One thing about writing for the newsletter is that the deadline is so much earlier than when people will actually read it. I'm writing this during the Christmas holidays. spent the holidays traveling up the east coast visiting friends and family. One of my stops was in Waynesboro, Virginia, to visit an e-mail friend, Shawn Decker and his family. Shawn is a 21-year-old hhemophiliac who not only is infected with HIV but also with Hepatitis B and Hepatitis, CC. And thought that I had problems. His story was told in the December/ January issue of POZ magazine, with Shawn oon the cover. He has a project for 1997, producing a CD of music by HIV+ musicians. The plan is to get at least 500 radio stations across the country to play the album at 8 p.m. EST on World AIDS Day, December 1, 1997. He was awarded a grant to do this from the Daniel Murphy Foundation which was set up in memory of another hemophiliac with AIDS. This is quite an ambitious project, butafterknowing Shawn and meeting his mother Pam, I'm sure that they will succeed. Anyone interested in participating in this projectcan ook for ads in AIDS publications, such as this newsletter (see page 21), or in POZ, or they can check fordetails on his web page at hutp://www.cfw.com/~sdecker. Shawn has been quite a find for me. Right after my web page went up last April, Shawn found it and contacted me by e-mail. Eventhough there's quite an age difference, and Shawn is totally heterosexual, we hit it off. Though I've had AIDS for 11 years and thought that I knew so much, I discovered that I knew very little about the lives of hemophiliacs. HIV isnevereasy foranyone, but hemophiliacs have to deal with so much more, due to contaminated blood products, and the compensation being offered them by the blood products industry sucks more than anyone can imagine. It's difficult to say this, but the gay community has gotten off easy, compared to what the hemophiliac community has had to live with. Due to the damage to his liver from hepatitis B and C, it’s doubtful that he could tolerate anti-retroviral drugs, so he’s lived with HIV to this point, about 14 years, without, However, Shawn hashandled HIV/ AIDS with about the best humor that I've seen in anyone. A good part ofthis is due to his incredible parents, but therestis just due to the personality and goodness of Shawn himself, Our friendship has often puzzled me, as Tdon’t even have gay friends his age. My nephews are about his age, and from them all, I've learned how easy I can relate to People a generation younger. I wonder if I would relate so well if I had ever been a parent myself, but as itis, it appears that Ido better with them than adults my age. My nephews have no problem with me being ‘gay, butto them, I'm family. They probably wouldn’thavea problem with it, regardless, but it was a worry before they were told. Shawn, like them, doesn’t have a homophobic cell in his body. I don’t think that he’s ever had a homophobic thought in his ife. I've learned from Shawn and a few others, that its entirely possible for straight men to have no problem being around gay men. Some of my gay friends have yet 10 earthis. Someof them suspect my motives, or Shawn's “true” orientation. Before 1 knew Shawn, I might have felt the same way, but I've learned from this young man. My only motive with Shawn is to be his friend, and Shawn's “true” orientation is justas it appears...heterosexual. This is just a wonderful friendship between two men with AIDS. Besides learning so much from Shawn, his humor and personality are way beyond what one finds in most people. Unlike me, he has the talent to show his humor in his writing. I've had such a wonderful time during the two encounters we've had so far, and I’m constantly looking forward to his, next e-mail. I'm a lucky man to have survived AIDS long enough to have met such a wonderful human being as Shawn Decker, and to be his friend. If you're able, check out his web page, and you'll learn to love him as much as T have.