A Proud Hubby

I am going to take a little time today to gloat about Carlos because, well, it's my blog and I'll gloat if I want to.

When we lived in Miami, and for a time after moving to Smallville, Carlos worked in the veterinary field as a practice manager. But, after we moved to South Carolina, circumstances changed, and Carlos took a position with a private health care company, working with the homeless and lower income communities as an HIV educator, tester and counselor. It was quite the change for him, and something neither of us ever expected he would do, or love so much.

The state legislature, a few months ago, cut funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program [ADAP] and then turned around and spent millions on a loan to a golf tournament; evidently, for them, golf is more important than people's lives. Recently, the legislature was again to vote to cut all funding to ADAP and other programs geared toward the homeless and low income communities, and a rally was planned at the statehouse in Columbia.

Doctors spoke about the need for funding. A woman who had been beaten with two-by-fours and gang raped spoke of the need for such programs; the director of the South Carolina HIV/AIDS Council [SCHAC] spoke of keeping the funding.

One additional speaker was the hubby of yours truly.

Carlos was asked to speak on behalf of the Hispanic community, also affected by lack of adequate health care, and funding for HIV testing, education, and treatment.

And I could not have been more proud listening to him speak passionately, in English and Spanish, of the needs for all people, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity or income to be treated fairly and receive treatment for HIV/AIDS. Hearing him ask our politicians set aside sport and focus on lives.

As I said, neither Carlos nor I could ever have envisioned him doing this work, and loving this work, and being so passionate about this work. But there he was, on the steps of the statehouse, and on the evening news, doing just that.

I am one proud hubby in Smallville.

And, to make me even happier, the South Carolina Senate voted yesterday not to accept the House suggestions to cut funding for ADAP, and other services for low income South Carolinians.

I like to think Carlos had a hand in that vote.