Florida: Memorial Service Draws Small Crowd in Broward

About 75 people attended the HIV/AIDS memorial candlelight vigil outside of Broward County's Main Library for World AIDS Day yesterday. The Fort Lauderdale Gay Men's Chorus sang for the small crowd, and the library offered HIV-themed artwork by more than 30 visual artists and poets to mark the occasion. The exhibit was inspired by a Day Without Art, conceived in 1989 to dramatize HIV's effect.

Some of those operating booths in the library's courtyard were disappointed by the low turnout. Hispanic Unity of Florida HIV outreach worker Rafaele Narvaez, 33, said AIDS educators face many obstacles, including conservative religious attitudes and traditional views held by some in Broward's growing Latin community. "You have all these confusing messages, and that's very difficult to battle as an educator," he said.

The city of Miami set out a couple of hundred folding chairs at its service for the AIDS dead at the Torch of Freedom. The middle-aged, mostly African-American and Hispanic guests did not quite fill the seats.

Back to other news for December 2, 2003