting for it? No, because as much as has given - and still continues to give - there are many many others who have also sacrificed of themselves for the welfare of others too. The only thing - and it's a very big thing - that Mr. Kramer has given of himself that no one else has is that he sacrificed his time, energy and efforts in the form of being a major catalyst for change. Nowadays we still hear that one person can indeed make a difference in the world and he is a prime example of that. You may not agree with his vicuous rhetoric or his wave-making philosophies but he has nonetheless made an irrefutable impact on the Hiv/AIDS world. Someone like Larry Kramer definitely does not need someone like me defending him, but it is both an honor and a pleasure to be able to do so.
But I wanna get to the heart of the matter of this piece. I wanna ask this question - exactly what is it really that pisses so many people off about Larry Kramer? I dont buy this bullshit that alotta my fellow Hiv/AIDS activists have been peddling about him lately - that he's too caustic, he's too angry, he's too demanding, he's too judgemental, he's sucha major pain-in-the-ass and the perennial "Who the hell does he think he is?" Just like the rest of us, Larry Kramer has every god-given right to be as upset, as angry and as volatile as he damn well pleases when it comes to the way that society and the world in general has regarded and treated us Hiv'ers and those with full-blown AIDS. There's alotta you out there that keep asking why, what is so goddamn good about that man's short-fuse, his quick temper, and his knack for jumping down both the medical world's and the government's throats on the drop of a pin? That's very easy to answer - because he and his tactics have always been a catalyst for positive change. That is something we all need to be extremely thankful for.
I think there is a lot more to people despising Larry Kramer and not just because of his attitude, his anger or his actual person. No, I think it goes way way beyond those things and do you wanna know what I think the problem is? Jealousy. One-hundred percent purely unadulterated human jealousy. Look, each and every one of us has our own distinct, individual voice, that is something that cannot be denied of any of us, not even Larry Kramer. Yeah sure, I'm more than certain there are also alotta folks out there who wish their voice was as influential and as often-consulted as Mr. Kramers is; BUT, just because CNN isnt contacting the rest of us and asking us "Will you give your take on this?" or "What is your take on that?" doesnt give anyone else the right to lose control of themselves and bash the fucking hell outta Mr. Kramer just for the sake of soothing the obviously-bruised egos that I see a TON of you out there exhibiting. I wanna get something straight here with all of you goddamn whiners out there - Larry Kramer may not have solely created the world of Hiv/AIDS activism, even as much as he still is a central part of it, but I've said it before and I will say it again - A LOT of you out there would not be where you are today if he himself had not laid down the foundation for many of us. Oh I know I know, you all have justfiably and legitimately busted your asses to make as much of a diffference as you do, but I also know for a fact that if any of you out there encountered the tremendous amount of mudslinging that has flown Larry Kramer's way, while you were reaching for the same goals and end results that Mr. Kramer has reached for, I would be very curious to see just who's scores would be better.
In fact, that's a damn good point right there. If any of you think you can do a better job than Larry Kramer has done, then why dont you stop your goddamn bellyaching, get off your friggin asses and start making a change? C'mon, step up to the plate, if any of your methods are allegedly so much more better than Larry Kramer's then please, by all means, put your money where your mouth is. Allow me to rephrase that - IF any of you can do a better job at it, knock yourselves out.
Here's another part of the real problem that many of you have with Larry Kramer. Reality. Each and every time any one of you chooses to read or listen to anything he has to stay, it just bothers the living fuck outta you and you wanna know the real answer why? Because he forces you to pause the pansy-ass dancing around ritual of attending this-n-that fundraiser and being photographed with this-n-that notable personality to face the cold, harsh realities of what it means to be Hiv+ and to have AIDS. His actions literally knock the living fuck outta the horrendous foundation of make-believe and pretendom that so many of you perpetuate and you all just cant handle it. Oh it's not that Larry Kramer cant handle his own anger or cant conduct himself properly in the eyes of the world - it's the rest of you out there, many of my fellow Hiv/AIDS activisits, that cant handle either of those things. None of you out there want the real world to see what a rough, frustrating, severely depressing, and in some cases, severely dehabilitating disease that being Hiv+ and/or having AIDS really is. In many of your minds it's like "Oh no, we cant let everyone else see what it's really all about, we have to make our public appearances, we have to be dressed to the nines for this-or-that photographic opportunity, we have to flaunt that we look like everyone else, that our lives are great and we basically have no problems whatsoever!" Not only is that type of attitude in the Hiv/AIDS worlds unrealistic as well as extremely misleading, it's also downright dangerous. Face it, the only reason a helluva lotta you are slinging mud at Larry Kramer is because he obliterates every single fake glorification of this goddamned disease that many of you out there perpetuated. It's pathetic, it's disgusting and you all should be ashamed of yourselves! Keeping it real folks, that's what it's all about and Larry Kramer knows that, he has always known it and let's call a spade a spade here - you abhor him because of it.
