The general population still thinks HIV is something that came in the 80s and went away, or that it only affects the gay population or intravenous drug users.

I'm a female but I have a masculine side and I'm not going to negate that part of myself.

Music is a great vehicle for communications, and I have a certain platform. I have an opportunity and I have to take it.

A lot of music you might listen to is pretty vapid, it doesn't always deal with our deeper issues. These are the things I'm interested in now, particularly at my age.

Making a Christmas album is looked upon by some people as the thing you do when you are heading towards retirement.

You just decide what your values are in life and what you are going to do, and then you feel like you count, and that makes life worth living. It makes my life meaningful.

The worst thing someone gets is isolated. Isolation is the darkest part of any condition. You can live with almost any condition if you're living within a community of people who can share a common understanding. We create these communities from women who share common conditions, and those mothers carry each other through.