Bulls__t and other memories of Robert Carr...

Robert Carr died in his sleep on the night of Monday 9 May, 2011. He worked hard in the HIV/AIDS field and was never afraid to stand up for what he believed in. In 2006 he made email contact with me and others in SASOD - always encouraging and celebrating our successes with us, via email.. and in 2008 I had the chance to meet him when he insisted on showing hospitality to me with all the other JAS and JFLAG crew.. they loved SASOD he said.. all of this remotely as they gradually met other members.

Robert then said they worked very hard... It was Easter Sunday night and he and Rohan were working on some paper that was due. I have a memory of him, lying on his couch.. half asleep on insisting that i do not have to go home because he was glad to gaff.. film festival, human rights, asylum, police , church..

We all will die, and we are not sure how we die. I grieve as I learned that he died in his sleep alone in a flat.. given the warmth he extended to many people. We did not agree on many things.. but the exchanges, briefer as his work took him out of the Caribbean, were always affectionate and respectful.

Last year in Vienna, at this AIDS 2010 conference, Robert at the MSM GF let go.. again speaking out in ways that I still would not do.A lot of us will thank God for the interaction we had with Robert, briefly - and to all his kind family, friends, loved ones.. is gone he gone, he aint coming to Guyana to the film festival as he said he would do..
the work continues. As Hindus know.. the soul is eternal, there is no need to mourn.


Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 11, 2011 at 12:56 PM

    Robert was forthright, yet diplomatic. Flexible yet insistent. Serious AND fun. And always driven forward towards social justice.

    ReplyDelete

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