Frankly, it also literally blows my mind that I of all people have to even put forth the energy to explain to all of you not only how Larry Kramer's mind works but one of his true secrets in engaging people to get off their asses and do something about this horrible situation that most of us Hiv'ers and those with AIDS are in. Actually, for all the tauts that I've gotten because of my anonymity and for all the HORRIBLE things people have said about me, specifically several of my fellow Hiv/AIDS activists, I should let all of you morons fucking figure it out for yourselves. However, unlike several of you, I'm not shallow like that. I have heart, I have compassion and I have a genuine drive for making a positive difference. By the way, those are the same exact things that set HivSpice apart from the rest of you self-proclaimed AIDS Guru wannabes out there. Here's why Larry Kramer painted sucha bleak, dismal, depressing epitaph on the Hiv/AIDS world most recently, both via that article and his knock-down-fight-offa-critique of Anderson Cooper's AIDS program - and it's for the same exact reason that great man has always picked up the pen and written - to GET PEOPLE TO THINK. TO GET PEOPLE TO GET OFF THEIR ASSES AND TAKE ACTION. There ya go. Every one of you who has constantly pissed-n-moaned and literally lost all senses of rationale and logical reasoning in your continous condemnation of Larry Kramer within the last 48+ hours simply can not, will not and do not comprehend that by spewing such flagrant venom all over the place, Larry Kramer is in essence the greatest and most effective motivational speaker in the Hiv/AIDS world. Yeah, it's that simple, that basic and again, you all should be ashamed of yourselves, of your substantial ignorance in not realizing this.
Dontcha guys get it at all? The very same exact things that you are castigating Larry Kramer for are the very same exact reasons of why he not only has been so successful as a catalyst for change in the Hiv/AIDS world, but also why he still continues to be an effective catalyst for change even in today's Hiv/AIDS world. Face it, Larry Kramer has more than secured his mantle, his belonging, his prescence, his whatever-you-wanna-call-it in our lives, in our world. He and what he stands for will ALWAYS be relevent in the Hiv/AIDS world and face it and many of you out there simply cannot handle that. You simply do not wanna accept what Larry Kramer has accomplished thus far and you wanna know why that is? Guess I'll have to be the one to spell it all out again - because there is NOT ONE of you out there (with the exception of myself and the people who know Larry personally) who has come to grips with the fact that Larry Kramer has accomplished all that he has via methods that many of you do not personally approve, as well as methods that you yourselves could never have the slightest notion on how to even begin to fathom. Backbone. Insufferable Backbone. Real. Reality. Nothing fake. No glitter. No glamour. Nobody comes as close to being a real man when it comes to all this bullshit except for Larry Kramer. And each and every one of you feels extremely threatened by that. I say again, shame on you. Shame on you for your extremely feeble attempts at stomping on a strong man who changes the world by simply opening his mouth and shooting out a 2 or 3 sentence disertation. Jealousy. Hypocrisy. Insecurity. Larry Kramer is none of those things, but I'm really curious, how many of you out there can claim as much?
And another thing. I've been wanting to nail folks to the wall on this one for a long, long time. Although I have no idea on how he personally has felt in the past regarding this, did you know that the term "AIDS Guru" originally comes from back-in-the-day when Larry Kramer co-founded ACT-UP? It was meant as a sign of deep respect and reverence for him, and it still is. However, I've noticed - actually, a day doesnt go by that it's not shoved in many peoples faces - that some of my fellow Hiv/AIDS activists out there cast the definite impression that they should be considered America's next AIDS Guru. Oh really? I gotta little newsflash for you folks out there who think that way - until any of you out there decides to really grow up and take the bull by the horns like Larry Kramer has, you might as well put your heads between your legs and kiss your asses good-bye on that dream. You're never ever gonna be as influential as Larry Kramer is until you can start being honest and real like him. Doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.
When I've written about Larry Kramer in the past a coupla folks wrote in to me and asked me "Well, you say all this now but what would YOU do if Larry Kramer came after you?" First of all, Larry Kramer does not now, or ever will, have a reason to ever "come after" me and if he did, naturally, I would stand my ground just as he stands his - with backbone. Not publicity mills, nor photos with this-or-that self-proclaimed-AIDS-Guru-wananbe, but with backbone, with my own person, just as he would. Second, and even more importantly, Larry Kramer doesnt pick petty shit-fits with people like some of you out there do. He's all about utilizing his life energy, not wasting it on prepubescent behavior. Yeah, really.
Though no one is perfect, though we all have our good and not-so-good qualities about ourselves as people, I, HivSpice, as well as I, the person behind HivSpice, will never turn my back on Larry Kramer. I've said it before and I will say it again - that man has done so much good for my generation and has made sucha positive, profound impact in the Hiv/AIDS world that to give him anything other than basic respect is just totally unacceptable in my eyes. If you dont agree with me, if you wanna hate the man all you want, that is your choice as well as your opinion. However, allow me to ask one more question before I close this piece. I dont know about everyone else but I treat others the way I'd like to be treated. With that being established, I'm curious, for those of you who so vehemently disagree with Larry Kramer, let me ask you this - how would you like it if everyone treated you the way you've treated him? What's that you say? Somewhat of a different story when the shoe is on the other foot, isnt it? Yep, that's exactly what I thought. As much as I dont care to end my pieces with a cliche, just remember guys, people in glass houses should never throw stones. Thank you for reading.
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