If you want to draw a crowd at BIO, landing Elton John as a keynote speaker is the way to do it. As with last year's Schwarzenegger keynote, the line for the event formed long before the speech started. It took another hour of awards, introductions and promotional videos, but John finally took the stage around 1 pm.
Dressed conservatively in a black suit, rose shirt and rose-colored glasses, John frankly addressed his own difficulty facing the reality of AIDS. Over the years he has lost an astonishing 60 friends to AIDS--a figure that drew a collective gasp from the audience. As the disease was gaining prominence during the 1980s, John lamented his silence on the issue. "I should have been on the front line, I should have spoken out, I should have done more," John admitted, adding that he was ashamed by his lack of action. After overcoming his struggle with drugs and alcohol, he founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation in the United States and an associated group in the United Kingdom in the early 90s. The charities have raised millions of dollars to fund anti-HIV/AIDS projects around the world.
John didn't hold back on expressing his frustration about the current state of AIDS treatment and prevention. The public's concern about the disease has waned over the years. "The world's governments and industries too often ignore the problem. The reason for these gaps is no mystery. There are longstanding stereotypes and prejudices about those who have AIDS." Issues of race, gender, sexuality and drug use are never easy to discuss, but John called for governments and individuals to confront reality, not ignore it. He spoke strongly in favor of controversial AIDS control programs, such as needle exchanges and better reproductive health education--methods, he said, that are proven to work but are too often mired in politics. "I don't wish to downplay the importance of a cure, but we've reached a new phase in fighting this disease. Changing attitudes is as important as finding new cures."
John called for government and industry to take a number of definitive steps to prevent and cure AIDS. These included better education, public support of proven disease control methods, Congressional support on an AIDS strategy, and better resources for researchers looking for AIDS cures.