I just recently finished reading Different Strokes by David Leo.
It's one of the four queer fic books I recently got.
It was quite an easy read, given that it was a short novel.
The story revolves around the life of two people living with HIV-AIDS. It describes the challenges and obstacles the two people face while living with the disease.
The central character is a reporter named Keith. Because of the story assignment by his editor, Keith finds himself learning more about the disease and the issues faced by people living with the disease.
Published in 1993 (sheesh, I was just a high school freshman then), Different Strokes is said to be one of the earliest works related to the LGBT community in Singapore.
I wonder how the local community now views HIV-AIDS. I recently attended a short talk about it, and I was a bit surprised to learn that the meds here are not free. Maybe because this isn't a Third World country? In the Philippines, I know that meds are given for free via the UNAIDS Global Fund.
I also asked the speaker about whether the disease is discussed in science and health classes in schools. I was a bit surprised with the reply I got.
Good thing there are a number of local groups like Action for AIDS, which provides education, support and assistance.
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