When it comes to talking about HIV/AIDS, what some consider a taboo topic, Harlem native Patricia “Pat” Kelly is the first to tell folks that she has been living with the virus for 25 years and will be among the attendees at the International AIDS Conference (IAC) next month in Washington, D.C.
“The conference is so important to me because I will become part of history,” Kelly said recently in an email sent from her home in Orangeburg, S.C. The history she is referring to is that for the first time in more than 20 years, the IAC is returning to the United States after President Barack Obama lifted the international travel ban that prevented people living with the virus from entering the country.
The Obama administration implemented polices and procedures lifting the ban in late 2009 and published revised federal guidelines in 2010. At the time, the administration released a statement that read, in part, “If we want to be the global leader in combating HIV/AIDS, we need to act like it.” For Kelly and thousands of other women of color living with HIV/AIDS, attending and participating in the IAC will indeed be a turning point in the fight against the virus.
“This means for the first time ever, a significant number of African-American women and Latinas will be able to attend the conference and have our voices heard–this is truly a historic event,” Kelly said. “I want to go to this conference to ensure that women like myself who are living with HIV are prioritized by our decision makers!”
Kelly was first diagnosed with the virus in 1985 while she was an inmate at the South Carolina Women’s Correctional Facility. She was in her in early 30s when she got the sobering news from a prison doctor. “He looked at me over his glasses and said, ‘You have AIDS and you are going to die, and you shouldn’t tell anyone because everyone will be afraid of you,’” Kelly said. “I was numb, confused and ignorant about what AIDS was.” Kelly, who lost a brother to the virus in the 1990s, said she quickly learned about the disease.
Fast-forward to 2012, and the 50-something grandmother is healthy, active and a vocal advocate in the fight against HIV/AIDS. She is accepting donations from supporters for her to attend the IAC in Washington in late July. “I am the president of an HIV/AIDS support group in South Carolina and would appreciate any support that people can give me,” she said. “One way or another, I will be at the IAC next month.”
Please send donations to A Family Affair HIV/AIDS Ministry of Victory Tabernacle/Pat Kelly, 963 Adden St., Orangeburg, SC 29115.