In an Atlantic opinion piece, singer and songwriter Sir Elton John writes about his experiences with HIV/AIDS and recounts the work of several organizations, including the Elton John AIDS Foundation. “I’ve seen the difference these heroes are making. … I’ve seen with my own eyes what’s possible when compassion is put into practice,” he writes. “It’s crucial to treat every single person — regardless of background or circumstance or HIV status — as a whole person, as an individual with dreams to fulfill and goals to achieve. When we treat people as worthy of love, their worth is realized for all the world to see. Ultimately, this is the most powerful weapon we have against stigma, and indeed against AIDS,” he continues, concluding, “Whether you are the richest man alive or you have absolutely nothing, you deserve to be treated with dignity and compassion. That is the insight that inspires the work of my foundation. And that, I have come to believe, is how we will end AIDS” (11/26).