For some reason, I never saw the AIDS Quilt in its entirety. At this time, I probably never will– the last time the entire quilt was on display was in 1996 in D.C. I was here in California at that time. I have seen portions of the quilt, though, and its simplicity is overwhelming. So is the fact that 25 years after AIDS first appeared in the public consciousness, first as GRID (Gay-Related Immunodeficiency Disease), and then as AIDS, the quilt now has 48,000 panels with 91,000 names. What’s especially disturbing is that on the website for the quilt, it states that “[t]he names on the Quilt represent approximately 17.5% of all U.S. AIDS deaths.” Less than 20% of all deaths from AIDS– and this is in the U.S. alone. That doesn’t include half of Africa, where the subcontinental region is being decimated by AIDS, or Eastern Europe, where nations like Russia are also being devastated by AIDS.

Although Rock Hudson was one of the earliest people to put a face on AIDS, for most people the sobering awareness that this was something that wasn’t limited to gays came with Ryan White. The notion that AIDS can happen to anyone scared a lot of people, but it also led to increased efforts at education and awareness. There’s still a lot of work to be done, and a entire new generation has grown up since AIDS first appeared on the scene. Not all of these people are as aware or cautious as they should be, and the battle seems to start all over again as more and more youths become aware of their sexual selves, whether homosexual, straight, or bisexual.

I think part of the problem is complacency– in the early days, everyone who developed AIDS died. Now it’s different– many people are living five, ten, fifteen, or even more years, either as HIV-positive individuals, or with AIDS. For example, just over fifteen years ago, Magic Johnson announced one November day that he was HIV-positive. This shocking news led some to wonder just how long it would be before Johnson succumbed. But it’s fifteen years later, and Magic has carved out a second career as a businessman, philanthropist, and speaker. Today, Magic announced a new campaign to help reduce the incidence of HIV in the black community, parlaying his name in an effort to combat AIDS.

You may think Johnson was fortunate to be able to afford treatments and support, but he isn’t alone. The Washington Post today highlighted a number of people who are living with HIV/AIDS, some of them for more than 20 years. When more and more people are living their lives in spite of HIV/AIDS, it’s easy to shrug off AIDS as just another disease– a fatal one in the long run, to be sure, but still, just another disease.

Yet, for all those who are still living, who are either holding steady or leading full, rich lives, there are hundreds of thousands who have died in the years since 1981, and who continue to die of AIDS. The deaf community isn’t immune, either; you can see our own memorial wall online here. Elizabeth over at Mishka Zena has posted the same link, along with a brief remembrance of some of the people she knew. While no one close to me has HIV or has died of AIDS, I’m familiar enough with some of the names on that communal wall. I’m sure the same is true for a number of you.

My hope is that 25 years from now, we will be celebrating a vaccine or a cure, or at least concrete steps towards one. I hope that 25 years from now, a red ribbon will be delegated to history. I hope 25 years from now, the Quilt is in a museum, and no longer accepting additions. No matter what happens, above all, there is always hope.