Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Miami Herald - April 20, 2006
Steve Rothaus, srothaus@MiamiHerald.com
"The land of the free? It's the land of the slave," said Everett, 46, who on Sunday will be grand marshal at the 18th annual AIDS Walk Miami. "It's quite shocking that we rely on charities to take care of people with AIDS."
Everett, who has written for Vanity Fair about AIDS in Asia, said he has friends with HIV and no health insurance.
"In this country, how difficult it is to get treatment. Say you are really sick and you have to go somewhere and collect a form and get a form. We're in a terrible system," Everett told The Miami Herald. "It's much better in the whole of Europe. You're not relying on charities to get medication."
Everett, one of show business' out gay stars, also blames the movie industry for not doing enough on the AIDS front.
"The responsibility goes in a million directions. Look at Hollywood," he said. "Normally, no one wants to address the problems in the cinema."
AIDS Walk on-site registration begins at 8 a.m. Sunday outside Miami Beach Convention Center, 1901 Convention Center Dr. The walk begins at 9 a.m. and benefits Care Resource, Florida's largest AIDS-service agency.
Last year, 1,400 participated in AIDS Walk, raising $256,000 toward Care Resource's $3.5 million budget. The agency currently serves 4,000 clients in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, spokesman Terry DeCarlo said.
"Care Resource does an amazing job and it's extremely underfunded. There are a lot of sick people in our community," said Everett, who moved to South Florida in 1993. "The AIDS Walk is a great opportunity to reflect on the situation we are in. Sometimes, one is in a bubble and encouraged to stay in a bubble. The bubble is in a sea of distress."
Young people need greater education, Everett said.
"No one knows about AIDS anymore," said the star of My Best Friend's Wedding and The Next Best Thing. "Kids think of it like a bad cold. They don't know how you get [HIV]."
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To register for AIDS Walk Miami or get information, visit www.aidswalkmiami.org.
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