An iconic reminder on World AIDS Day

December 1 is World AIDS Day and, coincidentally, the birthday of the late Matthew Shepard (his 46th). So I've been looking this morning at a new work (above) by St. Louis-based iconographer Kelly Latimore (left) that will be unveiled officially and dedicated late this afternoon at the Washington National Cathedral.

Shepard's ashes were interred in the cathedral during 2018 and the portrait/icon was commissioned in his memory by LGBTQ+ members of the cathedral staff.

I was struck by the similarities between the icon and blocks of the National AIDS Memorial Quilt, displayed for the first time on the Mall in Washington, D.C., during 1987, 25 years ago. But have no way of knowing if that was intentional.

Both the day and the birthday serve as useful reminders. AIDS seems, in places like the United States, to be a lesser threat these days because of medical advances --- but it continues to kill worldwide at an estimated rate of a death a minute.

And as the recent shooting deaths at Club Q in Colorado Springs as well as increased noise from the Christian right testify, homophobia still is very real and present among us, too.