Inside Looking Out

Book excerpt: JERRY EDWARD EASTBOURNE, born August 7, 1954 Akron, Ohio. My poetry is largely infl uenced by my learning disability, dyslexia; therefore, making readers aware of problems I suff ered from second grade into adulthood enduring endless torment and ridicule from kids who labeled me, retard. Other factors are: my life as a Gay man, struggles making friends, fi nding employment and housing, living with HIV/AIDS and the end of a 25 year relationship with my fi rst love. What I learned gave me the ability to be a volunteer and become a board member in a HIV/AIDS organization, then president of a Gay/ Lesbian/Bi/Trans/Straight group for nine (9) years; educating people from colleges, schools and PTA meetings about my life with HIV/AIDS throughout the state of Oregon as well as the people, gay and straight also infected and the friendships that were made and lost with their deaths. My own struggles of life and death because of lack of medication, severe side eff ects, Viral Load in the millions, the low to zero CD4 count I lived with for nearly 3 years. The many optimistic infections of my fi rst 14 years of the now 28 years I have lived with the disease. Nominated and winning the Harvey Milk award, for my work to educate others about sexual genders and HIV/AIDs through my lectures of living with the disease as a Gay man. Giving support for those who are friends or family of others infected. Finding Love now 14 years together, sharing our love and life