How Dare I/Take Responsibility

I think I might be a bigot.

A big fat one, at that.

Mostly because

I’m sick of people still calling

HIV and AIDS a gay disease

I’m sick of the gay community

Only caring about HIV and AIDS

As if those are the only two diseases

The only two conditions

That matter to the queer community–

Why do they matter?

Because of the bigotry.

The bigotry makes them matter.

Why is it

That obesity

Will never matter the way

Other diseases do?

Why is it

That diabetes

Will always be ascribed to

Fat people, even though

I’m morbidly obese and

Nowhere near pre-diabetic, sugars

On-point, mind you!

I would know, too–

I get bloodwork done

Every three months

The way any other trans patient

With too many problems does.

What is it about

The community that prevents

Anyone from acknowledging anything

That applies to anyone besides

The richest, thinnest, healthiest among us–

That’s why HIV is bad, right?

That’s why discrimination is a problem, right?

That’s what the problem is– right?

It can affect anyone that has a good time

No matter how “valuable” they are otherwise

Vs undesirable diseases

Like the ones that “come from lifestyle”

…but…

Isn’t that

The exact same argument

They made against HIV/AIDS patients

During the worst time of the crisis…?

Even still, now?

What’s the difference between

Obesity and HIV– well

The eye of the prescriber,

The opinions of the outsiders

All the same problems, and still

This poem will be cancelled.

How dare I compare

Something as petty as

Obesity with the enormity of

HIV

Yes, how dare I–

How dare I say anything

About obesity besides

Eat less, move more–

Take responsibility.

How dare I insult those who died

Of a disease that

Society ostracized them for–

Worsening their condition and

Ultimately resulting in their death–

While they suffer in silence–

How dare I.