“Today is the World AIDS Day,” Starts an instagram post Madonna wrote on December 1.
“For four decades, this day has been recognized around the world by people from all walks of life, because millions of people’s lives have been touched by the HIV crisis. People have lost lovers and husbands and wives and girlfriends and boyfriends and children to this deadly disease, of which there is no cure.”
Last month the State department ordered CDC employees to, “Refrain from publicly promoting World AIDS Day through any communication channels, including social media, media engagements, speeches, or other public-facing messaging.”
Madonna’s response held nothing back. She wrote, “It’s one thing to order federal agents to refrain from commemorating this day, but to ask the general public to pretend it never happened is ridiculous, it’s absurd, it’s unthinkable.”
In 1986, at the age of 23, Madonna’s fellow performer, friend, and collaborator Martin Burgoyne had died from AIDS-related complications. To this day she still finds ways to honor his memory. The post continues, saying, “I bet he’s never watched his best friend die of AIDS, held their hand, and watched the blood drain from their face as they took their last breath at the age of 23.
“The list of people that I have known and loved and lost to AIDS is pretty long,” She continued. “Let me say it one more time – there still isn’t a cure for AIDS, and people still die from it. I refuse to acknowledge that these people have died in vain. And I will continue to honor World AIDS Day, and I hope you will honor it with me.”
Like the icon she is, The Queen of Pop inspires us all to stand up for what is right. To speak out with the voice you have as loud as possible and people will hear.
Photo courtesy of social media
